Rapid Reaction: Auburn forces 4 late Arkansas turnovers to score first SEC win
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Auburn football is no longer winless in SEC play. The Tigers used a pair of great defensive plays and an impressive 6/6 outing from kicker Alex McPherson, the Tigers downed Arkansas 33-24 in Week 9.
Truth be told, not a lot went right offensively for Auburn against what has been one of the worst defensive units in the league this season. Jackson Arnold was benched in favor of Ashton Daniels following a backbreaking Arkansas interception at the end of the first half.
Jeremiah Cobb and Cam Coleman were the best of the skill positions players: Cobb totaled 28 carries for 158 yards while Coleman continued to do Cam Coleman things. Arnold connected with Coleman for the one and only offensive touchdown the Tigers scored all afternoon:
Really though, the Auburn defense won this one.
Perhaps the best player of the game was Rayshawn Pleasant, who picked off Taylen Green twice and forced a fumble in the 4th quarter. Arkansas had plenty of chances to come back late, but Pleasant helped shut Petrino’s offense down when it mattered. Xavier Atkins was a complete monster in this one too, leading both teams with 13 tackles, 2 sacks and 4 tackles for loss. It’s hard to find a better defensive performance from 2 players than what Pleasant and Atkins gave Auburn on Saturday.
Here’s a look at Pleasant’s pick-6 that gave Auburn a lead that it would not give back:
Auburn 33, Arkansas 24
Here’s the Auburn-Arkansas box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:
Taylen Green vs Jackson Arnold
Arkansas QB Taylen Green continued his quest to become the first Hogs QB to join the list of SEC QBs to rush for 1,000 yards. Here’s the statistical breakdown of how Green performed against Auburn counterpart Jackson Arnold:
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
