Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman and his Memphis counterpart, Ryan Silverfield, share surprisingly similar career paths despite their different backgrounds. Pittman, a 63-year-old Oklahoman, served as an offensive line coach at ten different FBS schools before taking the top job at Arkansas—a move considered a gamble as he had never been a coordinator. Silverfield, nearly two decades younger, also rose through the ranks as an offensive line coach, eventually becoming head coach at Memphis after Mike Norvell’s departure for Florida State, likewise without play-calling or coordinator experience.
Initial doubts about Silverfield have since faded. After consecutive double-digit win seasons, the Tigers have won 25 of their last 30 games and started this season 3-0. Ranked No. 24 in last season’s final AP Poll, Memphis is now a leading contender for the Group of Five’s guaranteed spot in the College Football Playoff.
Saturday’s game at the Liberty Bowl is arguably the most significant of the year for Memphis, as Arkansas is the only Power Four opponent on its 2025 schedule. For the Razorbacks, the contest is a must-win following a tough road loss and facing a difficult schedule ahead.
Despite the high stakes, Pittman and Silverfield have developed a strong professional relationship, forged during Arkansas’s recent Liberty Bowl appearances in 2022 and 2024. Pittman praised Silverfield for his hospitality, noting that the Memphis coach went out of his way to open team facilities for the Razorbacks, even during inclement weather.
“Silverfield has done an excellent job, and he’s a good guy, too,” Pittman said. He recalled that Silverfield even offered to open the facility on Christmas morning, an offer Pittman declined.
However, Silverfield’s cordiality isn’t universal. On his weekly radio show, he took an unprompted shot at Georgia coach Kirby Smart, Pittman’s former boss, regarding the Bulldogs’ off-field issues. “What’s not our standard is, ‘Georgia football player arrested for driving 900 miles per hour over the speed limit.’ That’s a weekly occurrence, so that’s one we’ll show,” Silverfield said.
This weekend’s game marks the first meeting between Arkansas and Memphis since 1998. The Tigers lead the all-time series 3-2, with all previous matchups decided by 16 points or fewer. Much has changed in the 27 years since they last played, and both coaches face significant pressure. Pittman is looking for a convincing win to stabilize his program, while a victory over an SEC team would significantly bolster the resume of both Silverfield and his rising Memphis squad.
Sam Pittman Previews Arkansas vs. Memphis
Speaking on his weekly radio show, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman offered his thoughts on the upcoming game:
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On Memphis’ unique pass rush: “The biggest thing they do is they put your running back in protection. You’re not positive which five or six guys are coming… Get a one-on-one matchup with your running back and they’re probably as good as anybody… Our running backs have had extra work in individual this week in pass protection.”
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On defensive communication issues last week: “We really weren’t getting the calls in fast enough Saturday… our kids were basically playing ball not using all the tips and reminders that they had. So the bottom line is we simplified it. We let them have an opportunity to line up, see things and then let their mind go back to what matters… We’ve got to turn them loose, and I didn’t feel like we did that in the first half.”
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On pregame preparation: “At some point you have to empower your coordinators, and they’re the ones that see the kids more than I do… I talk to them Friday night briefly… then I talk to them Saturday before we eat. Then I talk to them going out, but the coordinators are the ones that really do the talking before the game.”
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On Arkansas’ tight end room: “That’s a special group. They all can block and they all can catch… Jaden Platt’s probably been as consistent as any of them. We wanted him extremely bad. He could have went to basically any school that he wanted to in the country, but he chose us and I’m hoping that he’s happy here… he’s done a fantastic job.”
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On practice this week: “Tuesdays are the hardest practices. It was 90 degrees and I didn’t think we finished quite like we should have. We had a conversation Wednesday as a team and had a great practice. We changed it up a little bit to get more energy and enthusiasm… the kids really responded and I feel like we’re ready.”
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On handling last week’s loss: “Adversity hits and you’ve got to block out the negative noise. You have to learn from it… I think everybody in here thought we were going to win as much as we did at the end of the game. It just didn’t happen, but you’ve got to move on and because we’ve had really good leadership within the program, we ended up having a really good week so far.”
