FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks have shown over the past month that they have figured out how to compete for a full four quarters, but that hasn't always resulted in victories either.

Figuring out a way to upset a beatable South Carolina team would give Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield a stronger pitch for the future, and give his players still fighting through a difficult season reason to keep fighting until the end.

Gives Coaching Staff Momentum in Roster Building

Let's face it, there's nothing more positive during a losing season than winning in the month of November.

Houston Nutt righted some of his teams at just the right time, Bobby Petrino's first year didn't quite go as planned early on after a slew of blowout losses in September and early October, and Bret Bielema's teams seemed to figure things out down the stretch of the regular season that equated to positive results in the offseason.

But these days are quite a bit different because roster building is such a fluid thing now thanks to the NCAA Transfer Portal and Name, Image and Likeness. While that's not something Ryan Silverfield wants to talk about at this point, he understands that's part of the current landscape of college sports.

Should Arkansas figure out a way to upset a College Football Playoff contender in South Carolina, a second SEC victory would give the staff something to show potential transfers as evidence of progress.

Student-athletes like the money that comes with playing college football nowadays, but it means a lot more to them if they're part of a winning program. Making a statement late in the season might open up donor wallets and potentially bring in better players in return.

By the looks of Arkansas' offense, they're a handful of skill players and offensive linemen away from being competitive. The defense could take another step with impact additions in the trenches and at linebacker.

Credit To Current Team For Staying Course

Something should be said for a team that continues to put up a fight each week after getting their teeth kicked in earlier this season.

It's not only noticeable by the Arkansas coaching staff, but opposing coaches like Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer, who are paying attention to that and certainly aren't willing to overlook the Razorbacks. While they may not have as much talent as many of their opponents, the Hogs have figured out how to make games competitive in the fourth quarter over the past month.

“Watch the tape, and all you’ve got to do is watch the tape and see that against Auburn the other day, at Auburn, they had Auburn down 10-0, and with 30 seconds left in the game, it is a tie game, and Auburn kicks a field goal to win it," Beamer said on Monday. "Nobody wants to talk about their game against Tennessee, where it was a tie game with two minutes left in the game, and we know what kind of team Tennessee is also. They’re playing hard.”

A win Saturday night inside Razorback Stadium would also give Silverfield a better answer when potential recruits and transfers ask how his vision of the program is progressing. I