It was only two months ago when many said this Saturday’s Auburn-Arkansas matchup would be a pivotal matchup in the race for the SEC West crown.
Instead, it’s likely this game will determine which of the two teams finishes in the cellar of the division.
Arkansas (2-4, 1-2 SEC) enters the game with a losing record, but coach Gus Malzahn is urging his team not to take the Razorbacks lightly.
“I really feel like their record is deceiving,” Malzahn said. “Their schedule that they’ve played is a very good schedule, a lot of top 20 teams. They’ve competed very well and had a chance to win; a few of those could’ve went either way. … We’ve got to play our best game to go there and win. It’s definitely a tough place to play.”
Senior quarterback Brandon Allen and junior running back Alex Collins, the SEC’s active leader in career rushing yards, lead an Arkansas offense that is averaging over 430 yards of offense per game in 2015. Collins has amassed 682 yards and six touchdowns this year running behind the Razorbacks’ vaunted offensive line which, at an average weight of 327 pounds, is the biggest in college or pro football.
“He’s a challenge,” Malzahn said of Collins. “He’s a very good back. He’s getting used to carrying the football more too, with more carries. He’s impressive.”
Senior defensive end DaVonte Lambert was not as quick to praise the Arkansas offense, saying “there’s no big challenge” to stopping the Razorbacks.
“It’s something we face every week,” Lambert said. “We just have to stop the run.”
Auburn (4-2, 1-2 SEC) will likely see a heavy dose of Collins as Arkansas tries to take care of the ball in the wet conditions.
The forecast includes a 97 percent chance of rain at game time on Saturday, and Malzahn said the weather may or may not affect Auburn’s game plan, but his team is prepared regardless.
“We’ve practiced in the rain a few times this year,” Malzahn said. “I think we had the one misty game (versus San Jose State) already. We’ll do some things in practice to try to simulate the situation. … I think it’s all just dependent on how hard it rains, the wind and all those factors about how much it could affect the game.”
Coming off a bye week, Auburn’s offense regained some of the mojo of years past in a 30-27 win at Kentucky, racking up 407 yards of offense despite a horrific third quarter that saw the Tigers gain only 13 yards.
The quarterback competition was opened throughout the bye week, but Sean White maintained his starting job over former starter Jeremy Johnson. Malzahn has been pleased with the true freshman’s production in his first three career games.
“He’s improved each game,” Malzahn said. “I think the big thing from my standpoint is he’s protecting the football. He protected the football very well (against Kentucky). … When you go on the road and you have zero turnovers, you’ve got a good chance of winning the game.”
Offensive lineman Alex Kozan was also impressed with White’s performances, and the junior said White will only improve with more experience.
“Since he didn’t get all the (first-team) reps in camp, it was probably pretty difficult for him the first couple of games,” Kozan said. “But Sean’s a gamer, and you see that confidence in him on the sidelines during the game. … He’ll continue to develop as the season goes on.”
The game will mark the second time Malzahn, a native of Fort Smith, Arkansas, has returned to Reynolds Razorback Stadium as Auburn’s head coach.
Malzahn began his college coaching career as the offensive coordinator at Arkansas in 2006, and he credits his year in Fayetteville for teaching him many valuable lessons.
“That year allowed me to get into college football,” Malzahn said. “There’s a lot of things I learned about college football and myself that helped me later on. That year allowed me to be a college coach.”
While Malzahn and numerous other Auburn assistants will be returning to their roots, the focus of the coaches and the team is building on the momentum created in the win in Lexington.
“Anytime you get a road win, it will definitely give you confidence next time you’re on the road,” Malzahn said. “We’re going to try to take all that to help us moving forward.”
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
