Before Saturday’s game between Georgia and Arkansas, the two teams met at midfield. Each team marched from its own sideline with their arms linked, and they stopped on the hash marks for a display of unity.
For Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, the moment carried a double meaning: It was the first-year head coach’s first glimpse at the Bulldogs after spending the past four seasons coaching their offensive line.
“I had a lot of the kids come over and talk to me, and the coaching staff (did, too),” Pittman said. “I was there four years. It was a big part of (his wife) Jamie and I’s life.”
From the moment the schedule was announced, this game had the makings of an emotional matchup. Arkansas hasn’t won an SEC game since it beat Ole Miss in October 2017, and a win over its new coach’s former team would be an emphatic start to his tenure.
For the first half of the game, it looked like the Razorbacks might do just that.
Halfway through the first quarter, quarterback Feleipe Franks found receiver Treylon Burks wide open with no defenders in his path. Burks easily made his way to the end zone for Arkansas' first touchdown of the season — and an early lead over the No. 4 team in the nation.
A fumble out of the back of the end zone gave the Bulldogs their first two points of the game, and it took them until the dying seconds of the half to kick a field goal and narrow the gap to 7-5.
But despite the Razorbacks' halftime lead, Georgia’s offense found its stride in the second half, and Arkansas' defense began to show signs of fatigue. By halfway through the third quarter, the Bulldogs had pulled ahead and didn’t look back.
“We talked to them after the game about where we were at half against the No. 4 team in the country and what we have to do to end the game against the No. 4 team in the country,” Pittman said. “We’re in a winning business, and so that’s what we want to do.”
It was unlikely that the Razorbacks were going to have a fairy-tale ending to their coach’s first game, especially against the fourth-ranked team in the country. But for Pittman, it was a meaningful game nonetheless.
“We knew they had a really good football team,” Pittman said. “... To see all the people and guys that I worked with and the players, and for them to come and find me after the game, it was a really special moment.”
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