Three Hogs Discuss Pittman Job Security Amid Season Target

Sam Pittman, Luke Hasz, Landon Jackson, Arkansas football — photo credit: Arkansas Athletics / 103.7 The Buzz

The optimism of a new football season is great. At the end of July, everyone is 0-0 and everyone has a chance. Coaches take the stage at media days with a positive and upbeat feeling. Even the programs that everyone knows will not do well once the season starts.

My friends at 103.7 the Buzz capitalized on that Razorbacks excitement Friday night, as they usually do, with The Countdown to Kickoff celebration at The Hall concert venue in downtown Little Rock. The event featured food and drinks and football chats with all the Buzz personalities, as well as interviews with current Hogs Luke Hasz, Landon Jackson, and Isaiah Sategna.

The event also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Hogs’ victory over Tennessee, which gave them final-minute revenge for a painful loss the year before. Special guests included former QB Clint Stoerner, receiver Anthony Lucas and head coach Houston Nutt.

It was a fun night, with various personalities and Stoerner analyzing the 2024 games and predicting an 8-4 record to the delight of the crowd. (They were still positive, but down slightly from last year when they predicted 11-1 for a 4-8 season.) If you read the national pundits, you know that few predict better than 4-8. It seems that few people who cover college football give the Hogs much hope. And it seems the general consensus is that if Arkansas fails to qualify for the bowl, Sam Pittman’s job is in serious jeopardy.

“We always want to support Coach Pittman because we know he loves us,” Hasz, a sophomore tight end, said in an interview with Best of Arkansas Sports. “We love him and we just want to go out there and give him the best.”

Satenga, a sophomore receiver, said Pittman’s status isn’t a topic of conversation in the locker room and that most players ignore the negative press.

“We don’t really worry about the outside talk,” said Sategna, a sophomore. “People will say what they want and what they think, but that’s not really what it’s about. It’s about how we play and ourselves. We just stay close and don’t worry about the outside noise.” Landon Jackson and Luke Hasz agreed.

In addition to Pittman’s job status, another big news story this offseason is the hiring of former fired Hogs head coach Bobby Petrino as the new offensive coordinator. This goes hand in hand with Pittman’s job security.

“(Petrino’s attack) is really good, we really focused on the little things that make us better,” Sategna added. “We’re happy to have him back, and he’s happy.”

Petrino’s arrival coincides with the transfer of former Boise State QB Taylen Green. Sategna, a track sprinter, raved about Green’s ability to run and throw, calling him “the fastest player on the team.” Sategna is one of several speedsters in the receiving corps who could benefit from Petrino’s wide-open style and Green’s ability to scramble in the pocket to produce more breakaways that will evoke his best game of 2023:

“I feel like my skills really complement Petrino’s offense,” Sategna said. “I think we’ll be a good fit this year.”

Hasz, who had a breakout season as a freshman before breaking his collarbone, is also excited about the potentially more aggressive offensive philosophy.

“We have a bunch of fast guys and we’re going to use them exactly where we need them to be,” said Hasz, who has gained 35 pounds since last season.

Green is just one of several players added to the portal. All three players agree that the team has improved talent-wise from the end of last season, and they all think that could lead to more wins this fall.

“I feel like this team is really close, really close as a team, overall,” he said. “Not just on offense or defense, just close. We’ve got a lot of great guys in the portal. We’ve got some great coaches that have come in and helped us along the way.”

The difference between four wins and six wins often comes down to just a few minutes. Arkansas blew chances against Texas A&M and Mississippi State and others that could have made last season less painful.

What pigs should do in 2024

“We’ve got to close out tight games,” Jackson said. “In SEC games, you’ve got a team that plays well every week, and it’s going to be tight and we’ve got to close out those fourth quarters and close out those games. That starts every day in the weight room and every day in practice — closing out practices and workouts. I think that’s the biggest thing we’ve got to work on.”

Pittman has already identified a number of areas that need to be improved in order to turn narrow losses into wins. There’s a good chance the first game that shows improvement here will come in Week 2, when Big 12 member Oklahoma State visits. The Hogs will be favored in three of their non-conference games, but not this one. A win over veteran coach Mike Gundy and the Cowboys in Week 2 would set a path to bowl eligibility and could be a confidence booster.

“I think it’s just as important as any other game,” Jackson said. “It’s a great game to play before the SEC game. I think Oklahoma State is a great team and we’re going to prepare on both sides of the ball. We look at it the same way every week and right now we’re focused on UAPB,” the season opener.

None of the players wanted to put a number on the season, but they all agreed there is one goal.

“I wouldn’t say we have a certain expectation for wins, but an SEC championship is always the standard,” Sategna said.

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