No. 17 Razorbacks lose third in row, fall to Auburn, 38-23

Auburn receiver Ja'Varrius Johnson (6) scores a touchdown against Arkansas during the first half in Fayetteville on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP/Michael Woods)
Auburn receiver Ja'Varrius Johnson (6) scores a touchdown against Arkansas during the first half in Fayetteville on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP/Michael Woods)

The University of Arkansas returned home for the first time since a Sept. 18 victory over Georgia Southern, but the Reynolds Razorback crowd couldn't get the No. 17 Razorbacks over the top Saturday as they fell 38-23 to Auburn.

The loss was the third in the row for the Razorbacks (4-3, 1-3 SEC West) who lost in consecutive weeks at now-No. 1 Georgia and at now-No. 13 Ole Miss. The victory was also the sixth consecutive for Auburn (5-2, 2-1) over Arkansas which fell into last place in the SEC West with the loss and LSU's victory over No. 20 Florida.

Arkansas led just once, 17-14, when quarterback KJ Jefferson found Treylon Burks on a 30-yard touchdown pass with 12:30 left in the third quarter.

Disaster struck the Razorbacks on their next possession when Jefferson was sacked on back-to-back plays deep in Auburn territory. Jefferson was stripped of the ball on the second of the two sacks, fumbling the ball in the end zone which Auburn's Marcus Harris fell on to give the Tigers a 21-17 lead.

Auburn never trailed from there.

Jefferson was stopped on fourth and 3 at the Auburn 29 on the Razorbacks' next possession. The Tigers quickly took advantage when quarterback Bo Nix found Demetris Robertson for a 71-yard score as Auburn raced to a 28-17 advantage.

The Razorbacks drove 75 yards in 13 plays, cashing in on Dominique Johnson's 10-yard touchdown run to trim the deficit to 28-23 on the last play of the third quarter.

An Anders Carlson 29-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter put the Tigers up 31-23.

The Razorbacks went three and out on their next possession and Auburn put the icing on the cake when Nix scrambled for a 23-yard score with 2:30 left as Carlson's PAT set the final margin.

The Razorbacks will try to get on track at 11 a.m. next Saturday when it plays the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff for an intrastate matchup at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

First Quarter

ARKANSAS 7, AUBURN 7

Auburn won the toss and drove straight down the field without needing a third-down snap. Bo Nix went 5 for 5 for 72 yards, hitting Ja’Varrius Johnson on a 39-yard post from the slot for the TD. KJ Jefferson’s 18-yard keeper converted 3rd and 3, then Treylon Burks caught a 5-yard pass on 3rd and 3. The Hogs reached the 24 but lost yardage and Cam Little made a 44-yard FG at the 7:37 mark. John Samuel Shenker grabbed a 12-yard pass to the 37. On 3rd and 7, Landen King stumbled on a 3-yard gain. Starting from its 20, Arkansas racked up first downs on 3 straight plays: two Trelon Smith runs of 10 yards and Tyson Morris’ 12-yard catch. On 3rd and 2 from the Auburn 40, Jefferson passed up a chance at a scramble and threw incomplete deep for Warren Thompson. Reid Bauer punted to the Auburn 7. On 3rd and 1, Jashaud Stewart grabbed Jarquez Hunter and forced a fumble that the Hogs recovered. The officials said Hunter’s progress was stopped. Raheim Sanders ran for 11 yards to the Auburn 40. The Hogs faced 3rd and 4 from the Auburn 34 as the quarter turned.

Second Quarter

AUBURN 14, ARKANSAS 10

Auburn run blitzed and Smoke Monday stopped Raheim Sanders for a 1-yard loss. Cam Little’s 53-yard FG try was short and wide right. TE Landen King caught a 19-yard pass to convert 3rd and 4, then Shedrick Jackson grabbed an 11-yarder to the Hogs 23. Tank Bigsby broke around right end for 17 yards and scored from the 1 two plays later. Tyson Morris had a 19-yard catch-and-run to convert 3rd and 8. On another 3rd and 8, KJ Jefferson scrambled for 15 yards to the Auburn 37. Treylon Burks’ 7-yard catch reached the 27. On 4th and 1, Sanders was stopped inches short of the line to gain by Monday and Bydarrius Knighten. The spot was upheld on review. Auburn moved 38 yards then Montaric Brown picked off Bo Nix’s deep shot down the sideline at the 16. After a sack, Jefferson converted 3rd and 15 with a 15-yard strike to Burks. The Hogs used short passes, including a 9-yard shovel pass to Dominique Johnson, to reach the 11. Jefferson pumped on a jump pass then jumped again to find Burks in the end zone with 18 seconds left in the half.

Third Quarter

AUBURN 28, ARKANSAS 23

Hands to the face on Derick Hall added onto AJ Green’s 7-yard run. KJ Jefferson scrambled for 20 yards on 3rd and 8. Jefferson delivered a 30-yard TD strike to Treylon Burks. The Tigers went 3 and out as Hayden Henry cut down Tank Bigsby for a 1-yard loss on 3rd and 2. Treylon Burks went 13 yards with a screen pass. The Hogs punted from the 45 and Jackson Woodard creamed punt returner Demetris Robertson. Landen King dropped a 3rd and 5 pass. Nathan Parodi didn’t field Oscar Chapman’s punt, which rolled to the 11 for 57 yards. Hall strip-sacked Jefferson in the end zone and Marcus Harris fell on it for an Auburn touchdown. Dominique Johnson had a 17-yard run and Blake Kern a 16-yard catch. The Hogs went for it on 4th and 3 and Jefferson was stopped short. Bo Nix’s play-action pass hit Robertson past Hudson Clark for a 71-yard TD. Arkansas went 3 for 3 on third-down conversions on Hudson Henry’s 19-yard catch, Warren Thompson’s 11-yard catch and Raheim Sanders’ 14-yard run. Dominique Johnson went 10 yards for a TD on the final play of the period and Jefferson’s 2-point pass for Burks fell incomplete.

Fourth Quarter

AUBURN 38, ARKANSAS 23

Tank Bigsby’s 11-yard run and Shedrick Jackson’s 21-yard catch got Auburn to the Hogs’ 34. On third down from the 30, the officials flagged Hudson Clark for pass interference on an uncatchable pass out of bounds drawing heated booing and a protest by Sam Pittman. Grant Morgan dropped Bo Nix for a 2-yard loss on a keeper. Anders Carlson booted a 29-yard FG for an 8-point spread. The Razorbacks went 3 and out as KJ Jefferson was stopped 3 yards shy on a 3rd and 8 keeper. Reid Bauer punted 43 yards to the Auburn 25. The Tigers chewed up 6:11 on a killer drive. Auburn overcame a false start on the first set of downs with Tyler Fromm catching an 11-yard pass on 3rd and 10. Auburn ran clock and converted 3rd and 3 on Bo Nix’s 6-yard keeper. Nix broke free and scored from the 23. Warren Thompson’s 16-yard reception reached the Auburn 39. The Tigers got pressure and forced three incompletions. On 4th and 10, Jefferson’s across-the-field pass for Tyson Morris hung up and Roger McCreary rushed in to break it up. The Tigers kept it on the ground to run out the clock.

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