Sam Pittman

Posted on January 2, 2022January 1, 2022 by Jeremy Lewis — Leave a comment

Jefferson leads No. 22 Arkansas over Penn State 24-10

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Arkansas football is on the rise. KJ Jefferson picked up 104 of his 110 rushing yards in the second half and threw for 90 more to lead No. 22 Arkansas past Penn State 24-10 in the Outback Bowl on Saturday. Raheim Sanders had 79 yards and two touchdowns on 13 rushing attempts and Dominique Johnson added 85 yards on 11 carries as the Razorbacks finished with 361 yards on the ground.

“We’ve come a long way,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said.

Arkansas (9-4), coming off four consecutive seasons of four or fewer wins, got its first nine-win year since going 11-2 in 2011. The Razorbacks also played . . .

No. 22 Arkansas, Penn State excited about Outback matchup

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Coaches James Franklin and Sam Pittman are concentrating on the players who actually will be on the field for Penn State and No. 22 Arkansas in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day.

That’s no disrespect to the talented collection of players who opted to prepare for the NFL draft.

“What I would say is I’m focused on the guys that are in our locker room. That doesn’t mean that I’m not happy and excited and supportive of the guys that are not,” said Franklin, whose Nittany Lions (7-5) will be without five defensive starters and their biggest offensive playmaker on Saturday.

“At the end of the day, the reality is you got to find a way to get it done. As one door closes, another door opens. It’s an opportunity for . . .

College sports already adapting to new NCAA rules

As spring practice winds down, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman sees some potential holes in his roster.

Arkansas didn’t use the maximum 25 scholarships this year on its incoming recruits so it has a few left over to hit the transfer market, where there is no longer any question about whether athletes who switch schools will be immediately eligible to compete.

“We might take a tight end,” Pittman said. “The bottom line is whomever we took would have to be a D-lineman or someone with the ball in his hands. I don’t think we’d take an . . .