Hugh Freeze credits Auburn players, coaches for not quitting after falling behind vs. Arkansas
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
Auburn rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat host Arkansas for its first SEC victory of the season. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze credited his team and the coaching staff for being resilient in the hostile road environment.
Auburn out-scored Arkansas 17-0 in the fourth quarter to clinch its first win since beating South Alabama on Sept. 13. Rayshawn Pleasant’s second interception of the game, a 49-yard pick-6, gave Auburn the lead for good with 9:15 left.
“That group of young men and that group of coaches…I think there’s a lot of people that maybe would have shut it down,” Freeze said.
Auburn benched starting quarterback Jackson Arnold late in the second quarter in favor of Ashton Daniels. Daniels finished with modest numbers (6-of-8 passing for 77 yards) but played a clean game.
Kicker Alex McPherson connected on 3 field goals in the fourth quarter to help seal the win for the Tigers. Auburn’s rushing defense was stout, holding Arkansas to 63 yards on 2.7 yards per carry.
Next up for Auburn is a home matchup against Kentucky on Nov. 1. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on the SEC Network.
