AUBURN, Ala. – Last month, all the talk around Auburn was on the offense and the struggles that unit was going through. But the Tigers have found a rhythm the last two weeks. On Saturday at Vanderbilt, they had three offensive scoring plays of 50 or more yards. It was the first time Auburn had done that since the 2018 Music City Bowl vs. Purdue.
Next Game:
at Vanderbilt
Nov. 11, 2023
3 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
"We got off to a fast start," head coach Hugh Freeze said. "We were optimistic about some of the explosive plays. I felt good about our chances. The more successful we are at doing that, the more confidence and swagger our kids with play with."
This week, the attention turns to the Auburn defense and the challenge of facing Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson. At 6-foot-3, 247 pounds, Jefferson is a load to bring down and one of the better dual-threat quarterbacks in the SEC.
In Saturday's win at Florida, Jefferson threw for 255 yards, rushed for 92 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns. He's got 18 touchdowns for the season.
"From last year, I remember him being so big and being able to push the ball downfield," Auburn cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett said. "He's been good for Arkansas so far, so I can't wait to go up against him and see what he has for this year."
"It is just amazing some of the tackles he gets out of and then extends plays," added Freeze. "That is certainly an area we've got to look at. If you watch him enough you know you're not going to get him on the ground every single time. You just hope those are not explosive runs or explosive passes that happen after you miss him."
With their win at Florida, the Razorbacks (3-6) still have a chance to become bowl eligible. But they have to win out. At 5-4, Auburn needs just one more win to become bowl eligible in Freeze's first season on The Plains.
For Freeze, playing in a bowl game is an important milestone when building a program.
"I have been pretty open about the fact that going to a bowl game in Year 1 is desired, needed and wanted," he said. "I want the extra practices. I want the seniors to be honored. I want our program and fans to still have the same energy moving into Year 2. All of that is a part of us getting to a bowl. We've been able to do that at each stop that we've taken over. I want to do it here, and I think our kids want to do it here.
"You have to earn it, and this is not an easy game on the road this week, for sure. We are going to have to earn it, but it's something that we have put out there and we desire."
Auburn and Arkansas will kick off at 3 p.m. CT from Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. The game will be televised on SEC Network with Dave Neal, Derek Mason and Alex Chappell on the call. You can also listen to Andy Burcham, Jason Campbell, Ronnie Brown and Will Herring who will have the radio call on 94.3 FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the Auburn app.
Three questions with DB Keionte Scott
Q: How good does it feel to be back after missing some time with injury?
A: It's been a great feeling. Not being able to be out there and having to watch, it was a difficult time for me. But I feel like now that I'm back, I've been able to be that light on the team and lead the guys and just continue to preach and show positivity. I also think it showed a lot to some of the guys with how quickly I was able to recover. If you have the right mindset and attack things the right way, you can be able to snap back from any situation.
Q: What did you learn about yourself during that time away?
A: It kind of just snapped me back to my junior college mindset. That hunger and want. It definitely allowed me to look at the game differently because when you're in the game and around everything, you never really get a chance to assess and look at it because you're in the moment. But being able to take a step out of the moment, I was able to evaluate myself as a whole and also remember why I'm playing this game.
Q: Q: What has been the difference for this Auburn team the last two weeks?
A: I think it was the fact that we know what we have as a team and as a program, and it just not being executed to a point. After dropping four straight, we had to look ourselves in the mirror as a program and see what we wanted to do. It could have been easy for us to continue with things the way they were going and to tank, but I feel like it showed a lot about our program to bow up and say, 'OK, things haven't been going our way, but what are we going to do about it?' I feel like we did a good job of answering that question.
Inside the Series: Arkansas
Auburn leads 19-12-1 in the series with Arkansas, and the Tigers were 38-23 winners in the last meeting in Fayetteville (2021). Arkansas was a 41-27 winner last season in Auburn. The Tigers lead 9-6-1 in games played at Jordan-Hare Stadium and hold a 9-5 advantage in games played at Fayetteville.
Auburn won the only matchup played in Memphis (1984), while Arkansas won the only one at Little Rock (1995). The six-game winning streak by Auburn from 2017-22 was the longest winning streak by either team in series history.
Before last season, the Tigers had scored at least 30 points in nine straight games against the Razorbacks. Through the first 25 games in the series, Auburn outscored Arkansas by a total of just 633-629, an average differential of just 0.16 points per contest. The first 10 games (1984-2000) of the series featured six games decided by six points or fewer, including one tie.
By the Numbers
3: Against Vanderbilt, Jarquez Hunter became just the third SEC player with two touchdown runs of 50 or more yards in a quarter over the past 20 seasons. Hunter joins Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama) and Mark Dodson (Ole Miss) on the list.
121: Hunter's 121 yards rushing in the first quarter were the most by an Auburn running back since Tre Mason had 141 yards on six carries in the first quarter against Alabama A&M in 2012. The last Auburn player to rush for 100 yards in the first half was Tank Bigsby (106) vs. Arkansas in 2020. The previous top rushing mark in the first quarter against an SEC opponent was Casinious Moore (104) vs. Mississippi State in 2001.
18: Auburn has forced a turnover in 18 straight games dating through last season, the Tigers' longest streak since 18 straight games in 2007-08. The streak nearly came to an end last week, but Nehemiah Pritchett pulled down an interception in the closing minutes.
1: Through nine games, Auburn's Alex McPherson is the only kicker in the SEC yet to miss a field goal. The redshirt freshman is 9 of 9 on the season and has made 15 consecutive field goals dating back to last year. On Thursday, he was selected as one of 20 semifinalists for the 2023 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award.