​FAYETTEVILLE — The boo birds came out for Arkansas football coach Ryan Silverfield late in the fourth quarter of another home loss. The Razorbacks fell 24-17 to No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday, Oct. 10. The Hogs had an opportunity to go tie the score in the game’s dying stages when they got the ball with 1:57 on the clock. They had three timeouts in their back pocket.Three consecutive incompletions brought fourth-and-10 from its own 25, and Arkansas (2-4, 0-3 SEC) decided to bring the punt team out instead of going for it. Silverfield’s plan backfired, as Tennessee (5-1, 2-1) quickly picked up a first down and then entered victory formation.The home fans were furious with the decision. The SEC Network broadcast defended it. Silverfield explained his logic after the game. “At the time, I think we were 2-of-11 on third-down situations. It was a fourth-and-10. If you don’t get it, so say you try to throw it so 1:40 left. All right, we use all three timeouts. Put it at let’s say 1:25. They kick a field goal. OK, you’re down 10 now with no timeouts. Roughly a 1:20 left in the game. So we need to score a touchdown in that situation and get the onside kick and kick a field goal just to tie it. That’s a pretty low percentage.”Arkansas was 2 of 12 on third down. Both of the conversions came on third-and-1. There were big struggles when the Razorbacks needed more than a few yards on the critical down. Silverfield estimated his team had a 5% chance at converting that fourth down. He also mentioned that if the Hogs did not convert, Tennessee would have been able to kick a chip-shot field goal to go up by two scores.However, it’s easy to understand fans’ frustration. Even if Arkansas would have stopped Tennessee, it likely would have gotten the ball back pinned inside its own 20-yard line with zero timeouts and less than 90 seconds on the clock.Silverfield said he made the final call in sending out punter Gavin Rush. “I talked both coordinators. Ultimately, that that’s my decision,” he said. In the end, Silverfield’s call did not work, and Arkansas let its best chance at a meaningful win this season slip through its fingers. Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter. This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Why did Arkansas football punt in final minutes vs Tennessee?