Arkansas snapped a six-game losing streak last Saturday by upsetting Florida on the road and hoped to keep momentum going this week by hosting Auburn, a team that needed just one win in order to qualify for a bowl game.
From the very beginning, it was evident Auburn wanted to play the role of villain on Saturday. They set the tone early and dominated nearly every aspect of the game throughout. Because of this, they will strut out of Fayetteville with a 48-10 win.
Auburn (6-4, 3-4 SEC) won many categories on Saturday including total yards (519), first downs (32), yards per play (7), and red zone opportunities (7-of-7). The Razorbacks ended with 255 total yards, and they managed to earn just 10 first downs.
Auburn quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] headlined offensive production yet again, as they were responsible for 374 of Auburn’s 517 yards. Thorne passed for 163 yards and three scores while completing 12-of-20 passes. Hunter posted another triple-digit rushing output by gaining 109 yards on 16 carries.
Defensively, the Tigers recorded eight tackles for loss, with five going as sacks. Linebacker [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] was the star of the defense by making nine stops, with three sacks and four tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
The opening quarter was dominated by Auburn, as they outgained the Razorbacks 169-24 en route to a 21-3 lead.
Auburn, or should I say [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], set the tone early by playing a key role in two of Auburn’s three scores. He led his team on a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive which ended with a 12-yard touchdown run to push his team ahead, 7-0 with 12:37 remaining.
He paired up with [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] for the team’s third score of the first quarter with 6:28 remaining. The 11-yard pass pushed Auburn ahead, 21-0. The second score of the quarter for Auburn was a 74-yard punt return by [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag], which took place following Arkansas’ first possession.
The Razorbacks’ lone score came with 1:54 to go in the quarter when kicker Cam Little nailed a 39-yard field goal to cut the Tigers’ lead to 21-3. The score was set up by a Thorne interception that was returned 42 yards by Dwight McGlothern.
The second quarter was not as fast-paced, as [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] was responsible for both scores, a 39-yard field goal and a 31-yard field goal, to give Auburn the 27-3 lead. However, the Tigers still managed to gain 108 yards on 20 plays.
The Tigers’ defense played a key role in Auburn’s wide first-half margin. Auburn limited Arkansas to just 110 total yards, with Razorbacks’ quarterback KJ Jefferson only gaining 103. They also posted five tackles for loss with four sacks through the first half.
Auburn’s 3rd quarter brought flashbacks the the 1st quarter of the game, where the Tigers grabbed command early. Auburn scored 21 points in the quarter and posted 143 yards to expand their lead to 48-3 through three quarters. Thorne threw two more touchdown passes, one to Fairweather and another to [autotag]Ja’varrius Johnson[/autotag]. Running back [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag] entered the chat with 0:14 remaining in the quarter. He rushed from seven yards out for his first touchdown as a Tiger.
The Tigers coasted in the 4th quarter to secure the victory. The lone score in the quarter came with 14:35 in the game when Arkansas quarterback Jacolby Criswell connected with Isaac Teslaa on an 11-yard reception.
Auburn will go for win No. 7 of the season next Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium when they host New Mexico State for the nonconference finale. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on SEC Network.
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