Arkansas and Auburn are similar in a number of ways. None of them are desirable for the respective programs.
Both teams had strong starts to the year. Auburn won its first three games and Arkansas won its first two. Since then, the Tigers (3-4, 0-4 Southeastern Conference) have dropped four straight and are averaging just 23.6 points and 335 yards per game, fourth-worst and second-worst in the SEC, respectively.
Arkansas (2-5, 0-3) has lost five in a row and has the worst defense in the league in both scoring (32.7) and total yardage (443.9).
Ahead of the matchup on Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark., one glaring difference is that the Razorbacks have fired their head coach, while Auburn hasn’t — yet.
Three of the Tigers’ four straight defeats have come by one score, most recently a 23-17 double-overtime home loss to Missouri. Skating on thin ice, coach Hugh Freeze addressed what it would mean to receive a statement of support from athletic director John Cohen.
“It would be huge. That would make everyone feel a lot better, for sure,” Freeze said. “I know how close we are, and I know I can get this fixed. I want a chance to fix this. … I think we fit the Auburn culture. I think the talent level has changed. Unfortunately, we just haven’t gotten over the hump in a very difficult stretch of games, but I believe that’s coming very, very soon.”
On the field, Jackson Arnold has thrown for 1,190 yards — 14th in the SEC — and hasn’t passed for a touchdown since Sept. 20. Freeze is still committed to Arnold as a starter but left the door open for Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels to appear down the stretch.
“We are going to play to win,” Freeze said. “(Ashton) is prepared to play the last few, but it’s really hard to complain about (Arnold) in the first half of the last two games. We have to get that consistency throughout the game or we have to go find a spark.”
The Razorbacks’ problems haven’t been at the QB position. Taylen Green’s 17 passing touchdowns and 1,910 yards rank second and third in the SEC, respectively.
For interim head coach Bobby Petrino — who took over for the fired Sam Pittman on Sept. 28 — the high-octane offense has to continue against an impressive Auburn front.
“(Auburn) does a great job in their schemes and what they do,” Petrino said. “It’s going to be a great challenge for our offense. We’ve got to be able to run the football and be patient, stay away from third-and-long. I think we have to be efficient. We have to really be efficient on first down.”
