What Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield said after Arkansas’ loss to Utah

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Last week, Arkansas struggled in the first half with its offensive line and could not establish much offense until the second half. It was a similar tale, or nightmare, against No. 20 Utah on Saturday — just all night long.

Arkansas finished the night with only 61 total rushing yards in its 43-10 loss to the Utes Saturday night in Rice-Eccles Stadium.

“There’s a reason why they had so much success last year, and coming back in their two-quarterback system causes some headaches.”

Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield

“Obviously, the offensive line didn’t do a good enough job, and then they played man coverage almost the entire game, or pressured us with a Cover 3 behind it. That means there’s always going to be an extra hat in the box, and if you don’t do a good job, I think, you know, if you want teams to stop loading the box, then you have to be able to throw the ball effectively,” Silverfield said.

”I think our lack of ability to throw the ball at all downfield and beat man coverage, we’re going to struggle to run the football.”

When asked if he felt the play calling was putting players in position to succeed, Silverfield said ultimately players need to make plays.

“Anytime you don’t have success on offense, it’s everybody’s fault,” he said. “Like I said, I’ll always point the mirror at myself and say I got to do better and I got to do a better job during the week to put our guys in a better position, but we also got to find a way, like if teams are going to be in man coverage, to execute.”

Silverfield said the team is frustrated with the lopsided results of the matchup with Utah.

“I told them they should be frustrated,” he said. “What’s going to end up happening is it’s easy to point the finger. First off, everybody’s to blame. Look at me, let’s start with me. I’m fine with that. Been doing this thing long enough.

“I’ve got to do a better job preparing you guys this week, but clearly, every single person in this locker room didn’t do a good enough job,” he said. “Everybody. Everybody gets a lion’s share of the blame on offense this week.”

Silverfield continued, “But guess what? We have to learn from this, we have to pick ourselves up off the floor and come out swinging as soon as we land, and we got to go find a way to get this thing figured out.

“But I told them that it should be a painful plane ride home. I want it to hurt and use that frustration and that anger to find a way to get better, and let’s go out there and have a better week.”

On the other side of the ball, Arkansas’ coach tipped his cap to the versatility of Utah’s offense.

“The quarterbacks, like the running backs, clearly didn’t do a good enough job tackling them, and then they got us on some stuff where they pulled in and hit the dart pass quickly. It gives defenses fits.

“There’s a reason why they had so much success last year, and coming back in their two-quarterback system causes some headaches.”

Silverfield mentioned the double pass play that resulted in a 36-yard gain for the Utes on the first drive of the game.

“We saw it coming, but we just weren’t in a good enough position to make the play,” he said. “So we got to find ways to make those plays, but credit to them, and shame on us.”

Arkansas will look to rebound at home against the No. 2 team in the country, Georgia, this week.

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