Arkansas football fans sent message on Saturday. It was impossible to miss - USA Today
A skunk scurried its way onto Donald W Reynolds Razorback Stadium a few hours before lowly Arkansas' home game against No. 2 Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 19. There aren't many instances that explain the current state of Arkansas football quite like the foul-smelling critter taking shelter in its home stadium.
The skunk entered through the corner of the end zone and started running up the stadium steps before the game, as shown in a viral video posted to X before the game. The viral clip, paired with a sad showing from fans with virtually no tailgaters before the game, paints a picture of a rough time to be a Razorback under first-year coach Ryan Silverfield, who was hired away from Memphis in the offseason.
The program announced a red-and-white "stripe out" for Arkansas' game against the Bulldogs, but the view of the stands resembled nothing remotely close to the promotion. The brutal showing was more akin to a blob of fans toward the middle of the lower bowl, with nearly no fans in the upper deck of the stadium.
The game went about how Arkansas fans were expecting it to go, with Georgia winning 45-17 in a game quarterback Gunner Stockton was only asked to throw 13 times in. The Razorbacks alternated between quarterback KJ Jackson and AJ Hill, while Bulldogs backup quarterback Ryan Puglisi threw for 63 yards and a touchdown in mop-up duty.
Tickets were being sold for $9 on secondary markets the night before the noon ET kickoff. The crowd looked a bit better once the game started than pregame, but it was still less-than ideal for an SEC program.
Could fans be boycotting the football team after two games? There's an altered graphic of Arkansas' stripe-out announcement that has floated around social media that reads "Empty Out The Stadium," rather than "Stripe Out The Stadium." Fans were also sharing "#BoycottArkansasFootball" in the days before the game.
The no-show from most Arkansas fans comes a day after the university passed a resolution to lead "a review of the state of competitiveness of Razorback Athletics" at a Board of Trustees meeting. Arkansas System President Jay Silvera is leading the review, which also focuses on improving the resources for the football program.
βLike all passionate Razorback fans, the Board of Trustees is united in the goal to ensure the competitiveness of all Razorback sports and specifically to restore the rich tradition of Razorback football,β Board Chairman Randy Lawson said in the announcement.
It has been a brutal start to the first season of the Silverfield era, with Arkansas struggling at times in a 31-14 win over FCS North Alabama, before it was stomped 43-10 against Utah on the road in Week 2. Georgia poses a huge threat in Week 3, before Arkansas next week hosts Tulsa, which already has a win over Oklahoma State this season.
It doesn't seem like things are getting any better for Arkansas in the short term, with fans starting to criticize athletic director Hunter Yurachek's decision to hire Silverfield. At least basketball season starts soon for a fanbase starving for success.
