FAYETTEVILLE -- Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele noted the Razorbacks pushed their running game last week, when the Hogs racked up 270 rushing yards before sacks and other lost-yardage plays were counted. However, Steele said he can't commit personnel from the back end to cheat up for the run.
"The quarterback's too good a player to do that," said Steele, referring to Austin Allen. "They're balanced, and you've got to make sure you don't get the top knocked off the coverage and match up the receivers and fit the gaps."
Asked whether Arkansas' identity is evolving into more of a passing team because of big games by Allen, Steele provided some insight.
"I think that probably, I don't know this, but the quarterback's pretty accurate and he's a tough guy," he said. "He gets hit a lot and stands in there and throws it at the last second and throws it very accurate"
A fast 9
Ole Miss' up-tempo offense gave Arkansas a little trouble, particularly in the second half of the Razorbacks' 34-30 victory last week.
Auburn tries to operate faster than the Rebels.
"Auburn is the ultimate tempo team," Arkansas safety Josh Liddell said. "They run plays as fast as they can. They snap the ball less than nine seconds from running their previous play, so we have to be ready for that."
Coach Bret Bielema said the biggest difference he noticed after Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn gave play-calling responsibilities to Rhett Lashlee, the former Shiloh Christian quarterback, was the Tigers were operating faster and were running fewer pre-snap motions.
Rawleigh returns
Arkansas tailback Rawleigh Williams will face Auburn for the first time since suffering a severe neck injury against the Tigers last year. Williams was on the ground unable to feel his limbs, but he got his feeling back relatively soon. He needed surgery to repair a disk in his neck that came close to severing his spine.
Williams did not participate in live tackling in the spring, but he got back in the swing during fall camp. The sophomore from Dallas leads the SEC and ranks eighth in the nation with 785 rushing yards.
"It truly is very special for a lot of reasons," Coach Bret Bielema said of Williams' comeback story. "He is a very talented football player, and it's going to be an opportunity to showcase that again this weekend. As you know, and the people around him know, his story is beyond the game. His demeanor, his personality, his family, his faith is all very special."
Rank notes
No. 17 Arkansas is facing its fourth consecutive ranked opponent from the SEC West when it meets No. 21 Auburn on Saturday. The Razorbacks are playing their fifth ranked team among their first eight games for the first time in program history.
Arkansas' 34-30 victory over No. 12 Ole Miss last week was its first under Bret Bielema as a ranked team against a ranked opponent. The Razorbacks had been 0-2 in those games, losses this year against Texas A&M and Alabama.
The Razorbacks have won their past three home games against ranked opponents. Saturday's defeat of Ole Miss was preceded in 2014 by a 17-0 victory over No. 17 LSU, followed by a 30-0 victory over No. 8 Ole Miss.
Kelly crunch
Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said he probably preferred that safety Santos Ramirez go low and wrap up Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly on his fourth-down scramble on the Rebels' final drive.
Instead, Ramirez lowered his helmet on Kelly's right arm and forced the ball free before it bounced out of bounds 7 yards short of a first down. Kelly, 2 yards short of first-down distance, was beginning to spin when Ramirez delivered his big shot.
"Big-time players make big-time plays," Ramirez said. "I saw him come across the field. It's second nature for me to go in and lay somebody out like that. I came across, and he was vulnerable and I laid the hat on him. That's what I do best and that's what I like to do. It worked out for the best."
Rookie 'pro'
Freshman running back Devwah Whaley said his focus on pass protection has come a long way since his college debut against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 3.
"That's where a lot of young backs struggle coming out of high school," Whaley said. "That's the main thing I'm trying to improve."
Whaley drew the praise of coaches and teammates for a couple of key blocks Saturday. He helped right tackle Brian Wallace with a hit on end Victor Evans just before Austin Allen unleashed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Drew Morgan in the first quarter. On Arkansas' game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, Whaley picked up a block on Allen's fourth-and-4 conversion pass of 10 yards to Keon Hatcher.
Whaley's running has caught the eye of teammates as well.
"He's progressed a long way," tackle Dan Skipper said. "He's seeing stuff a lot better. He's been a physical back, we've known that. But now he's getting game reps, game speed, he's really picking up the pace. He's an impressive guy to watch run the ball, and he'll be great to watch grow here."
ESPN x 5
ESPN's lead announcing team of Joe Tessitore, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe will work their fifth Arkansas game of the season Saturday.
The same trio also worked Arkansas' victories at No. 15 TCU (41-38, two overtimes) and against No. 12 Ole Miss (34-30) as well as Razorbacks' losses to No. 10 Texas A&M (45-24) and No. 1 Alabama (49-30).
Big board
Arkansas will be the final SEC West member to see Auburn's 2-year-old video board on a game day at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The $13.9 million board is touted as the biggest in the country at 190 feet wide by 57 feet tall. It replaced a 71-by-28.5 foot board in 2015.
Moore watch
Arkansas at Auburn has been selected as one of four featured games by sponsors of the Joe Moore Award, which was created to honor the nation's top offensive line.
In addition to the Arkansas-Auburn game, the award named the Texas A&M at Alabama, the Wisconsin at Iowa and the Washington State at Arizona State matchups as the featured games this week.
Low flags
Auburn averages 35.17 penalty yards per game, lowest in the SEC and No. 7 nationally. Arkansas averages 51.14 penalty yards per game, which is No. 9 in the SEC and No. 49 in the country.
Bowl projections
ESPN.com's bowl-picking tandem of Mark Schlabach and Brett McMurphy have differing opinions on Arkansas' projected bowl destination heading into Week 8.
Schlabach went with the juicier pick of Arkansas vs. Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 2 in Tampa, Fla. If that projection holds, Coach Bret Bielema would face his former Wisconsin team for the first time. McMurphy projected the Razorbacks to face Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl on Dec. 29 in Charlotte, N.C.
Jerry Palm of CBSsports.com has the Razorbacks paired up against North Carolina in the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 31.
Sports on 10/21/2016