Should Arkansas Razorback make a move of signing another Coach ! as Sam Pittman was fired earlier today due to..

This is the third in a series of stories about Arkansas football and head coach Sam Pittman, who recently sat with writer Bob Stephens for a lengthy interview. Visit us daily this week to read a new article.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Nothing was more humiliating for Arkansas’ football team last season than being outscored 96-24 in its last two SEC games. Both of those contests — here’s where readers can shake their head if they’ve forgotten — were at Razorback Stadium.

That’s the biggest reason many were upset with Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman. Losing close ones is one thing; getting blown out at home doesn’t keep the fringe fans, or even the diehards, coming to the stadium.

Pittman is hopeful this year’s bunch will exceed expectations — vegasinsider.com has them at 5.5 wins, tied for third worst in the SEC. If Pittman’s wish comes true, that’ll prompt fans to flock to Fayetteville on game day.

“I like this team,” Pittman said. “I like it a lot. I like the togetherness of it. I like the leadership on it. I really do.”

We have a talented team, but the thing about it is — everybody does,” Pittman said. “So, we have to win close games.”

Pittman isn’t into moral victories, but he’s also a realist, meaning he knows when his team put forth its greatest effort and maybe even executed as well as hoped for, and still couldn’t win. He knows the Hogs should’ve won the first and last games of that six-game stretch and could’ve escaped with a couple more, but was proud of his team for taking a trio of Top 12 teams to the final gun.

“Close games are different in that if you’re a 28-point underdog and lose by 3, you probably played a pretty good ballgame and you might’ve played as good as you could play, but it just didn’t work out,” he said. “There’s a difference in that, other than you just lost a close game. You don’t want to lose any of them, though.”