Auburn went into halftime against Arkansas, down 17-13 after trailing almost all of the first half.
What resulted was yet another second half implosion that has become emblematic of Bryan Harsin’s tenure as Auburn's head coach.
The Tigers fell to Arkansas, 41-27, the first loss to the Razorbacks since 2016.
“Overall, we had too many mistakes to win a football game,” Harsin said.
Mistakes were abundant in the third quarter, a quarter that ultimately sealed Auburn’s fate and put Auburn two games below .500.
Auburn received the second half kickoff, looking to regain the lead after taking a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter.
The Tigers strung together a 13 play, 40-yard drive that took over six minutes. A sack on quarterback Robby Ashford pushed the Tigers back, and resulted in a longer but makeable field goal for veteran kicker Anders Carlson.
Carlson’s try from 52 yards was blocked, and the game essentially turned over entirely to Arkansas as the Razorbacks rattled off two straight touchdown drives to take a 31-13 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
“Every yard matters, blocked field goals are huge,” Harsin said. “The two scoring drives after that, we did not answer. You have to answer back.”
Auburn’s two other drives in the third quarter resulted in two punts and a combined 22 yards on seven plays.
Third quarter meltdowns, and second half meltdowns altogether, are an all too common theme since Bryan Harsin took over at Auburn.
This season alone, Auburn has scored just 41 points total in the third quarter, across its eight games. That average of just over five points per third quarter has not nearly been enough, as teams like Arkansas are able to score 14-plus on the Tigers over that same span.
“We did not do the job we were supposed to do,” said Auburn EDGE Derick Hall.
Auburn’s offense rebounded late in the fourth quarter, putting up two touchdowns with under 5:30 remaining, but could not stop Arkansas from doing the same.
“To go out and put up a performance like that, after our week of practice, is horrible,” Hall said.
There is not a widely recorded stat for missed tackles, but if there were, Auburn very easily could have put up over a dozen. Missed tackles are a large part of the defensive woes that plague Auburn after halftime.
To Colby Wooden, Auburn’s junior defensive end who led the team in tackles for loss, missed tackles are the main reason for Saturday’s defeat.
“It is missed tackles,” Wooden said. “Plain and simple. We just have to tackle better.”
Harsin echoed the sentiment.
“Good teams tackle,” Harsin said.
Wooden acknowledged after the game that the defensive plans work in the first half, but something changes when the third quarter rolls around.
Auburn out gained Arkansas in the first half 246 yards to 244, and the defense held the Razorbacks to just 70 yards rushing. However in the second half, Arkansas’ rushing numbers ballooned to 216.
“It works in the first half,” Wooden said. “We have to keep doing what we are doing, but do it better.”
Auburn’s defense did force a takeaway against the Hogs, a fumble recovered by Hall. The following Auburn drive after the fumble only resulted in three points, which the Razorbacks followed with a touchdown.
Trading three points for seven is not a winning combination, and it does not take a math professor to tell someone that.
In the last three games, Auburn has allowed over 1,000 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. The 91 points allowed on the ground is good enough to have outscored Auburn’s total scoring output from the second half of the Missouri game until now.
When asked what he thinks of his defense’s inability to consistently stop the run, Harsin kept his answer short.
“It is not good,” Harsin said.
Auburn has now lost eight of its last nine games against SEC opponents, the team’s only win coming by a single point in overtime against Missouri. Being two games below .500 (3-5, 1-4) is the first time that has happened to an Auburn football program in over a decade.
Next up for the embattled Tigers is a game in Starkville against Mississippi State.
Auburn will need to change its ways, if it is to win three of its final four games to secure a bowl game berth.
“We did not play Auburn football today,” said quarterback Robby Ashford.
Ashford, who is now 1-4 as Auburn’s starter, is absolutely right.
