10/29/22 Auburn Articles

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Five reasons why Auburn beats Arkansas on Saturday

Taylor Jones

3-4 minutes

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Auburn returns from the bye week to face an evenly-matched opponent in the Arkansas Razorbacks.

This game is seen as a toss-up by both ESPN and BetMGM. BetMGM is currently listing Arkansas as the -3.5 point favorite, while the ESPN Football Power Index gives Auburn a 56.3% chance to earn the win.

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The game could go in either team’s favor, so it is important to take a deep look into the factors that Auburn has a clear advantage. History is on the side of the Tigers, as well as the need for Auburn to win for the sake of the fanbase. Auburn has the athletes to get the job done but will need to execute at a high level in front of the home crowd in order to grab the victory.

Here are five things that will be in Auburn’s favor, and should help them grab the win on Saturday.

Austin Perryman/AU Athletics

Through seven games, Arkansas remains one of the worst pass defenses in the country. As it stands, the Razorbacks allow 315 yards per game through the air, which ranks No. 128 in the nation.

Robby Ashford is still looking to build an identity as a passer, and Saturday’s game with Arkansas could be an opportunity to continue his development. He threw for 337 yards in a loss to LSU in September, he could mirror that performance on Saturday.

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Saturday’s game at Jordan-Hare Stadium will feature a game between two of the SEC’s best running backs who also possess awesome nicknames.

Arkansas’ Raheim “Rocket” Sanders leads the SEC in rushing with 870 yards, while Tank Bigsby has rushed for just 524. Sanders may have a great day running the football, but expect Bigsby to have the best day of the season as well.

The last game that Arkansas played against a solid rushing attack was Alabama, who rushed for 352 yards against them. If Bigsby gets going, Auburn could post similar numbers on Saturday.

Jake Crandall-USA TODAY NETWORK

Arkansas has had this date circled on the calendar for months, as they look to check off another “first” in the Sam Pittman era… beating Auburn.

The Razorbacks had the chance to snap another long losing streak to Alabama at home earlier this month, but a tough first half could not be overcome, and Arkansas extended their losing streak to 16 games over Alabama.

The pressure to end the streak could be too much for Arkansas to bear this weekend, which could be a good sign for Auburn.

Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

Yes, I know Auburn has dropped two home games this season. But those two games were against teams that are currently ranked in the top 25.

Arkansas has struggled away from home this season. Arkansas has dropped two contests on the road and had to pull away from BYU late in the game to earn the win on Oct. 15.

Saturday’s game at Jordan-Hare Stadium will be the biggest crowd that Arkansas has played in front of this season, and most of the fans in attendance will be against them.

Michael Chang/Getty Images

The natives are getting restless in Auburn, and need their Tigers to pull out a win.

Auburn has dropped three straight games and has plenty of time to right the ship, but they need to earn the win on Saturday in order to take a giant step forward in ending the season stro

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Rich McGlynn on time as Auburn’s interim AD, status of football facility

Updated: Oct. 27, 2022, 8:20 p.m.|Published: Oct. 27, 2022, 7:40 p.m.

5-6 minutes

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More than two months have passed since Allen Greene announced he was stepping down as Auburn’s athletics director. It has been 57 days since the university had a full-time AD and 44 since Rich McGlynn was named the program’s interim AD.

While Auburn president Dr. Chris Roberts continues with his meticulous national search for school’s 16th all-time athletics director, McGlynn took a moment Thursday evening to reflect on his time in the interim role during an appearance on the “Tiger Talk” radio show.

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“I don’t know what’s going to happen long-term, but I know this, people when they look at me are going to say, ‘That man had fun being the athletic director,’ and that’s exactly what I’m doing every day,” McGlynn said. “I’m having a blast.”

McGlynn, who prior to earning the interim tag served as the program’s executive associate athletics director of compliance, has been a fixture at Auburn athletics events the last month and a half. It has been a busy schedule, but of course the job has entailed more than just being seen publicly supporting the Tigers’ athletics programs.

It has also been about keeping the athletics department afloat during a time of uncertainty. One of his goals, he said, has been “trying to make sure we bring back that Auburn family feel” within the athletics complex.

“Obviously, change is hard for everybody, so one of the things I wanted to make sure was I was just righting the ship,” McGlynn said. “I was just making sure that people know it’s going to be OK. No matter what’s going to happen in the future, the Auburn family’s going to stick together. We’re family, we’re going to take care of each other, and we’re going to ensure that no matter who leads the athletics department, we’re going to be in good hands, because as the Auburn family together, we can do anything.”

