Sam Pittman provides injury update on WR Andrew Armstrong

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ leading wide receiver in 2023 Andrew Armstrong has been nursing a hamstring injury and missed the season opener against UAPB.

In 2023, his first season with the Hogs, after transferring in from Texas A&M-Commerce, Armstrong caught 56 passes for 764 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Hogs. Arkansas defeated UAPB 70-0 to open the 2024 season, but now face a much more difficult opponent in Oklahoma State on Saturday. On Wednesday during the SEC Teleconference, Sam Pittman was asked about the status of Armstrong and who will need to step up if he can’t play.

“Well, Andrew’s gotten better since last week to Monday to Tuesday,” Pittman said. “He’s improving each week. Whether he can go full speed or not on Saturday and this is not to hold anything back, we have other good receivers. I just don’t know at this point. But I will say that he’s looked a lot better this week, even from Monday to Tuesday and expecting him to look better today as well.

“But you know we’re confident in that we’ve got five, six, seven receivers that have speed and we’re catching the ball extremely well. I like the schematics that Coach (Bobby) Petrino is running there. If we have time, if we can protect, I feel like we’ve got adequate enough receivers that … you know (Tyrone) Broden obviously is a big target that can run and (Isaiah) Sategna is playing extremely well. Of course Jordan Anthony is fast. Then you look at (Isaac) TeSlaa. We’ve got some guys. (CJ) Brown. We’ve got some guys that if Andrew is not able to play we feel like we can stretch the field and have some success.”

The Hogs had eight different wide receivers catch passes against UAPB with TeSlaa and Anthony leading the way with three each. Arkansas is slated to practice later Wednesday after working on Monday and Tuesday.

“I like the way that the first two practices have gone this week,” Pittman said. “Very, very focused. We have a huge challenge going into Stillwater and playing a really, really good Oklahoma State team. They’re good at all three levels on defense. They have a superstar — or more — at all three levels on defense. Certainly skill-wise as good a running back as there is in the country, and slot and wide receivers and offensive line  has I think over 200 starts. 

“They ought to have really good special teams as well, so it’ll be a huge challenge for us, but I’m excited about taking our team over to Stillwater.”

Arkansas and Oklahoma State used to play often. Pittman grew up in Grove, Oklahoma, and was asked if he has memories of this matchup?

“Yeah, I do,” Pittman said. “I don’t know if it’s 78 or 79, one of those two years, back when I was growing up, Oklahoma State and Arkansas played quite a bit. I think Arkansas played Tulsa, as well. It was a good game to have in Fayetteville because of proximity, or going over to Stillwater and Tulsa. But I do remember those games.

“Both teams were very, very good. I believe, I got to check, I believe I went to one of those games when I was in high school. But yeah, I’m glad the game is being able to play. Somebody said it’s been 44 years, which means that’s the exact same time I’ve been out of high school, so that kind of hit me a little bit. But yeah, excited to have the game again.”

The last two times the teams have played was 1980. The Razorbacks won that meeting 33-20 in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium. The Razorbacks hold the lead in the series 30-15-1. Pittman said it’s excited to restart this series to his family.

“Well, it’s exciting to my family,” Pittman said. “I think I’m about 31 tickets or 32 tickets into the game. Yeah, I think it’s certainly, as well as Oklahoma coming into the SEC, I think that’s something that’s good for college football. I think games like this are just really good for college football and regional football.”

The kickoff is set for 11 a.m. on Saturday and televised on ABC.