10-22-2017, 04:42 AM
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. â Auburn football was already up by 25 points when it dialed up the eye-opener. After recovering the first of two Arkansas quarterback Cole Kelley fumbles in the third quarter, Gus Malzahn and his offensive staff made a statement.
On first down, Kerryon Johnson took a sweep and reversed it to wide receiver Ryan Davis. The former high school quarterback then looked up field and delivered a dime on the run to Darius Slayton.
The 62-yard touchdown pass put Auburn by more than 30 points in the third quarter. It also ensured the Tigers had three straight touchdowns on their first three drives after halftime.
The second-half shell Auburn crawled into in the second half of a rout against Ole Miss and a collapse at LSU over the last two weeks didnât make the trip to Fayetteville.
Auburn finished with 28 third-quarter points â more than triple the amount of second-half points they scored in the last two games. That amount alone tied a second-half high for Auburn this season.
Malzahn and Chip Lindsey had gone ultra-conservative in second halves several times this season. The Arkansas game provided a golden opportunity for that to change, and the Tigers took it.
Auburnâs offense didnât look like the ones that slumped after halftime this season. The Tigers attempted five passes on the first drive, which was a dramatic shift from the strategy that featured 17 straight first-down runs against LSU.
Granted, Arkansas hasnât beaten a Power 5 team this season and was blown out over the last two weeks by South Carolina and Alabama.
But this was a second half Auburn needed, in more ways than one. Arkansas was hanging around at halftime, down 17-6. Auburnâs offense couldnât find consistency in the first half, showing sparks but little fire.
Auburnâs offense was a full-on inferno in the third quarter, and it smoked out most of the Arkansas fans still in Razorback Stadium. Junior running back Kamryn Pettway, who had 18 rushing yards over an injury-hampered last four weeks, had his best game against a Power 5 opponent in a year.
By the time the Tigers got the ball in the fourth quarter, they were able to put freshman quarterback Malik Willis into the game.
Willis was able to lead Auburn right down the field, too, against a demoralized Arkansas defense.
Malzahn wasnât going to win over any frustrated Auburn fans with a blowout win over a bad Arkansas team. But one of his biggest issues at Auburn, regardless of opponent, wasnât apparent in Fayetteville on Saturday night.
Auburn will still need to prove it can keep this up against a legitimate opponent, such as Texas A&M in two weeks.
Still, the Tigers got the momentum they needed before a brutal November. That could be the difference between a standard late-season slide and a salvaged campaign.
https://www.seccountry.com/auburn/auburn...us-malzahn
On first down, Kerryon Johnson took a sweep and reversed it to wide receiver Ryan Davis. The former high school quarterback then looked up field and delivered a dime on the run to Darius Slayton.
The 62-yard touchdown pass put Auburn by more than 30 points in the third quarter. It also ensured the Tigers had three straight touchdowns on their first three drives after halftime.
The second-half shell Auburn crawled into in the second half of a rout against Ole Miss and a collapse at LSU over the last two weeks didnât make the trip to Fayetteville.
Auburn finished with 28 third-quarter points â more than triple the amount of second-half points they scored in the last two games. That amount alone tied a second-half high for Auburn this season.
Malzahn and Chip Lindsey had gone ultra-conservative in second halves several times this season. The Arkansas game provided a golden opportunity for that to change, and the Tigers took it.
Auburnâs offense didnât look like the ones that slumped after halftime this season. The Tigers attempted five passes on the first drive, which was a dramatic shift from the strategy that featured 17 straight first-down runs against LSU.
Granted, Arkansas hasnât beaten a Power 5 team this season and was blown out over the last two weeks by South Carolina and Alabama.
But this was a second half Auburn needed, in more ways than one. Arkansas was hanging around at halftime, down 17-6. Auburnâs offense couldnât find consistency in the first half, showing sparks but little fire.
Auburnâs offense was a full-on inferno in the third quarter, and it smoked out most of the Arkansas fans still in Razorback Stadium. Junior running back Kamryn Pettway, who had 18 rushing yards over an injury-hampered last four weeks, had his best game against a Power 5 opponent in a year.
By the time the Tigers got the ball in the fourth quarter, they were able to put freshman quarterback Malik Willis into the game.
Willis was able to lead Auburn right down the field, too, against a demoralized Arkansas defense.
Malzahn wasnât going to win over any frustrated Auburn fans with a blowout win over a bad Arkansas team. But one of his biggest issues at Auburn, regardless of opponent, wasnât apparent in Fayetteville on Saturday night.
Auburn will still need to prove it can keep this up against a legitimate opponent, such as Texas A&M in two weeks.
Still, the Tigers got the momentum they needed before a brutal November. That could be the difference between a standard late-season slide and a salvaged campaign.
https://www.seccountry.com/auburn/auburn...us-malzahn