Auburn has not won a road game against a ranked opponent since 2021, when it defeated No. 17 Arkansas 38-23.
Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold will have the chance to end that drought and take down his former team, No. 11 Oklahoma, in a matinee battle on Saturday.
“You have to find a way to win a few on the road, and this is our first opportunity to do that,” said Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze. “Our kids are excited about it, our coaches are excited about it… now we’ve got to go test ourselves.”
Oklahoma is coming into the SEC opener on a three-game win streak with wins over Illinois State, No. 21 Michigan, and Temple.
Auburn is 3-0 to start the season, with wins over Baylor, Ball State and South Alabama.
In year three on The Plains for Freeze and company, expectations are very high this season, and they will look to continue their hot start Sunday afternoon. With a win, the Tigers would be 4-0 to start a season for the first time since 2019.
Auburn’s defense will have its hands full dealing with Sooners quarterback John Mateer. The Washington State transfer has made a lot of noise in Norman, recording 944 passing yards and nine total touchdowns in his three games.
The Tigers’ secondary will also be tasked with handling senior wide receiver Deion Burks and tight end Jaren Kanak.
Burks, a Purdue transfer, leads the team in receptions (17) and touchdowns (two) this year.
In his first season as a tight end, the converted linebacker Kanak has already racked up 14 catches and 245 yards in his first three games.
Auburn’s running game has been its identity this season, even without senior back Damari Alston, the past two weeks. Jeremiah Cobb has been the lead back in his absence and has taken full advantage of the opportunity. The junior from Montgomery, Alabama, has rushed for 240 yards and three touchdowns in his audition as the lead back. Alston is off the injury report and good to go, so expect the dynamic duo to have a big day.
Saturday begins a stretch of four ranked opponents in a row for the Tigers. It’s important for Freeze’s squad to start the road trip strong before facing No. 10 Texas A&M next week at Kyle Field.
This will be the second time Arnold and Mateer have faced off under center. On Oct. 28, 2021, Arnold, a junior, led Denton Guyer High School past senior Mateer’s Little Elm High School team 45-21 under the Friday night lights in Texas. In Denton Guyer’s victory, Arnold threw for 135 yards and one touchdown, according to MaxPreps. He also ran for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Mateer threw for 231 yards and a touchdown while running for 85 yards and two touchdowns, but his two interceptions came back to haunt Little Elm.
The Tigers have not fared well against the Sooners, holding an 0-3 all-time record against the program.
No. 22 Auburn will look to pick up its first win over Oklahoma on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CST. The game will be televised on ABC.
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.
Rory is a sophomore majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @RorymGarvin
