After a tough loss against the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs, Auburn travels to Razorback Stadium to take on the 4-2 Arkansas Razorbacks. This is a huge game for both teams as both are coming off of losses.
The Razorbacks lost a tough one against Ole Miss by one point in the final second. Although Arkansas does not have a favorable record at 4-2, its losses have been reasonable being against teams like Ole Miss, who has just one loss to a, now, No. 5 Alabama, and No. 1 Georgia, who is still undefeated. Arkansas is a much more talented team than what fans are used to seeing over the past decade.
Here are some players to watch out for and keys to victory for both teams.
Auburn
Wide receivers
With this game possibly being Auburn’s hardest road game of the season, and after seeing the receivers struggle with multiple dropped passes last week, it is no doubt that head coach Bryan Harsin has a big task at hand with which receivers he will play. Not only that, but how he develops his receivers throughout the rest of the season.
Kobe Hudson was the leading receiver last week as he totaled five catches for 50 yards, but other than that the receivers struggled the whole game against Georgia and were never on point.
Arkansas does have some advantage over Auburn with how decent it is at secondary, so this matchup will tell a lot about how well Auburn’s receivers can compete against an average group of players. Auburn has many talented receivers, however it is have trouble figuring out a way to come together and can’t seem to click.
Jarquez Hunter (RB)
The true freshman has put on a show this season with 465 rushing yards so far. This puts him at seven more yards than the starting running back, Tank Bigsby, for the season. Hunter has gotten more yards per carry than both of Auburn’s star backs, Bigsby and Shaun Shivers. Hunter has also made one more reception than Bigsby.
There is always something interesting that happens when the ball is given to Hunter. Ever since he played at LSU, where he had 65 rushing yards and earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Week, he has been on fire and never fails to disappoint here lately.
All of the Southeastern Conference has been talking about him lately, and he is set up for an opportunity to make a big name for himself in the future. One of Arkansas’ main focus needs to be how it is going to get after Hunter and slow his carries.
Kobe Hudson (WR)
The sophomore has come a long way over the past few weeks. Hudson had a rough start with the two dropped passes against Penn State and LSU, but he has rebounded since then and is now the leading receiver on the team with 267 yards receiving and 19 receptions.
He was one of the very few of the receivers that had a big performance last week against Georgia. Hudson has more yards than senior tight end John Samuel Shenker on the year. He also has more yards and receptions than senior wide receiver Shedrick Jackson.
Zakoby McClain (LB)
The senior will definitely be a threat against Arkansas as he has made 38 tackles this season and 210 tackles overall during his time at Auburn. He has also had four forced fumbles and was third in the SEC last season.
McClain along with Smoke Monday the past few years seem to be the two of the main ones to really navigate the defense and set them up for when the big game-changing plays occur. Arkansas must take care of Monday and McClain early in the game and make sure they do not cut through the open gaps.
Arkansas
KJ Jefferson (QB)
The sophomore is coming off of an outstanding performance against Ole Miss. Although Arkansas lost last week, Jefferson had a ridiculously good performance throwing for 326 yards and having three touchdowns running the ball. He already has a 62.7% completion rating so far this season.
Jefferson is one of those quarterbacks that can do it all, and he has been a difference maker to this Razorback team this season. He is not like previous Arkansas quarterbacks. This guy is tall and fast so he can help push the pile get more yardage. Auburn’s defensive line must be ready for Jefferson and his dual threat action.
Treylon Burks (WR)
The junior is an outstanding receiver who must be covered at all times no matter who it is playing against Arkansas. Burks is no doubt one of the best in the country having 519 receiving yards on the year and 136 receiving yards against Ole Miss alone. He is currently on both the 2021 Maxwell and Biletnikoff Award Watch Lists and last season he was on the 2020 All-SEC Second Team.
Burks is one of those few receivers that can catch the ball when thrown to him in double and triple coverage. He is another player that is tall and fast, plus he is good at shedding tackles unlike most receivers. He can run, catch and do just about anything with the football. The Auburn secondary must take control of Burks early in the game.
Bumper Pool (LB)
The senior will be the player that Auburn must watch out for on the defensive side of the ball. Pool was named to the All-SEC Second Team and has made 61 tackles on the year, adding to his 285 tackles during his career at Arkansas.
He also finished second in the SEC with being ranked ninth in the FBS in tackles. He is one of the hardest in the league to block and he could definitely be a threat to Auburn’s offensive line. Auburn quarterback Bo Nix will definitely need to keep an eye out for this guy and be ready to scramble when he sees him.
Keys to Victory
Auburn
Do not drop such easy passes. Receivers must find a better way to get in the open, and Bo Nix needs to remain calm when pressure is brought to him. He does not always have to step away from the pocket during a pass, and he does not always have to get in such a big hurry. The offensive line must come up with a better way of protecting the quarterback while not running the ball up the middle all the time.
It would also help if Auburn did not throw such long passes every pass play. Auburn needs some slants and screen passes to keep getting the first downs and save some time on the clock.
The defensive secondary must protect their side of the field better. Last week Georgia had way too many receivers that were not being covered and could get away easily. The secondary is the main thing on defense that Auburn must have ready.
Arkansas
Be ready to stop Auburn’s run game. The run game, most of the time, is what carries Auburn’s offense. If the run game is not stopped then Arkansas could really be in trouble.
Arkansas must be ready to take care of Auburn’s defensive line because although Auburn had a big loss last week, its defensive line came up with a good bit of stops.
Be ready for Nix and his scramble plays because he can surprise you when you least expect it. Also, with the quarterback situation that Auburn has had this season, do not prepare to go up against just Nix because him and T.J. Finley both perform a lot different than one another. Nix is better at scrambling, but Finley is better at making the throws.
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.
