Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman is expecting the unexpected this Saturday night when the Razorbacks host No. 4 Tennessee in Fayetteville, AR.
The Vols are 4-0 on the season but are coming off of an open date during the Week 6 slate.
Pittman is familiar with Josh Heupel’s success off the bye week, an 8-1 career record as a head coach and a 3-0 mark at Tennessee.
With Tennessee having two full weeks to prepare for their game against Arkansas, Pittman excepts to see some plays or concepts that hadn’t been in the Vols’ game plan the first four weeks of the season.
“No, I don’t think that’s a myth at all,” Pittman said about Tennessee’s bye-week success and expecting new wrinkles after an open date on Wednesday. “I think you have some unusual plays that you might put in. You have longer— you got to watch it because sometimes those hurt you too, you’re doing things so well like Tennessee is. But yes, I think you’ll see at times more plays, sometimes in the special teams as well that you wouldn’t if you didn’t have the two weeks of prep. So I do think that. I know we have done that. I think when we’re on a bye we’re 3-0 having beaten Florida, Auburn and Mississippi State in the last three years. And I know we certainly try to add a wrinkle or two during that time.”
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Pittman’s thought process makes sense, especially considering he added his own experience with the Razorbacks to tie the thought together at the end.
But Pittman is also right to think that, too. Josh Heupel has been crafting some game-breaking plays for the offense but also seems like he’s been holding some things back for the SEC contests ahead.
Heupel’s offenses over the span of his career are averaging a whopping 41.8 points per game coming off the bye week. While that does drop a bit for his three games at Tennessee specifically, the Vols’ 35.0 points per game off the bye week under Heupel is certainly nothing to scoff at.
It’s hard to imagine Arkansas’s offense being able to score 35+ against Tennessee’s No. 1 ranked defense this weekend, too. The Razorbacks do have some explosivity with quarterback Taylen Green and wide receiver Andrew Armstrong, along with a stout running back in Ja’Quinden Jackson. But Arkansas can also play recklessly at times. Green has five interceptions through five games but Arkansas does have 12 total fumbles on the season, according to ESPN – only four have been lost, though.
If Tennessee can stay positive in the turnover battle and Josh Heupel’s two-week gameplan comes to fruition, it’s hard to see Arkansas taking down Tennessee despite the home atmosphere.
Arkansas will host No. 4 Tennessee at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night in Razorback Stadium.