McGlynn has been a strong internal candidate for the full-time role, as a popular figure within the department and with notable support from Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl, certainly the most popular figure on campus and the biggest personality within Auburn athletic. McGlynn and Pearl have developed a strong relationship over the years, as McGlynn as been the sport administrator for men’s basketball, and in his compliance role he helped the program navigate the NCAA investigation that stemmed from the 2017 FBI investigation that rocked college basketball.

Of course, McGlynn hasn’t been the only candidate, as Roberts has conducted a “competitive national search” for Auburn’s next athletics director. The university president, who took over that title in May, has played the search close to the vest, with little information trickling out since Greene’s resignation. On the day McGlynn was tabbed as interim athletics director, Roberts said additional details about the search would be made available in the coming weeks, but no public remarks have come from the president’s office in the five weeks since.

While McGlynn is uncertain about how things will play out for him as the search winds down, he’s enjoying what time he has had overseeing the athletics department. He also provided an update Thursday on the program’s new football-specific facility, which was recently announced as the Woltosz Football Performance Center.

According to McGlynn, the university is putting the finishing touches on the facility, which began construction in March 2021 and was budgeted to cost $92 million.

“We’re getting really close,” McGlynn said. “We’re probably a couple weeks out. We’re still trying to get some furniture in; COVID slowed some things down, and just that supply chain, trying to get everything in. So, we’re getting close.

McGlynn expects an unveiling ceremony within the next two weeks, around Nov. 10 or 11, with a plan for the football program to move into the facility sometime in December.

“We’re really excited,” McGlynn said. “We think it’s a gamechanger—the building itself, the facility, all the access the student-athletes are going to have, the locker room’s phenomenal, and so we’re really excited about it.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

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Tiger Buzz: Auburn vs. Arkansas TV info, key matchups and what to watch for

Updated: Oct. 28, 2022, 12:11 p.m.|Published: Oct. 28, 2022, 8:00 a.m.

4-5 minutes

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Head 2 Head: Auburn vs. Arkansas

Auburn (3-4, 1-3 SEC) vs. Arkansas (4-3, 1-3)

When: 11 a.m. CT, Saturday

Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn.

TV: SEC Network

Line: Arkansas -3.5

Bet $5, win $200 on Auburn vs. Arkansas at DraftKings

This game will determine...

Whether Auburn has a chance to turn things around this season. The Tigers have dominated the series against the Razorbacks for much of the last decade, and Bryan Harsin’s teams are 9-1 all-time coming off a bye week during his head coaching career. If Auburn is to correct course — and get back to .500 on the year — now is the time for it to happen.

Three things to look for...

1. Can Auburn sustain its success on the ground? Auburn had its best rushing performance of the season its last time out, running for 301 yards, four touchdowns and 6.27 yards per carry in its loss to Ole Miss. It was the Tigers’ best rushing performance against a Power 5 opponent since the 2017 Arkansas game. Now, with an extra week of preparation and rest, it’s time to see if Auburn can keep Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter rolling.

2. How will another turbulent week off the field impact Auburn on it? Auburn saw a slew of players leave the program this week, with four announcing their intent to transfer in recent days: defensive lineman Zykeivous Walker, wide receivers Landen King and Tar’Varish Dawson Jr., and cornerback A.D. Diamond. Are those departures a sign of unrest within the program, or will the Tigers overcome those distractions and show up with purpose Saturday against the Razorbacks?

3. Can Auburn curb its turnover issues? Auburn enters Saturday’s game with the nation’s worst turnover margin (minus-11 on the year). The Tigers have lost the turnover battle in five of their seven games this season, and they’ve committed multiple turnovers in just as many. Avoiding those thrown-away possessions will be crucial for Auburn if it hopes to get back on track coming out of the bye week.

Key matchup

Auburn’s front seven against Arkansas’ run game. The Razorbacks run the ball more than any team outside of the three service academies—Air Force, Army and Navy—and they boast a top-10 rushing attack in the FBS, averaging 240 yards per game and a shade below 5 yards per carry. They also feature the SEC’s leading rusher in Raheim Sanders (124.29 yards per game and seven rushing touchdowns). That’s a tall enough order as is, but it’s compounded by Auburn’s porous run defense, which has given up 740 yards, nine touchdowns and 6.85 yards per carry in the last two games. The Tigers are last in the SEC and 119th nationally in run defense, allowing 204.43 yards per game (and 4.85 yards per carry), and they’ve allowed 19 rushing touchdowns. Against Power 5 opponents, those numbers are worse: 260.6 yards per game and 5.54 yards per carry.

