'It gave us life': How three game-changing plays sparked Tigers

'It gave us life': How three game-changing plays sparked Tigers'It gave us life': How three game-changing plays sparked Tigers

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Down 17-14 midway through the third quarter, Auburn needed a play. Arkansas scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half to take the lead. The Tigers had gone three-and-out on their first two drives of the half. And the momentum had clearly shifted in favor of the home Razorbacks. 

In need of a big play, Auburn made three in a span of three minutes to turn the game. 

"It meant a lot because it gave the team momentum," Auburn linebacker Zakoby McClain said. "It gave us life. It gave us something to be excited about because we don't like being out there dead. We need a big play to spark the scene up."1. SACK, FUMBLE, TD (7:19/3Q)

The first play in the sequence, arguably the biggest play of the game, would have never happened if not for the play right before. On second down, Colby Wooden made one of his two sacks on the day, backing Arkansas up to its own 6-yard line. 

Going into the drive, knowing the Razorbacks were starting deep in their own territory, the Auburn defense wanted to capitalize on the opportunity. 

"We knew they were backed up," junior edge rusher Derick Hall said. "Before we got into that drive, that was a goal that we had – just keep them backed up and cause a turnover."

On the very next play, Hall used a combination of speed and power to get past the left tackle and took down the Arkansas quarterback in the end zone for another sack. He also knocked the ball out in the process, and it trickled to the back of the end zone where Marcus Harris was there to pounce on it for an Auburn touchdown.

"I didn't think of it as a strip sack," Hall said. "I thought it was just a regular sack. Then when Marcus got on the ball and started celebrating, that made it that much better." 

"That play was big," added Harris. "I think it was what changed the game. D-Hall caused the fumble, and I just made a play at the right time."

McClain, who helped close the pocket, was one of the first to see the ball come out. 

"I saw the ball, jumped on the ball and just gave it to Marcus," he said. "I really had the touchdown, but I gave it to my brother because I love him."2. FOURTH-DOWN STAND (4:27/3Q)

The defensive touchdown put the Tigers ahead and changed the momentum but not for long. Arkansas started marching down the field, picking up 16 and 17 yards on back-to-back plays, and moved into Auburn territory. 

With Arkansas facing a fourth-and-3 from the 30-yard line, the Auburn defense needed to make another play. A first down, and the Razorbacks would be in a great position to score. 

Arkansas called a play for quarterback K.J. Jefferson to pick up the first down with his legs, but the Tigers stood tall yet again, stopping Jefferson short of the marker. Yet again, it started up front with the defensive line as Harris and Wooden combined to make the stop. 

"We were slanted," Harris said. "I saw the quarterback, so I just got off a block and hit him. Me and Colby."  

"I think it was just belief," said Hall, who made a stop the play before. "Just believing that we can stop them. Lined up, knowing your assignment, I think that comes with preparation. So being prepared, knowing what they like to do on fourth down-and-short situations and just being able to go out and execute the defensive plan we had in front of us. That's all it is. You practice hard during the week, and the product shows itself on Saturdays."

It was the second fourth-down stop of the game for the Tigers who took potential points off the board in the second quarter when they stuffed Arkansas on fourth-and-1 from the 18-yard line. 3. TAKING A SHOT (4:16/3Q)

After back-to-back game-changing plays from the defense, it was the offense's turn. The momentum had clearly shifted, Arkansas was reeling a bit, and it was the perfect time for Auburn to call a shot and go for the home run. 

Bo Nix took the shotgun snap, faked the handoff and launched a deep shot over two Arkansas defenders. The ball hit Demetris Robertson in stride. He juggled it, regained it and then ran another 25 yards to the end zone. It was a 71-yard touchdown pass, the longest pass of the season for Auburn and the longest since last October when Nix connected with Anthony Schwartz on a 91-yard touchdown pass against LSU.

"It was an explosive play," Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin said. "Those are ones that you want to hit and get a big shot like that and finish it in the end zone like we did. And then that really helped us with the momentum. We just stopped them, so we had it. We were able to hit a big play, so it was kind of back-to-back momentum changers for us."

After Arkansas scored again to make it a one-possession game again, it was Nix who closed the door late with a 23-yard touchdown run. But it was that three-minute stretch in the third quarter that ultimately changed the game. 

A defensive touchdown, a fourth-down stop and the long touchdown pass, and the Tigers went from down 17-14 to up 28-17. They never looked back from there.