Ryan Silverfield does not rule out in-season Arkansas staff changes

Following a 34-10 loss to No. 23 Missouri that dropped the Razorbacks to the bottom of the SEC in multiple offensive categories, Arkansas football coach Ryan Silverfield addressed his team’s struggles on Monday, making it clear that in-season staff changes remain an option as the program searches for answers.

Arkansas currently ranks last in the conference in total offense, averaging 336.1 yards per game, and sits at the bottom in scoring with 19.6 points per contest. The timing of Silverfield’s comments mirrors movement elsewhere in college football, notably at Oklahoma, where the Sooners parted ways with second-year offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on the same day following their own offensive difficulties.

Evaluating Every Level of the Program

When asked during his Monday press conference if he would consider making adjustments to his coaching staff mid-season, Silverfield did not rule it out. Silverfield emphasized that his primary responsibility is ensuring the program performs on Saturdays.

Ryan Silverfield is two games into his Arkansas tenure and is already talking about people writing him off pic.twitter.com/78slhBp5Jg

— https://x.com/BFWshow/status/2099651742820430001

“I think it’s my job to always put our program in the best position to have success, no matter what that looks like,” Silverfield said. “Whether it’s an in-season staff shakeup, a postseason staff shakeup, a change in nutrition plan, a change of travel plans, it’s always my job to make sure that whatever we’re doing, it’s putting our guys in the best position to have success between the white lines on Saturday.”

Ryan Silverfield does not rule out in-season Arkansas staff changes — Photo: si.com

Despite the speculation surrounding offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey, who has faced mounting criticism from fans over the unit’s lack of production, Silverfield expressed confidence in his assistant’s leadership during games. Cramsey has served as Silverfield’s offensive coordinator since 2022. Silverfield explained that while the offensive staff collaborates throughout the week to build the game plan and practice scripts, Cramsey retains primary play-calling duties on game days.

“Crams does a great job in the past and will continue to do a great job of putting us in the right position throughout,” Silverfield said, pointing out that his own role during games focuses more on situational awareness, anticipating defensive adjustments, and managing matchups.

Turnover Woes and the Quest for OTB

Protecting the football has emerged as one of the most glaring issues for the Razorbacks this season. During his six-year tenure as head coach at Memphis, Silverfield’s teams prided themselves on ball security, finishing in the top 39 nationally in turnovers lost in each of his final four seasons—highlighted by ranking No. 2 with only 8 turnovers lost in 2024.

Upon taking the job in Fayetteville, Silverfield stressed how much “OTB” (Own The Ball) and “TTB” (Take The Ball) would be preached to his team, with the letters plastered on walls in the facility. The current reality in Fayetteville falls well short of that standard. Arkansas ranks 100th nationally with 12 turnovers lost, four of which came during the loss to Missouri. Junior quarterback KJ Jackson accounts for the bulk of those giveaways with five interceptions and four fumbles lost, while running back Sutton Smith and wide receiver Antonio Jordan each have one lost fumble, and Arkansas was charged with one team fumble on a high snap that resulted in a Missouri touchdown. The team’s average turnover margin of minus-0.25 per game is tied for 10th in the SEC.

“I mean, the turnovers, just inexcusable,” Silverfield said. “And then the seven drops, right? Those are things that just cannot happen.”

Injury Concerns and External Noise

Compounding the offensive struggles are health issues among key playmakers. Wide receiver Chris Marshall missed the Missouri game after tweaking a hamstring previously against Vanderbilt, while running back Braylen Russell was unable to generate any yardage on a third-and-1 and appeared gimpy in warmups and coming off the field after the play.

Reviewing The Performance Of Ryan Silverfield So Far This Season

Away from the field, Silverfield also briefly addressed a lighthearted jab from Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, who remarked after Saturday’s game about the new stadium lighting at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Having stated during his introductory press conference in December that he requested bulbs be replaced in the football building because they were too dull, Silverfield remained unfazed by the remarks.

“I’m off social media,” Silverfield said. “Listen, you know how you”

The Razorbacks return to the gridiron on Saturday to face Auburn at Jordan Hare Stadium.