FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In a dominant three-phase masterpiece, Auburn routed Arkansas 48-10 Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium to earn its third straight SEC victory and clinch bowl eligibility.
"Really proud of our young men and our staff to gain bowl eligibility. I thought we played our most complete game of the year," Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. "Really thrilled. There's a lot of highlights. I'm thankful for our administration, our school and our fans that they're going to get to experience a bowl game. It's an exciting day for us."
Payton Thorne accounted for four touchdowns, Jarquez Hunter logged his third straight 100-yard rushing game, Keionte Scott returned a punt for a TD and Auburn's defense forced two turnovers, five three-and-outs and recorded five sacks while keeping Arkansas out of the end zone for three quarters.
Auburn scored 21 points in the first and third quarters, opening the game with a six-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Thorne breaking two tackles on a 12-yard touchdown run.
After Auburn held the Hogs without a first down, Scott fielded a punt at the Tigers' 26-yard line and raced 74 yards for Auburn's first punt return for a touchdown since Quan Bray in 2014, giving the Tigers a 14-0 lead.
Auburn again quickly capitalized on a three-and-out, forcing a punt and driving 56 yards in six plays, taking a 21-0 lead on Thorne's 11-yard touchdown pass to Rivaldo Fairweather with 6:28 to play in the first quarter.
"Fast starts have been good to us," Freeze said.
Auburn's defense delivered again after Arkansas returned an interception to the Tigers' 22-yard line, holding the Hogs without a first down and forcing a 39-yard field goal.
Alex McPherson kicked a pair of field goals late in the second quarter, from 39 and 31 yards, respectively, to give Auburn a 27-3 halftime lead, first tying and then breaking Daniel Carlson's program record with 17 consecutive field goals.
Auburn converted 7 of 12 third downs while holding Arkansas to 1-for-12 on third down.
Jalen McLeod led Auburn with nine tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble that Marcus Harris recovered to set up McPherson's record-breaking kick as the first half expired.
"They made K.J. (Jefferson) feel really uncomfortable from the start of the game, really crushed the pocket," Freeze said. "I thought our defense played really well."
The second half began in the same fashion as the first, with Auburn's defense forcing a three-and-out and the offense driving for a touchdown.
The Tigers marched 67 yards on nine plays, increasing their lead to 34-3 on Thorne's 14-yard touchdown pass to Ja'Varrius Johnson.
Auburn's defense continued to create havoc, with Zion Puckett forcing a fumble that Caleb Wooden recovered and returned 74 yards to the Razorbacks' 11-yard line.
On the next play, Thorne found Fairweather for a touchdown that put Auburn ahead 41-3 midway through the third quarter. Thorne completed 12 of 20 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns, adding 88 yards rushing on 12 attempts. Hunter rushed for 109 yards on 16 carries.
With 14 seconds left in the quarter, Brian Battie scored on a 7-yard rush that capped a 65-yard drive to give the Tigers a 48-3 lead heading to the final quarter. Auburn rushed for 354 yards on 55 carries, an average of 6.4 yards per attempt.
With both teams substituting liberally, Arkansas advanced into the red zone on a 60-yard quarterback run and scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter.
"We've handled the valleys and the climb out of the fire," Freeze said. "We stayed engaged. The leadership of our team demanded it and now you're seeing the fruits. This is a step in the right direction for our program."
Auburn (6-4, 3-4) returns to Jordan-Hare Stadium next Saturday to host New Mexico State at 3 p.m. CT.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
Postgame Notes>> Captains: Luke Deal, Kam Stutts, Marcus Harris, Zion Puckett
>> Coin Toss: Arkansas wins the toss and defers; Auburn will receive
>> Attendance: 72,033
TEAM NOTES
>> First-time starters for Auburn: none
>> Auburn has scored in 139 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in school history.
>> The Tigers have scored a touchdown on their opening drive in three consecutive games.
>> Auburn's 21 first-quarter points were the most by the Tigers in the first quarter of an SEC game since scoring 21 against Mississippi State in 2019. It ties the Auburn best for most first-quarter points against Arkansas (also 21 in 2016).
>> Auburn has forced a turnover in 19 straight games. The school record is 33 games (1997-99).
>> Auburn's 38-point margin of victory is the most over an SEC opponent since the 2019 Arkansas game (41-point margin, 51-10).
>> The last time Auburn scored 21 points in two different quarters against an SEC opponent was vs. LSU in 2020.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES: OFFENSE
>> Jarquez Hunter is now 20th among Auburn career rushers with 2,008 yards, passing Fob James (1,913 from 1952-55) and Secdrick McIntyre (1,992 from 1973-76); next is Lionel James (2,068 from 1980-83).
>> Hunter has his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game and eighth of his career.
>> Payton Thorne scored his third rushing touchdown of the season.
>> Thorne now has 13 touchdown passes this season.
>> Rivaldo Fairweather now has five scores this season; that's the most receiving TDs in a season by an Auburn tight end since Philip Lutzenkirchen had seven in 2011.
>> Ja'Varrius Johnson had his second touchdown reception of the season and seventh of his career.
>> Brian Battie scores his first rushing TD at Auburn.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES: DEFENSE
>> Jalen McLeod's 3 sacks today are the most by an Auburn player since Derick Hall (3) vs. Alabama in 2021; his 9 tackles are a game high for McLeod at Auburn.
>> Marcus Harris has 6.5 sacks for the season and 10.0 for his Auburn career.
>> Caleb Wooden's 74-yard fumble return was the longest by an Auburn player since Big Kat Bryant (83 yards) vs. Oregon in 2019.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES: SPECIAL TEAMS
>> Keionte Scott's 74-yard punt return for a touchdown was the first of his career. It's Auburn's first punt return TD (of a non-blocked punt) since Quan Bray vs. Louisiana Tech in 2014 (76 yards) and the first by Auburn vs. an SEC opponent since Chris Davis at Tennessee in 2013 (85 yards).
>> Lou Groza Award semifinalist Alex McPherson has made 17 consecutive field goals, breaking Daniel Carlson's Auburn record (16) for consecutive FG made.
>> McPherson is 35-35 on PAT kicks this season and 44-44 for his career.