The Opening Drive: Auburn vs. Arkansas

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn enjoyed the celebration in the locker room Saturday night following its victory over New Mexico, but it was short lived for the players and coaches as they turned their attention to the start of SEC play and Arkansas this coming week. 

The level of competition is about to ramp up. The stakes are about to get a little higher. 

“It’s big boy ball,” Auburn linebacker Keyron Crawford said. “It’s either kill or be killed. I feel like the Auburn Tigers are going to step up to anybody that chooses to step on the field.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” added defensive lineman Isaiah Raikes. “It’s always a physical battle. It’s always a tough test when you’re playing against elite competition in the SEC. Arkansas is a huge challenge for us as a team, especially defensively because of the things they do, and we want to show that we can defend that.”

Auburn dismantled Arkansas last year when the two teams met in Fayetteville, but the Razorbacks have added some new pieces, especially on offense, and are much improved. They currently have the SEC’s top running back in Ja’Quinden Jackson who has 397 yards rushing through the first three games. 

Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green, a transfer from Boise State, ranks fourth in the conference in passing (806 yards) and eighth in the conference in rushing (245 yards). 

“This quarterback is another one that's going to run around and make a lot of plays,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said. “They've got a really good offensive scheme that makes you prepare for a lot of different things and experienced coaches that have done this a long time.”

The Tigers will have the advantage of playing at Jordan-Hare Stadium again this week, an advantage that Freeze doesn’t take lightly. He opened his Monday press conference by praising the Auburn fan base. 

“Our fans were incredible again last week, which is pretty stinking amazing, truthfully,” the second-year head coach said. “I was prepared to cancel Tiger Walk, and I came early to meet with recruits and saw all the people, and I said, ‘Well, we can't do that.’ Our people are just really, really special.

“We’re excited about opening SEC play at home at Jordan-Hare.”

Saturday’s SEC opener will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN with Mark Jones, Roddy Jones and Quint Kessenich 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. 

For this week’s game, it’s a Power Stripe Out in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Click here for more info.  

THREE QUESTIONS WITH QB HANK BROWN

Q: Take us through your first start at Auburn.

A: There was a lot going on Saturday. Just being able to lock in and focus on what Coach (Hugh) Freeze and Coach (Kent) Austin were telling me from a decision-making standpoint and going out there and trying to execute to the best of my abilities. But after the game, being able to celebrate with the team and celebrate with my family. Now I’m obviously looking forward to Arkansas.

Q: When you hit the long pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith, how good did that feel? Did that settle you in?

A: I think you said it. It just allowed me to fully settle in. That was just a great feeling to be able to complete that deep one. Prior to that, I had some short completions, but that was the first long one. Just being able to complete that and have an explosive play through the passing game was huge. I think that definitely allowed me to go out there and continue to rip it and just be myself.

Q: You seemed to play with a lot of joy Saturday. Is that just who you are?

A: Obviously, I’m always going to be locked in. But that’s kind of who I am. Just someone who is out there having fun – being able to have fun with my teammates – and someone who is grounded in their faith. At the end of the day, my identity is in Jesus Christ and not in this game of football, but while I’m playing it, I’m going to have a bunch of fun.

INSIDE THE SERIES: ARKANSAS

Auburn leads 20-12-1 in the series with Arkansas and was a 48-10 winner last season in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks won 41-27 in the teams’ last meeting on the Plains in 2022. Auburn leads 9-6-1 in games played at Jordan-Hare Stadium and leads 10-5 in games played in Fayetteville. 

The Tigers won the only matchup played in Memphis (1984) while Arkansas won the only one at Little Rock (1995). The six-game win streak by Auburn from 2016-21 was the longest winning streak by either team in series history.

Before the 2022 game, the Tigers had scored at least 30 points in nine straight games against Arkansas. 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; only three games were decided by 17 or more points.

In contrast, the last 23 games (2001-2023) of the series have featured 17 games that were decided by 14 points or more. During that span, the average margin of victory is 20.65 points per game.

BY THE NUMBERS

9: Auburn leads the country with nine players who have already caught a touchdown pass this season. Camden Brown, Rivaldo Fairweather, Jarquez Hunter and Micah Riley all caught their first touchdown of the season in Saturday’s 45-19 win vs. New Mexico. Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith leads the team with three touchdown catches through the team’s first three games. 

132: With 45 points against New Mexico on Saturday, Auburn has now scored 132 points through its first three games. That is the ninth-most points scored in the first three games of a season in program history and the most since 2021 when the Tigers scored 142 points. 

2: Auburn got two interceptions last weekend, one from Jerrin Thompson and one from Antonio Kite. It was the first time in nine games the Tigers have picked off multiple passes in a game. Since the start of the 2013 season, Auburn is 45-14 when it forces multiple turnovers. 

25: Dating back to 1993, Auburn has won 25 of its last 31 SEC opening games. The Tigers are 52-33-5 (.545) all-time in SEC openers and 58-27-2 (.678) all-time in SEC home openers. Auburn defeated Arkansas 45-21 in the 2014 season and SEC opener. It was the last time Auburn opened league play with the Razorbacks.