It’s hardly a death knell, but Arkansas’ 38-23 loss Auburn on Saturday was the air seeping out of balloon as the Razorbacks finally get a sorely needed break.
Auburn used big plays to dispatch the Razorbacks in a game that was, for parts, closer than the final scored made it seem.
Arkansas outgained the Tigers, 460 yards to 427. The Razorbacks had fewer penalties for fewer yards. They were better on third down. They had more first downs. The teams split the turnovers. It was a game the Hogs could have, perhaps should have, won.
But it all turned on three plays.
Arkansas led by three, 17-14, early in the third quarter when KJ Jefferson was sacked in the end zone and stripped by Derick Hall. Auburn’s Marcus Harris recovered in the end zone.
In response, Jefferson led the Hogs 46 yards to the red zone. But on 4th-and-3, the quarterback was stopped for a one-yard gain.
Auburn quarterback Bo Nix, on the next play, found Demtris Robertson for a 71-yard touchdown.
That was all she wrote.
If nothing else, it shows precisely the type of team Arkansas is under coach Sam Pittman in his second year. The Razorbacks are, no doubt, better than they have been in the last five years. They’re also not quite over the proverbial hump.
Arkansas was short three starters on defense. All-American safety Jalen Catalon, defensive tackle Markell Utsey and cornerback LaDarrius Bishop all missed the game. As good as the Razorbacks reserves have been, they were not quite ready for such extended playing time.
But the Razorbacks season isn’t over. Pittman’s building of the program isn’t over. The more recruiting classes he brings, the more those depth issues will solve themselves. And it wasn’t as if Saturday was a disaster, either. The Razorbacks were the better team.
Still, a breather couldn’t come at a better time. After losing three straight games, Arkansas gets a bit of a break next week when Hogs host FCS Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the yearly Little Rock game.
Rest. Recover. Rebuild. There’s a long way to go.