FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas is still looking for its first win in October.
Following their first 4-0 start in 18 years, the 17th-ranked Razorbacks lost their third straight early game Saturday, 38-23 to unranked Auburn at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
After falling behind early in the third quarter, the Tigers outscored the Razorbacks 24-6 to extend their series win streak to six games. Auburn has won eight of the past nine games against Arkansas.
The Tigers (5-2, 2-1 SEC) appeared in control for most of the game, even though the Razorbacks had out-gained them by more than 140 yards through three quarters. Arkansas came away without points three times inside the Auburn 35 — twice when the Razorbacks failed to convert a fourth down, and on a missed 53-yard field goal attempt by Cam Little in the second quarter.
Arkansas finished with a slight advantage in total offense, 460-427.
Auburn sucked the air out of the announced crowd of 73,370 with a 12-play, 75-yard drive that took 6:11 off the clock late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Bo Nix capped the scoring with a 23-yard touchdown run with 2:30 remaining.
Nix also threw a pair of long touchdowns and completed 21 of 26 passes for 292 yards.
The Razorbacks (4-3, 1-3) trailed for nearly the entire first half, but appeared to turn the momentum with scores on either side of halftime.
Treylon Burks caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from KJ Jefferson with 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter to cut Auburn’s halftime lead to 14-10. Jefferson and Burks connected again for a 30-yard touchdown 2 1/2 minutes into the third quarter to put Arkansas ahead 17-14.
Burks had nine catches for 109 yards. Jefferson was 21 of 35 for 228 yards passing, and also rushed for 66 yards on 18 carries, several of which were scrambles away from the Auburn rush.
The Tigers sacked Jefferson three times. No sack was more critical than when Jefferson was stripped by Derick Hall in the end zone, and Marcus Harris recovered to put the Tigers ahead 21-17 with 7:19 left in the third quarter.
Jefferson failed to convert a quarterback keeper on fourth-and-3 from the Auburn 30 on the Razorbacks’ next drive, and Nix connected with Demetris Robertson for a 71-yard touchdown on the Tigers’ next play.
It was the fifth touchdown of 67 yards or longer allowed by the Razorbacks in their past five games.
Arkansas running back Dominique Johnson scored a 10-yard touchdown run on the final play of the third quarter to cut Auburn’s lead to 28-23. Jefferson’s two-point pass to Burks was incomplete.
The Tigers went ahead 31-23 on a 29-yard field goal by Anders Carlson early in the fourth quarter. Auburn was aided by a pass interference call on a third down earlier in the drive on a pass that appeared to be uncatchable.
It was one of two key calls that went the Tigers’ way. Arkansas recovered a fumble deep inside Auburn territory in the first quarter, but the officiating crew led by referee Lee Hendrick ruled the ball carrier’s forward progress had been stopped and the Tigers retained the ball.
Auburn scored in six plays on the game’s first possession, capped with a 39-yard touchdown pass from Nix to Ja’Varrius Johnson. Arkansas answered with a first-drive field goal of 44 yards by Little to cut the lead to 7-3.
Auburn led 14-3 when Tank Bigsby ran for a 1-yard touchdown early in the second quarter. Bigsby ran 18 times for 68 yards.
Arkansas is scheduled to play Arkansas-Pine Bluff next Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.