Auburn spent most of the afternoon looking stuck in neutral, then flipped the game in the fourth quarter and walked away with a 26-23 win over Arkansas at home.
Alex McPherson delivered the difference with a go-ahead field goal from 43 yards out with 33 seconds left, capping a late surge that gave Auburn its fifth victory of the season. The Tigers put up 17 points in the final quarter to finish off the comeback.
The offense did not show much life early. Auburn managed only 47 yards across its first six drives and went most of the first half without converting a third down. But the Tigers finally got on the board just before halftime when McPherson drilled a 33-yard kick, and that turned into the spark for everything that followed.
Byrum Brown was the engine once Auburn started rolling. He finished with 180 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 122 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, keeping his SEC touchdown streak alive. His legs kept drives from dying, including a 39-yard run on the march that led to the go-ahead score.
That drive ended with Brown finding Keshaun Singleton, who was left wide open for a 28-yard touchdown catch with 3:58 left. Arkansas answered with a touchdown of its own, but Auburn responded with a 10-play drive that set up McPherson’s winner.
Auburn’s defense kept the Tigers in striking distance even when the offense was sputtering. The unit got after Arkansas quarterback K.J.
Jackson all day, finishing with five sacks and 11 tackles for loss. DJ Durkin’s group also got a big play from sophomore Newboy Fegans, who intercepted Jackson in the second quarter and helped set up the opening field goal.
True freshman linebacker Shadarius Toodle was another major piece in the win. In his first game this season, he posted 11 tackles, three sacks and a pass deflection.
The victory was also the first time head coach Alex Golesh has defeated Ryan Silverfield dating back to their time as head coaches in the American Athletic Conference.
Auburn is now one win away from bowl eligibility, which would put the program back in the postseason for the first time since the 2023 season. Golesh has bigger goals in mind, but getting there would still be a clear step forward.
Next up, Auburn heads to Starksville, Mississippi, to face Mississippi State at 11 a.m. central time. Broadcast information will be announced at the end of Saturday’s slate.
In Other News...
Auburn Could Be Headed For A Full Circle Bowl Rematch
Auburns win over Arkansas did more than stop a two-game slide. It put the Tigers back on track for bowl eligibility, with five wins in hand and one more needed against Mississippi State, Samford or Alabama to get there for the first time since 2023. For a team that has spent much of the fall trying to steady itself, the finish line is finally in sight.
If Auburn does get there, the postseason could bring an interesting twist. CBS Sports Brad Crawford projects the Tigers to land in the Liberty Bowl against Baylor, which would send them back into a familiar matchup from the season opener. It is the kind of full-circle pairing that would give Auburns late-season push a little extra edge, even before the final regular-season hurdle is cleared. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Criticism Of Lane Kiffin Just Got Harder For LSU To Ignore
Lane Kiffins latest stumble against Alabama has only sharpened the scrutiny around LSUs coach, and Paul Finebaum did not soften the conversation. In the wake of the loss, Finebaum questioned whether Kiffin has truly figured out how to get past elite opponents, pointing to a pattern that has made earlier wins feel less convincing when the competition steps up.
For LSU, the criticism lands at a sensitive moment because the Tigers still have a season to salvage and a schedule that will keep the pressure on. Kiffins rsum has included success against lesser opponents, but the bigger question now is whether LSU can answer the same test that has tripped him up before and turn the narrative before the next stretch of games. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Keeps Winning But The Poll Sends A Clear Message
Auburns latest stretch of winning has not changed the larger picture around the SEC, where the race at the top keeps tightening and the rankings keep shifting around it. Georgias 42-7 win over Ole Miss sent the Bulldogs back to No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, while Utah, Notre Dame and UCLA all climbed after important victories of their own, a reminder that the national conversation is being driven just as much by teams outside the league as by the ones inside it.
For Auburn, the bigger takeaway is the message the poll sent to the conference as a whole. The SEC still has eight teams in the top 25, with Alabama, Texas and Tennessee sitting in the top 10, so even as the Tigers keep stacking wins, the margin for climbing remains crowded and unforgiving. The rankings show Auburn in a league where every week can reshape the pecking order, but not necessarily reward steady progress right away. [Read more 🡒]