Arkansas moved the ball consistently, but Auburn came up with the big plays in the clutch and quarterback Bo Nix led the Tigers to a 38-23 victory on Saturday afternoon at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Nix threw for a season-high 292 yards and 2 TDs (21-26-1), but it was his 23-yard touchdown run late in the 4th quarter that put the game away and gave the Tigers (5-2, 2-1) their 6th consecutive victory over Arkansas (4-3, 1-3) and 8th in 10 games in the series. They scored at least 30 points against the Razorbacks for the 9th straight time.

Auburn remains one of a handful of teams who still control their own destiny in the SEC.

Arkansas took its only lead of the game on the opening drive of the 2nd half. KJ Jefferson threw 30 yards to Trylon Burks for the touchdown, completing a 6-play, 75-yard drive and the Hogs led 17-14. It was Jefferson’s 2nd touchdown pass of the game to Burks, who has caught a pass in every game of his career.

But Auburn regained the lead for good, 21-17, midway through the third quarter. Jefferson was strip-sacked in his own end zone by Derick Hall and Tigers teammate Marcus Harris recovered for a touchdown. They gained some separation a couple of minutes later when Auburn’s defense came up big with its 2nd huge 4th-down stop. One play later, Nix delivered a 71-yard touchdown pass to Demetris Robertson for a 28-17 lead.

Arkansas closed the gap to 28-23 on the last play of the 3rd quarter. Dominique Johnson scored on a 10-yard run, but Jefferson’s 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete. The drive covered 75 yards in 13 plays. It was the Hogs’ 7th of 10 drives of 39 yards or more.

Aided by a pass interference penalty, Auburn answered with a 29-yard field goal from Anders Carlson to increase its lead to 31-23.

Auburn had the momentum in the first half from the opening kick. The Tigers wasted little time in quieting the Homecoming crowd, going 75 yards in 6 plays with their opening possession for a 7-0 lead. Nix threw 39 yards to Ja’Varrius Johnson for the touchdown. It was Nix’s 60th touchdown pass, moving him ahead of Cam Newton on Auburn’s all-time list.

Arkansas looked for an answer but its 11-play, 49-yard drive bogged down and the Razorbacks settled for a Cam Little 44-yard field goal. The Hogs moved the football in the first half, punting just once. But they converted just 6-of-10 3rd-down plays, twice had to settle for field-goal tries, and on another occasion turned the ball over on downs.

Little missed on a 53-yard field goal try on the 2nd play of the 2nd quarter and Auburn took advantage, finding the end zone on the ensuing possession. The Tigers drove 65 yards in 9 plays with Tang Bigsby completing the march with a 1-yard touchdown run and a 14-3 lead. Bisby carried 5 times for 29 yards in the drive while Nix completed all 3 pass attempts for 46 yards.

The Auburn defense came up big midway through the 2nd quarter, stopping Arkansas on a 4th-and-1 run at the Tigers’ 18.

But the Hogs did get back in the game in the final seconds of the first half. Jefferson completed a 12-play, 84-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Burks that cut the Auburn lead to 14-10.