Razorbacks' head football coach Sam Pittman and Missouri State's head football coach Bobby Petrino are all smiles before the game Saturday night at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, AR.

By Otis Kirk

FAYETTEVILLE -- No. 10 Arkansas is preparing for Texas A&M this week following a 38-27 victory over Missouri State Saturday night.

Sam Pittman held his weekly Monday press conference. Pittman offered up his thoughts on Arkansas' comeback win on Saturday following watching tape of the game.

"I thought our defensive line played well," Pittman said. "I'll put it in a nutshell for you: We didn't tackle well as a team. We're having a hard time covering opponents. We've had that the entire year. On offense, you can't turn the ball over three and get none on defense. So, three to nothing took that 99 percent computer winning to 11, and that's about what it felt like out there.

"On offense, we had a lot of really good performances. I thought our line played well. We have to throw a little better and catch a little better, but we can't turn the ball over. That's what we did. In a nutshell, our special teams helped us. We still have a couple penalties in there hopefully we can get fixed. We'll try our best today to get that fixed, but that's really what I saw. We didn't tackle well. We didn't tackle well. On offense, we turned the football over. That's kind of what happened. Luckily, we got out with a win."

Arkansas had several missed tackles on Saturday night. The coverage issues have been there all season as Pittman said. He talked about what he's trying to do about the tackling.

"Well, tackling, we started last weekend with open-field tackling," Pittman said. "We brought down the scout team running backs just trying to get them on the ground. We missed a lot of tackles at linebacker as well, so we have to add that group in there. Last week was just the secondary. So, I think we just continue to do that."

As far as coverage, Arkansas ranks last in the nation in passing yardage (345) allowed per game.

"I think the first thing is you have to make sure you have the right people in the right spots," Pittman said. "You know what I'm talking about. Pre-snap. Not where they're aligned, I'm saying do we have our best players on the field. I think you have to figure that out first. We've been adjusting. Part of it was because of a couple injuries, but part of it is we have some new guys back there as well. We're going to experiment a little this week and see if we can't get the right people in the right spots.

"I think (Myles) Slusher, he's going to practice today. He'll be back, and that should help us as well. I think Malik Chavis is a guy we need on the field, and when he's not playing corner, we need him at safety, and I'm not sure if we don't need him at safety and just put Hud (Hudson Clark) at corner. I think those are questions we have that we need to make... We've got to get our best five guys out there on the field at all times. Obviously, we know they get hurt, but those are things we've talked about as a staff. We've got to figure that out a bit better."

After Ketron Jackson caught a 64-yard pass from KJ Jefferson to give the Hogs a first-and-goal play at the Missouri State 1 Rocket Sanders fumbled giving the ball back to the Bears. Sanders was outstanding the rest of the game, but felt he didn't make up for that fumble.

 "The thing about Rocket, and it’s true," Pittman said. "He’s the first guy, he’s early to study table. All his teachers, you know, we’ve had a few academic captains, academic staff captains. If he’s in a class they love him. That’s how he is. If things bother him, he wants to … he’s a perfectionist. That’s probably what makes him good. He’s very talented, but his want-to is higher than his talent, if that makes sense. Just a really, really fine kid and he takes things personal. I’m glad it didn’t take him too long. I mean, he fumbled a ball and came back and continued to have a really game. He had a good game before that and a really good game after that as well."

Sanders, a sophomore, now has rushed 66 times for 440 yards and three touchdowns. He has eight receptions for 117 yards including a very big 73-yard touchdown on a shovel pass against Missouri State Saturday night. He feels he's starting to get on the national scene at running back.

"I expected him to be a really good player," Pittman said. "I don’t know if expected us to use him as much as we have. You know he was primarily the only guy who played. He wasn’t but very few reps for AJ (Green) and R-Dub (Dubinion). The way the game was going and where we were, we were behind the whole game, you know, until the very, very end of the game. We just felt like as long as he wasn’t tired that he was our guy we were going to go to. 

"But to answer your question, I knew he would have production. I just didn’t know we’d use him quite as much as we are. Probably a little bit surprised with his numbers that he’s had. And that not that I didn’t believe in him. It’s just he’s had more attempts than I thought probably at this point of time."

Arkansas leads the nation in sacks. Two of the main reasons why are transfer Drew Sanders (Alabama) and Jordan Domineck (Georgia Tech). Have they exceeded Pittman's expectations?

"Yes. I think both of them are," Pittman said. "Drew came with all of the accolades and all that kind of stuff, but yes. I think they’re both playing better than even I would have imagined. I think they’ll continue to improve. I think they haven’t really hit where they’re going to."

Another transfer is defensive end Landon Jackson from LSU who started on Saturday in the absence of Jashaud Stewart. Jackson was a standout recruit at Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove. He was injured much of his one season at LSU and then in the spring at Arkansas as well. Saturday night Jackson started to show what he's capable of doing.

"I agree with you," Pittman said. "He's playing with a lot more speed, a lot more confidence. Obviously started last week with Stew being out. But yes, I think if you look at him and Drew Sanders both, I think they're getting better. I think they're becoming more comfortable with the system and their teammates and things of that nature. But yes, I agree with you 100%."

Some in the national media have questioned the Hogs some following the struggle against the Bears on Saturday night. Pittman reminded of what happened when that team played Oklahoma State last season.

"Well, I mean, they had a good scheme on us," Pittman said. "We came out of the gate not covering and not tackling, is what happened. But they had a really good scheme, and their quarterback was fantastic. Really good player. This team, Missouri State got beat 23-16 at Oklahoma State last year. They got beat by seven. And Oklahoma State was No. 7 and went to the Fiesta Bowl, beat Notre Dame. Might be they've got a pretty good team.

"Now, we can't turn the ball over, and we've got to get better at tackling, get better at covering and all those type--We have to. But it might be you take the logo off and you put somebody else's logo on there and you'd say, 'Man, we didn't play very well, but thank God we got the win.' I'm pretty sure it didn't flaw Oklahoma State's season when they went to the Big 12 Championship and to the Fiesta Bowl. I think they're a good team with a good-- It shouldn't have been that way. But but you've got to give them credit. They were well-coached. They came out, they had a Thursday night game so they had a couple extra days. It's like anything in sport: If you have a reason, and they had a reason. It was, 'We're down the road, not very far, Coach Petrino.' You have a reason, they're hard to beat if you don't play well, and we didn't. A lot if it was because they made us look bad as well."

Pittman feels that in addition to Slusher that Stewart will also return this week.

Arkansas will face Texas A&M at 6 p.m. Saturday night on ESPN at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.