Players to watch, keys to victory: Arkansas

As conference play opens up for the Auburn Tigers, they will look to add a “power four” victory to their resume, for the first time since Nov. 11, 2023, taking on the Arkansas Razorbacks this Saturday.

Auburn is coming off a 45-19 victory over the New Mexico Lobos and has a 2-1 record in the 2024 season so far. On the other hand, Arkansas took down the UAB Blazers 37-27 to move to 2-1 on the season. 

However, neither team has a high quality win to this point and will look to add its first at Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday. 

“Hopefully we can build upon that as we turn our attention to what’s a much, much improved Arkansas team,” said Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze. This quarterback is another one that’s going to run around and make a lot of plays.”

Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green is a dual-threat quarterback that has the ability to extend plays with his legs. Green has accumulated 245 rushing yards on 6.0 yards per carry to go along with four rushing touchdowns through three games.

Arkansas is led by fifth-year head coach Sam Pittman, who is looking to bounce back from a 4-8 total record last season while only going 1-7 within the Southeastern Conference.

As for Auburn’s quarterback situation, redshirt freshman Hank Brown will lead the Tigers offense for the second straight game after taking the starting role from fifth-year senior Payton Thorne. 

“So I was pleased with his (Brown’s) first performance, for sure, and next week will be a bigger test for him,” Freeze said.

Brown passed 17-25 compiling 235 yards and four touchdowns against New Mexico. This comes after he was announced the starter going forward by Freeze, following a rough 165 yard and four interception performance by Thorne against the California Golden Bears.

Players to watch

Auburn Tigers:

Hank Brown (QB)

The redshirt freshman had a successful first outing as a starting quarterback, yet will face a tougher and more talented Razorback defense in his second start. Arkansas ranks 39th in the NCAA in yards allowed per game, giving up 289.7 yards per contest. Brown will need to continue his sharp accuracy and try to limit turnovers to give Auburn the best chance of winning.

Jarquez Hunter (RB)

Hunter, the senior from Mississippi, will likely have a large role on Saturday, following a career-high 20 carries against New Mexico, to help out the young quarterback Brown. Freeze and offensive coordinator Derrick Nix are expected to lean heavily on the experienced running back who has 273 yards on the season on 7.6 yards per carry. 

Keionte Scott (CB) 

Scott took on a new role this season, moving to outside cornerback from his typical nickel position. Freeze has had questions about the Auburn secondary early in the season, and it should be interesting to see if Scott remains at outside corner or moves back inside to nickel, where he has found more success in the past.

Arkansas Razorbacks:

Taylen Green (QB)

The redshirt junior spent three years with the Boise State Broncos before transferring to Arkansas. Green has struggled some this season with his passing attack, only completing 42.3% of his passes for 161 yards and an interception against UAB. Thankfully for the Razorbacks, Green is extremely dangerous with his legs and will attempt to extend plays against the Auburn defense.

Ja’Quinden Jackson (RB)

Jackson has led the strong rushing attack for the Razorbacks through the first three games of the season, piling up 397 rushing yards and six touchdowns, while averaging 8.4 yards per carry. Jackson will need to continue his hot start for the Razorbacks to get the win on the road.

Landon Jackson (DL)

Jackson was named a Walter Camp Preseason All-American, and voted Preseason First Team All-SEC by the league's coaches. The senior from Texas has gotten off to a somewhat slow start this season, with only eight tackles and zero sacks through three games. 

Keys to victory

Auburn Tigers:

The key for Auburn will be to reduce the pressure on Hank Brown. The Tigers have an assortment of offensive players that have played in big SEC games before, and they will need to rely on those guys to carry the load. In particular, the running back room of Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston and Jeremiah Cobb will likely be busy.

The offensive line will need to give Brown adequate time to make his reads against an Arkansas front that hasn’t put much pressure on quarterbacks this season. Brown will need to stay calm and collected, and Freeze drawing up easy completions early in the game could get Brown in a groove to lead the offense.

Arkansas Razorbacks:

Arkansas will need to get off to a fast start against Auburn. In the Razorbacks matchup with UAB, they trailed after the first quarter 10-3 and were tied at halftime 20-20. If Arkansas is able to get ahead early and have Auburn work from behind, then it could mean trouble for the young quarterback Brown. 

Another key will be taking care of the football as the Razorbacks have turned the ball over four times in the past two weeks. Also, the Razorbacks only have one sack in the past two weeks, they will need to apply more pressure to the quarterback if they want to force turnovers and tough plays.

The matchup between the Auburn Tigers and Arkansas Razorbacks will be at 2:30 p.m. CST inside Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21. The broadcast will be on ESPN.