Sam Pittman makes stunning admission as Arkansas football coach embraces hot seat | Toppmeyer

Sam Pittman made a stunning admission Saturday: He didn’t know what to do in a critical moment, and he goofed up.

Disgruntled Arkansas fans already suspected the fourth-year coach is out of his depth. Pittman didn’t need to confirm it for them, but he did, after the Razorbacks’ most embarrassing loss of Pittman’s tenure, a 7-3 whimpering at the hands of Mississippi State.

In a game where inches, let alone yards, were at a premium, Arkansas had one thing going for it: Cam Little ranks among the SEC’s best kickers. His leg is as strong as it is accurate. That should have come in handy when Arkansas (2-6, 0-5 SEC) faced fourth-and-2 from the 33-yard line in the third quarter, trailing by four points. That equates to a 51-yard field goal. That’s within Little’s range.

Would Pittman go for fourth-and-short or kick the field goal?

Neither. He froze, and rather than call a timeout, he let the play clock expire for a delay of game.

Bring on the punt team. Bring on a sixth straight loss. Bring on the hot seat.

“I didn't know what to do, to be perfectly honest with you," Pittman admitted.

As the play clock wound down, Pittman decided for a field goal, before realizing Arkansas wouldn’t get it off in time.

“I did not want to call a timeout at that point, because I wasn’t even sure I wanted to kick a field goal, to be perfectly honest,” Pittman said.

This is one of those instances in which perfect honesty isn't advised.

A Mississippi State defense that hadn’t offered much resistance against SEC opponents became a steel door against Arkansas.

Arkansas’ inability to mount a run game is a glaring shortcoming considering Pittman is a former offensive line coach. Veteran quarterback KJ Jefferson has regressed.

Arkansas lost both of its coordinators in the offseason, and Pittman's hire of offensive coordinator Dan Enos busted. Pittman fired Enos on Sunday.

Pittman became Arkansas’ lovable juke box hero just a few short years ago. After Chad Morris ran a proud program into the ground, Pittman dug it out. Helped by Kendal Briles and a veteran roster, Pittman won nine games in Year 2 and endeared himself in Hog country.

Two short years later, he’s coming across as that amiable, goofy uncle you see at Thanksgiving who is good for a few laughs, and he can polish off a few beers, but you don’t want him coming anywhere near the turkey preparation.

As Arkansas fans fume, I can’t imagine any of the cooler heads within the administration want to rush into firing Pittman. An unusual clause in Pittman's contract would make it financially prudent to give this some more time.

If Pittman’s overall record since 2021 dips below .500, he can be fired at a discount amounting to several-million dollars. Pittman is 18-16 since ’21, with four games left this season. A 3-9 season seems realistic. That would leave Pittman at 19-19 and owed a $16.1 million buyout.

Best-case scenario for Arkansas: Pittman suddenly rights the ship. That seems unlikely.

Second-best scenario: Finish 2-10 and unlock Pittman's discounted buyout of $10.7 million. Then hire a coach who knows a delay of game is an unacceptable outcome on fourth-and-2 from the 33.

Anyone in Fayetteville got Dan Mullen’s number?

Circle this date on the SEC football schedule

Since the spring, I’ve eyed a Nov. 4 game on the SEC’s schedule: LSU will play Alabama in a game I suspected would determine the winner of the SEC West. Alabama (7-1, 5-0) will aim for revenge in Tuscaloosa as Brian Kelly’s LSU Tigers (6-2, 4-1) look to retain division supremacy.

Both teams are open this week after Alabama rallied past Tennessee and LSU trounced Army.

TOPPMEYER: 'Fun day,' Nick Saban says after Alabama football beats Vols. That's one way to put it

Of greater surprise, the SEC East also will be (mostly) decided on Nov. 4, too.

Tennessee, once a division dark horse behind frontrunner Georgia, is all but eliminated from the division race. So, too, is Kentucky. Florida lingers, but the Bulldogs likely will extinguish the Gators on Saturday in Jacksonville.

That would set up Georgia hosting Missouri on Nov. 4 with the division crown on the line.

The Tigers (7-1, 3-1) nearly upended Georgia last season in Columbia, Missouri.

Close losses were the hallmark of the 2022 Tigers. The 2023 Tigers are marked by one of the SEC’s most exciting offenses.

While Georgia is busy with Florida, Missouri has an open week to prepare for the Bulldogs. I’m not talking myself into an upset, but I can’t ignore the Tigers’ swagger.

“Why stop now?" Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz said of his team’s 7-1 record.

Best line I heard this week

Someone says in the press box before kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium: “I’m setting the over/under at 30 on the number of times Tennessee’s band plays ‘Rocky Top.’”

Someone hears this and responds: “Always take the over.”

Three and out

1. Georgia’s schedule has been cake, but we'll soon learn whether the Bulldogs are contenders or pretenders. The next four weeks will bring Florida, Missouri, Ole Miss and Tennessee, while star tight end Brock Bowers is sidelined by an ankle injury. A Georgia loss would leave the SEC vulnerable to the possibility of no playoff bids.

2. Zach Arnett secured a pivotal victory for his rookie season against Arkansas. Mississippi State (4-3, 1-3) now enjoys good positioning to make a bowl. Southern Miss remains on the schedule. Beat the Golden Eagles, and MSU would have to beat one more SEC opponent from the quartet of Auburn, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Ole Miss to extend its consecutive bowl streak to 14.

3. After beating Auburn 28-21, Ole Miss has rattled off three straight victories by seven points or fewer. Lane Kiffin can’t conquer Nick Saban, but his record in four seasons against the other five division opponents improved to 10-7.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

The "Topp Rope" is his twice-weekly SEC football column published throughout the USA TODAY Network. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, or access exclusive columns via the SEC Unfilterednewsletter.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Sam Pittman hot seat: Arkansas coach makes stunning admission after loss