Auburn vs Arkansas recap: 3 things we learned
By John Buhler
The No. 21 Auburn Tigers destroyed the No. 17 Arkansas Razorbacks in Week 8, 56-3. Here are the three biggest takeaways from this SEC West rivalry game.
The No. 21 Auburn Tigers annihilated the No. 17 Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday night, 56-3, in Week 8. Auburn improves to 5-2 on the year, while Arkansas stumbles to 5-3 on the season with its third SEC loss.
This was Auburn’s biggest win over a ranked opponent in school history. There will be a ton of toilet paper being thrown all over Auburn tonight. Here are the three biggest takeaways from Auburn’s evisceration on Arkansas in Week 8.
1. Who are Kamryn Pettway and Stanton Truitt?
The Tigers came out in Week 8 ready to pounce all over the Razorbacks defense. Auburn ran for an unbelievable 543 yards on 57 carries. Keying the Auburn rushing attack on Saturday night were Kamryn Pettway and Stanton Truitt.
Pettway had a game-high 27 carries for 192 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Truitt would rush the ball eight times for 78 yards and two touchdowns. He would get into the Razorbacks end zone a third time on a 48-yard touchdown reception.
Amazingly, Auburn was able to do this kind of work on the ground without starting running back Kerryon Johnson. He was held out of the game. We have been overlooking Auburn’s ability to reload on in the backfield in recent years. To beat Auburn, stop the run. Not sure that is possible anymore.
2. Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele deserves a pay raise.
Auburn is now starting to run the football with confidence because the Tigers can lean on its defense. The Tigers wisely poached defensive coordinator Kevin Steele from rival LSU and his work in Auburn is paying off in dividends.
Steele’s Auburn defense massacred Arkansas at home on Saturday night. The Tigers pass rush is underrated, but might have this team as the SEC’s only hope for somebody else besides Alabama to win the conference.
If head coach Gus Malzahn can get a contract extension in a year he started out on the hot seat, Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs needs to break the bank to keep Steele down on The Plains. Steele has been a godsend to this Auburn program. This defense is legit!
3. We all hurt for Austin Allen.
Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen needs a hug after this hellacious drubbing by Auburn. Then again, maybe hugging him would agitate his beat-down body. Arkansas’ pass blocking was all sorts of atrocious and the best signal caller in the SEC spent the entire night on his back.
Allen had to leave the game twice with injuries. The second time he didn’t come back in. He completed only 17 of 30 passes for 187 yards and an interception. Allen would battle to stay in the ball game, but the persistent Auburn pass rush was too much for the young quarterback to handle.
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Allen would eventually have to give way to his backup Ty Storey to finish this blowout loss. It was painful to watch him play behind a massively disappointing Bret Bielema offensive line. Besides not being able to stop the run, this offensive line ruined Allen and any hope Arkansas had at winning this SEC road game.