Here’s everything you need to know about the 24th meeting between Arkansas and Auburn this afternoon on SEC Network.

When: Today
Where: Auburn, Alabama
Game Time: 4 PM ET
TV: SEC Network

Current Line: Auburn (-18.5)

Game Buzz: 0-1 in the SEC before the month of September starts is never a good bad thing. The first game of Auburn’s attempt to repeat as SEC champions. The 1998 Tennessee Volunteers did it in 1997 and ’98. The first game in year two of the Bret Bielema era and the Hogs want to be respected.

SATURDAY DOWN SOUTH NEWS & PREVIEWS

No. 6 Auburn

Players to watch:

  • QB No. 6 Jeremy Johnson
  • QB No. 14 Nick Marshall
  • WR No.1 Duke Williams
  • WR No. 18 Sammie Coates
  • RB No. 44 Cameron Artis-Payne
  • RB No. 20 Corey Grant
  • LT No. 72 Shon Coleman
  • DE No. 90 Gabe Wright
  • DE No. 8 Cassanova McKinzey
  • FS No. 9 Jermaine Whitehead

Freshmen to watch:

  • RB No. 9 Roc Thomas
  • K/P No. 38 Daniel Carlson
  • WLB No. 30 Tre Williams

Keys for Auburn:

• Score on their first possession. The pressure falls squarely on Jeremy Johnson’s shoulders to get Auburn in the end zone fast. If the Tigers don’t, there is a chance that the Hogs could have the ball for a majority of the opening quarter. As Gus Malzahn said, time of possession isn’t a problem if you score. Bielema wants the Tigers on the sideline as much as possible.

• Defensive line play: Coaches Ellis Johnson and Rodney Garner have pleaded for a defensive lineman to get to the quarterback in fall camp. Auburn will rotate several players throughout the game. Someone needs to emerge – DTs Jeff Whitaker and Angelo Blackson, JUCO transfer DaVonte Lambert, DEs Elijah Daniel and Gabe Wright- to get to Hogs quarterback Brandon Allen. Getting to him early and rattling him could affect the entire game. The line will have a big challenge containing the Hogs potent run game.

• Carry the home field momentum over from last season: The comforts of home really give Auburn an advantage. Last year Auburn proved they could do anything, come back from any deficit at Jordan-Hare. With Iron Bowl heroes Philip Lutzenkirchen and Dave Langner being honored, the Tigers should be fueled by the home crowd.

Auburn’s glaring weakness to watch: It could be punter and kicker Daniel Carlson. The redshirt freshman is handling both duties and hasn’t kicked in a college game.

Most interesting part of the game: The new offensive personnel that the Tigers have added. Roc Thomas and Duke Williams give Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator even Rhett Lashlee more options.

Team Buzz: The defending SEC champs are feeling somewhat under appreciated. They are the second best team in the state despite winning the conference last year and having so many returning weapons on both sides of the ball. Tigers want to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke and they aren’t a one-season wonder.

Arkansas

Players to watch:

  • QB No. 10 Brandon Allen
  • RB No. 3 Alex Collins
  • WR No. 4 Keon Hatcher
  • RB No. 33 Korliss Marshall
  • RB No. 32 Jonathan Williams
  • TE No. 84 Hunter Henry
  • FB No. 24 Kody Walker
  • OT No. 75 Brey Cook
  • DE No. 86 Trey Flowers
  • CB No. 8 Tevin Mitchell
  • LB No. 47 Martrell Spaight

Freshman to watch:

  • CB No. 15 Henre Toliver

Keys for Arkansas:

• Keep Auburn’s offense off the field. The Hogs need to keep Auburn’s playmakers on the sideline. They’ll do that by establishing a slow, deliberate run game that takes a lot of time off the clock. The Hogs have the backs to do it as they rotate Collins, Williams and Marshall.

• Rattle Auburn starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson. Arkansas has a chance to set the tempo by getting inside the sophomore quarterback’s head. A 3-and-out on the first Tiger possession or forcing a turnover with Johnson in the game and then capitalizing on it would do wonders on the road.

Don’t let the game get away from them early. Auburn’s offense can strike quickly. If the Tigers do, both the Arkansas offense and defense must remain calm and stick to their game plan. After a Tiger score the offense must keep and ball for a while so that Auburn’s offense doesn’t get

Arkansas’ glaring weakness to watch: Arkansas was dead last in creating turnovers last season.The secondary struggled not just getting the ball and in coverage as well. Tevin Mitchell, Alan Turner and the rest of the Hogs secondary willl have their hands full with playmaker Sammie Coates, four other returning wide receivers and JUCO transfer Duke Williams.

Most interesting part of the game: Watching Collins and Williams churn out the yardage. The two combined for over 1,900 rushing yards last season and nearly 200 yards against Auburn last year. When Arkansas’ run gets going, it is a thing of beauty to watch.

Team Buzz: The Hogs have a chip on their shoulder. Another year of Bret Bielema’s system along with a revamped defense under new coordinator Robb Smith has the team believing that they are ten times better than what the rest of the conference views them as: a winless team in the conference last year

Key matchups:
• Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers vs. Auburn tackles Shon Coleman and Patrick Miller. Flowers, a All-SEC Preseason First Team selection, could be in the NFL right now and Shon Coleman is starting his first game.

• Auburn Front 6 vs. Arkansas running backs. The Tigers revamped defensive line needs to find their chemistry quickly. Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson and defensive line coach Rodney Garner need to identify the best combination up front to slow down the Hogs running game.