FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas head coach Ryan Silverfield knows he's said multiple times that his team is frustrated in the midst of a losing season, but said Monday he can only tell the truth about the state of his locker room.

The Razorbacks fought to the bitter end of a 26-23 road loss against Auburn on Saturday that dropped them to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in SEC play. Arkansas hosts No. 21 South Carolina on Nov. 14.

"Guys are pissed," Silverfield said. "They're frustrated because they know the opportunities are there, but they also are saying, 'Okay, coach me, coach.' They've got this mentality like, 'What else can we do?' They're hungry for a win, they're hungry to do right. They show up. They're putting in the work, and those are the things that make you sit there and say, 'Okay, we got the right type of young men in this program that they're going to continue to believe and fight.'

"And I know I've shared that with you guys a lot of Mondays, but that's the truth, and that that that's a positive, right? I'm trying to find positives in this, and I'm I'm as pissed off as anybody. The players, they hurt, but okay, what can we do better? How can we improve? And how can we do that? And that attitude and that approach is part of this foundation that we're building, but will also give us a chance every time we line up on a Saturday."

The loss to Auburn was Arkansas' second by one possession this season, and while frustrating, it showed that Silverfield's team is still fighting and hasn't let go of the rope.

Whether or not that remains the case over the next three weeks remains to be seen. Arkansas' remaining schedule is a murderers row of College Football Playoff hopefuls, beginning with the surging Gamecocks, who sputtered to a 2-3 start but have rattled off four consecutive wins.

Arkansas will then travel to Austin to face No. 7 Texas on Nov. 21 and return home to Fayetteville on Nov. 28 to face No. 14 LSU.

Still, the Hogs have plenty to play for. While unlikely, bowl eligibility is still on the line and there are two rivalry games on tap. Winning one of the next three would make the ensuing offseason much more tolerable.

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