Auburn’s 26-23 win over Arkansas in Jordan-Hare Stadium did more than open November on the right foot. It kept the Tigers from letting a winnable game slip through their hands after a rough first half on offense, and it gave this team a much-needed boost in Week 10.
The biggest reason Auburn escaped was Byrum Brown. Like the Georgia game, the Tigers leaned hard on what Brown can do when the play breaks down, and he ended up carrying the offense through the stretches when nothing else was working.
Alex Golesh was taking heat from the fanbase as Joel Gordon’s offense sputtered, but Brown’s impact changed the entire feel of the game. He was the difference.
That was especially true on the ground. Jeremiah Cobb finished with 41 yards on 11 carries, which is respectable enough given the circumstances, but Auburn’s run game still ran into brick walls at the line of scrimmage. The interior offensive line has not been creating much all season, and the Tigers’ 183 rushing yards came largely because Brown kept turning broken plays into something useful.
That same offensive line remains a major concern. Golesh seems to have tried just about every combination at this point.
Jacob Strand handled the right side edge, while Wilson Zierer found his way back in after being benched. Even with those changes, this is not a group that should be counted on to hold up consistently.
Every snap has to be built with the expectation that the pocket could collapse.
On the other side of the ball, Auburn’s pass rush gave the Tigers a real lift. The defense finished with six sacks, a season high, even after Bryce Deas and De’Marcus Riddick left the game early. That kind of production may not show up every week, but it was another sign that Vontrell King-Williams is getting strong work out of his defensive line room.
Still, the secondary is a problem. KJ Jackson was under constant pressure and finished 14 of 30 passing, but when he did connect on deeper throws, Auburn’s defensive backs were often out of place. The Antonio Jordan touchdown pass in the final two minutes was a glaring example of the coverage breakdowns that kept Arkansas alive.
One more defensive bright spot stood out: Shadarius Toodle. With three sacks, he made his presence felt in a big way and even earned a shout-out from former teammate Xavier Atkins. The Cottage Hill Christian Academy star looks like a real building block for Auburn moving forward.
In Other News...
Auburn Win Suddenly Put One Offensive Decision Under The Microscope
Auburns 26-23 win over Arkansas should have been a clean celebration, but instead it opened a fresh conversation about how the offense is being run. Head coach Alex Golesh did not hide his frustration with the staffs play calling in the first half, even as he singled out quarterback Byrum Brown for the way he battled through the game. Browns performance had enough grit and toughness to help Auburn get the result it needed, but the way the offense got there left plenty of room for scrutiny.
Now the attention shifts to the structure behind the calls, with speculation already building around whether offensive coordinator Joel Gordons role could change. Auburn got the win, but the postgame tone made clear this was not the kind of offensive performance Golesh wants to keep living with. For a team trying to build momentum, the bigger question is whether the staffs answer is a tweak, a reset, or something more significant. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Finally Showed A Pulse But One Concern Isn't Going Away
Auburns 26-23 win over Arkansas offered a much-needed jolt, both for a team that had been searching for traction and for an offense that finally found a better rhythm after a slow start. The Tigers are now 5-4 overall and 3-4 in the SEC, and while the early struggles were real, the second half brought enough improvement to suggest there is still something to work with as the season moves deeper into November.
The defense did its part in keeping Auburn afloat, holding Arkansas to 23 points even while giving up 179 rushing yards, and freshman linebacker Shadarius Toodle stood out with a disruptive performance that included 11 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Still, the run defense remains the concern that wont go away, and it is the kind of issue that could keep this team from turning one encouraging result into a real run of momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Faces One Costly Problem In Must Win Against Arkansas
Auburn heads into its matchup with Arkansas needing to make the most of a familiar SEC rivalry while dealing with a thin defense. The Tigers will be without several defensive starters because of injuries, which puts even more pressure on the rest of the roster as they prepare for the 35th consecutive meeting between the programs since 1992. With so much at stake, the margin for error is already small.
The bigger concern is whether Auburn can balance that defensive uncertainty with enough production on offense to stay in control. The staff has been focused on improving the running game and turning takeaways into points, and head coach Golesh has stressed how important roster depth is in a game like this. If Auburn cant cash in on turnover chances, a matchup that already carries plenty of weight could become even harder to manage. [Read more 🡒]