Hot seat talk grows after Arkansas’ 56-13 Loss to Notre Dame: Sam Pittman admits, ‘We played terrible’

Arkansas football hit a new low Saturday as head coach Sam Pittman watched his Razorbacks get dismantled by No. 22 Notre Dame in a 56-13 blowout.

The Irish piled up 641 total yards, seized control in the first half, and sent fans streaming out of Razorback Stadium before halftime.

With Arkansas now sitting at 2-3 after three straight defeats, Pittman’s future in Fayetteville is drawing sharp scrutiny. A bye week looms before a difficult trip to No. 15 Tennessee, adding to the urgency around the program.

Also read: Arkansas WR Jalen Brown suffers severe injury after Notre Dame rolls to 56-13 win

Freeman’s Irish domination fuels pressure on Pittman

Notre Dame wasted little time seizing control. Quarterback CJ Carr delivered a career performance, completing 22 of 30 throws for 354 yards and four touchdowns, all of which came before halftime.

Running back Jeremiyah Love added four total scores with 57 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards, while Jadarian Price chipped in 121 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. By the break, the Irish had rolled up 400 yards of offense and a 42-13 cushion.

Pittman did not sugarcoat what happened in his postgame remarks, telling reporters,

“We played terrible. We couldn’t get off the field defensively. It’s the same things, it’s the tackling, the coverage… that’s on all of us.”

“We played terrible. We couldn’t get off the field defensively. It’s the same things, it’s the tackling, the coverage… that’s on all of us.” – Sam Pittman on the loss to Notre Dame pic.twitter.com/yVpYuipYnX

— Courtney Mims (@MimsCourtney) September 27, 2025

Arkansas never recovered. Quarterback Taylen Green, who entered the game leading the FBS in total offense, struggled against the Irish defense. He completed only 17 of 32 passes for 207 yards with one interception and no touchdowns.

Although he rushed for 81 yards, his passing troubles stalled the Razorbacks’ offense. Each of their three second-half drives ended in turnovers, including two on downs and one interception.

Afterward, Pittman faced questions about potential staff changes during the open week.

“Possibly. I’ve got some time to think about some things… possibly,” he said.

This is them straight up quitting on their defensive coordinator and head coach. No excuse for this pic.twitter.com/VkIjxwSmeU

— David Marts (@DavidMarts13) September 27, 2025

With another ranked opponent on the horizon, speculation around his job security is likely to intensify.