The Razorbacks needed an uplifting performance against Ole Miss last week to avoid getting buried in the SEC. While the 34-30 victory didn’t make Arkansas a contender in the conference — losses to Texas A&M and Alabama already had the team needing a lot of help to have a shot at the title game — it did help bring some optimism to a team that was disappointed it didn’t have enough to upset the No. 1 Crimson Tide the previous week.
“I thought our guys really rebounded well,” coach Bret Bielema said. “I’ve always said with high expectations comes a high price when you don’t reach those things. Our guys responded really well.”
But as is the case in the SEC, there’s no rest for the weary. The Razorbacks now have to prepare for an Auburn team that’s fast-paced on offense and aggressive on defense, poised to cause issues on both sides of the ball.
“The SEC and the SEC West is just like it’s a whole other league, a whole other world that you live in,” Bielema said. “It’s just kind of fun. It is what it is. It’s not fun when you lose. But it’s a lot of fun when you win.”
Losses to the Aggies and Crimson Tide may not have been fun, but nor did they put Arkansas in bad company. Both teams are undefeated, and the Aggies have a No. 6 ranking to remain within striking distance of Alabama at the top spot.
“You have to keep it in perspective,” Bielema said. “I told those guys on Sunday, you lost to two teams that are undefeated, might be the two best teams in college football. Keep in perspective where we are, keep working, keep grinding, and someday we’ll be there.”
Auburn, by contrast, is a vacation — entering the week ranked a mere No. 21 in the poll. But all that means is that the Tigers too have lost to Texas A&M, as well as suffering a six-point season-opening loss to Clemson. It’s another measuring stick game between two teams just below the league’s top tier of teams, with potential postseason positioning on the line when bowl games are announced in a few weeks.
Arkansas did get a little time off, however, due to the fall break on campus. They got Sunday and Monday morning to themselves before returning to the practice field Monday afternoon.
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Austin Allen had another strong effort last week, completing 19 of 32 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns. His 18 touchdown passes top the SEC stat sheet.
–RB Rawleigh Williams was at his best against Ole Miss, with a career-high 180 yards on 27 carries. That makes him the reigning SEC offensive player of the week. Three of those runs went for 20-plus yards, an indication of his ability to turn a small space into a big gain.
–K Adam McFain knocked down a pair of field goals from 36 and 43 yards that proved to be the difference in the victory over Ole Miss. The coaching staff praised him at its Monday media session, noting that being able to depend on your field goal kicker takes some of the pressure off the offense.
–WR Jared Cornelius had just three catches for 40 yards against Ole Miss, but the Razorbacks found a creative way to get him the ball in the clutch. His six-yard touchdown run with 2:20 to play proved to be the winning score in Saturday’s 34-30 victory.
–S Josh Liddell was one of the heroes for Arkansas in its 54-46 4OT victory over Auburn a year ago. He broke up a fourth-down pass into the end zone that ended Auburn’s possession in the final overtime and sealed the victory.