By the numbers

29 — Auburn’s average margin of victory against Arkansas during the Tigers’ six-game winning streak in the series.

Key injuries

Auburn — OL Nick Brahms out (retired), OL Tate Johnson out (elbow), QB Zach Calzada out (shoulder), Edge Eku Leota out (pectoral), RB Jordon Ingram out (knee), WR Landen King out (transfer), WR Tar’Varish Dawson Jr. out (transfer), DL Zykeivous Walker out (transfer), CB A.D. Diamond out (transfer)

Arkansas — QB Kade Renfro out (knee), DB Jalen Catalon out (shoulder).

Arkansas player to watch

KJ Jefferson, quarterback. Since we already touched on running back Raheim Sanders, let’s take a look at Jefferson, the Razorbacks’ 6-foot-3, 242-pound dual-threat quarterback. Jefferson has completed 67.7 percent of his passes this season for 1,463 yards, 14 touchdowns and just one interception while averaging 9.1 yards per pass attempt (which is tied for 12th among all qualifying FBS passers). He has also rushed for 344 yards — the second most among SEC quarterbacks — and four touchdowns.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

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5 questions for an Arkansas Beat Writer

Published: Oct. 28, 2022, 6:30 a.m.

4-5 minutes

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Auburn (3-4, 1-3 SEC) hosts Arkansas (4-3, 1-3 SEC) Saturday (11 am CT SEC Network), with both teams returning from an open week. Bryan Harsin is 9-1 in his career as a head coach after bye weeks.

Auburn downed Arkansas last season 38-23 on the road. The Tigers enter the game this season on a three-game losing streak and Harsin is 9-11 in his second season on the Plains.

Any opportunity for Harsin to return for a third season would be easier with a win against Arkansas. An Auburn loss could send an already angry fan base into overdrive.

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To preview this weekend’s pivotal showdown, AL.com caught up with Arkansas beat writer Bob Holt of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette to answer five critical questions about the game. You can follow Holt on Twitter (@BobHoltADG) for more Arkansas coverage.

Here are our five questions:

1. These teams met under much different circumstances last season. What’s the biggest difference in Arkansas from last year to now?

Holt: I’d say the biggest difference is Treylon Burks, one of the best receivers in Arkansas history, has moved on to the NFL and was a first-round draft pick by the Titans.

The Razorbacks brought in some good receivers form the transfer portal — Jaden Haselwood from Oklahoma and Matt Landers (who began his career at Georgia) from Toledo — and they’ve played solid, and they have some young guys who are starting to show up in the passing game like Ketron Jackson and Bryce Stephens.

But no one can replace Burks’ big-play ability.

2. What makes KJ Jefferson special?

Jefferson is a true dual-threat who rushes the ball like a running back, but also has a strong arm and has been pretty accurate. He also has the ability to make nearly impossible plays such as at BYU when he appeared to be sacked, but broke three tackles and hit tight end Trey Knox for a 36-yard gain. He’s been durable while taking a lot of hits and has missed just one game (at Mississippi State this season) in two years as the starter.

3. How fun is it to watch Raheim Sanders?

ANSWER: Sanders is a lot of fun to watch, and he has a great nickname — “Rocket.” He’s taken to carrying a heavy load literally in becoming one of the top runners in the country. He’s lost two fumbles, but in both games (against Missouri State and BYU) he came back and had career-rushing days to help Arkansas win. He’s also a dangerous receiver.

4. How is Sam Pittman on a regular basis?

Holt: Pittman is a pretty down-to-earth guy and very personable, which is why he’s such a great recruiter. But he also can be tough when needed. He made changes to his staff each year that he felt were necessary.

Arkansas is really his dream job — he grew up a Razorbacks’ fan in nearby Grove, Okla. — and he’s appreciative of having been a career offensive line coach who got his shot to be an SEC head coach at age 58.

Pittman was a big part of Bret Bielema’s staff at Arkansas from 2013-15, and it’s no coincidence that when Pittman left for Georgia, things took a downturn for the Razorbacks, and Bielema was fired after the 2017 season.

The fact Pittman’s offensive linemen at Arkansas lobbied for him to get the head coaching job speaks volumes about his connection with his players.

5. Players to watch on offense and defense for the Razorbacks?

Holt: The players to watch on offense include QB KJ Jefferson, RB Rocket Sanders, and WR Jaden Haselwood. The guys to watch on defense include linebackers Drew Sanders (a transfer from Alabama) and Bumper Pool (Arkansas’ career leader in tackles) and cornerback Dwight McGlothern (a transfer from LSU who has 3 interceptions).

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