The 2024 regular season for head coach Sam Pittman and the Arkansas Razorbacks (6-5, 3-4 SEC) will come to an end Saturday against the No. 23 Missouri Tigers (8-3, 4-3 SEC), and the Hogs could really create some momentum by doing something they've never done before.
Arkansas enters this weekend's matchup with an 0-6 record against the Tigers in Columbia, Missouri, which is where the team's will meet Saturday at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field. Pittman said Monday that he's including the Hogs' winless mark at Missouri in his team meetings this week.
"On Monday you have a presentation of their football team and it certainly is part of it," Pittman said. "Anything that you think can be a little bit more of a motivator. Which, they shouldn’t need anything else. We’re playing for a trophy. We’re playing Missouri. They’re a rivalry game for us. They beat us by … they beat hell out of us last year. That should motivate us.
"The problem is a lot of the kids that are on the team and playing weren’t on the team last year too. So you have to find different ways to motivate. That’s my job. Instead of just going well, it’s Missouri. It’s a rival. So yes, to answer your question. I think that’s part of it."
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Not only did Missouri dominate Arkansas last season, but the Tigers embarrassed the Hogs with a 48-14 win at Razorback Stadium. Missouri led by as much as 41-0 before Arkansas scored its first touchdown of the game with a little less than 12 minutes in the fourth quarter.
"We’ve motivated, I’ve done as good I can motivating," Pittman said. "They’re going to get tired of me by the time of week’s end, but we can’t have that kind of performance again. But we have high respect because they’re a really good team. Physical team. But, we got all the motivation we need. We just got to go up there and play well."
The Razorbacks own a 1-3 record against Missouri and its sixth-year head coach Eli Drinwitz. A native of Alma (Ark.) and a graduate of Arkansas Tech, Drinkwitz has fully embraced this Battle Line Rivalry matchup. Drinkwitz is known for stirring the pot a little bit with antics on and off the field, and Pittman was asked about that Monday.
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"He's stirred up a lot of stuff, not just with not just with Arkansas," Pittman said. "So I have a lot of respect for him. He's a hell of a coach, now, and you don't want him to have the ball on the last drive. And I mean, you don't, because he's outstanding and has won a lot of games that way.
"As a rivalry, he told me he was going to try to start up, too, when we first came here. I respect the guy. He's obviously done a really nice job there. So, you know, we're rivals, and they've got the trophy, and they've had it for last two years. We'd like to get it back. "
While last year's game was never competitive, the previous three meetings were much more entertaining. The Hogs lost a 50-48 shootout in Columbia during the 2020 season, they evened things up in 2021 with a 34-17 win in Fayetteville and then they dropped a 29-27 nail-biter to end the 2022 season.
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"Yeah, it’s unfortunate," Pittman said. "We played them obviously four years and won one of them out here. So that makes us 1-3. So, the first year we were out there, I think I went for two and we messed around and made it. There’s 30 or 40 seconds left and they kicked a field goal and beat us. We’ve had some good games, obviously last year was not. Was for them.
"So, it’s hard to win. You see how hard the team is playing at Missouri. I think they’re undefeated at home this year. It’s a hard place to play. They have really good fans. Just, on the road, lot of times it’s hard to go into an opponent and win. We’ve lost some games here, but Tennessee, it was hard for them to come in and win as well. It’s just hard."
Missouri own a 6-0 record in games played at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field this season. All three of the Tigers' losses came on the road against quality SEC opponents in Texas A&M, Alabama and South Carolina.
"They’ve got a fine football team and they’re well coached," Pittman said. "We’re looking forward to going up there, you know it’s a little different playing them on Saturday instead of playing them on Friday. But a trophy game and we’re excited to get up there."
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday in Columbia, Missouri. The game will be televised on SEC Network.
