FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – An Arkansas football season riddled with disappointing performances mercifully came to a close Friday with one more dud inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorbacks Stadium.
The Razorbacks (4-8, 1-7 SEC) closed 2023 with a 48-13 loss to No. 9 Missouri as former Springfield High School and current Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz outclassed his counterpart in Sam Pittman. Arkansas fell behind early, lost its starting quarterback to an injury and only displayed a fight with literal punches.
Friday’s result showed just how far these two programs are from one another with both coaches finishing their fourth years in charge. Missouri is one of the best teams in the SEC, while Arkansas was undoubtedly the worst team in the West division.
Here are some immediate observations following the Arkansas loss.
Lifeless offense, no matter who is under center
Some Arkansas fans on social media have clamored to see what backup quarterback Jacolby Criswell could do with KJ Jefferson struggling to find consistency this fall.
More:Arkansas football’s KJ Jefferson leaves Missouri game with injury
More:Watch: Fight between Arkansas, Missouri football teams leads to ejection of three players
Criswell got his opportunity Friday afternoon with Jefferson suffering an injury midway through the first quarter. Jefferson never returned, and the Razorbacks’ offense remained abysmal.
Missouri could get pressure on the quarterback whenever it wanted, racking up four sacks, forcing six fumbles and holding Arkansas to 234 total yards. Two of those sacks resulted in fumbles that the Missouri turned into touchdowns and the Hogs only had 50 yards of offense at halftime.
Whether it’s the coaches, players, or both, the Arkansas offense needs massive changes this offseason.
Defense can’t stop late-season slide
Arkansas had no answer for Missouri running back Cody Schrader, who had 192 rushing yards in the first half and finished with 217. A long-developing stretch play gave the Razorbacks fits all afternoon, and Brady Cook got the passing game going in the third quarter with a pair of touchdowns through the air.
In truth, Drinkwitz called off the dogs early in the second half.
The Arkansas defense played brilliantly through the first eight games, but the final third of the season has resembled the struggles of 2022. The Hogs gave up 149 points over the final four games.
Home fans have seen enough
In three home SEC games this season, Arkansas has been outscored 103-27. Most of the Arkansas fans who did show up Friday left early in the second half, with a sea of black and gold taking over the stadium.
Pittman has the trust and support of athletic director Hunter Yurachek, but the fans have lost faith. Arkansas needs to win some trust back with — again — changes in the offseason.
Battle Line Rivalry takes on new life
The debate over whether this regional matchup is actually a rivalry ended in the second quarter Friday. A full-on fight erupted on the field one play after Arkansas’ Taurean Carter was called for a roughing the passer penalty. Three players were ejected, including Eric Gregory and Zach Williams for Arkansas.
More:Watch: Fight between Arkansas, Missouri football teams leads to ejection of three players
Pittman and his players spoke during the week’s buildup about how much this game meant to them and the state of Arkansas. It’s time Razorbacks’ fans acknowledge this rivalry’s validity. The Tigers are no little brothers, now winning eight of 10 matchups in the SEC.