Arkansas at No. 6 Auburn
KICKOFF: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 8/30/14
SITE: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama
TV: SEC Network
SERIES: Auburn leads the series with Arkansas 12-10-1 but is only 5-5-1 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers won the last meeting 35-17 last year in Fayetteville, but Arkansas won the last time the two met at Auburn, 24-7 in 2012.
KEYS TO THE GAME
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn isn’t revealing his plans regarding when quarterback Nick Marshall or cornerback Jonathon Mincy will enter the Tigers’ opening game against Arkansas, or even if they will play.
The two seniors have known for quite some time they would not start against the Razorbacks. Malzahn made that decision after they were caught up in offseason incidents involving marijuana possession.
Sophomore Jeremy Johnson is slated to take over Marshall’s place. He had one start last year when Marshall was held out of the win over Western Carolina because of injury issues and completed 17 of 21 passes in the 62-3 rout.
He was 29-of-41 passing for he season for 422 yards and six touchdowns.
Junior Joshua Holsey is set to start in Mincy’s boundary corner slot. He started the first six games last year before injuring his knee. In that time, he had 17 tackles and one interception. He also started six games as a freshman in 2012.
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema has an issue at quarterback as well, and one that is rather unique.
Early Monday, quarterback Brandon Allen called Bielema and told him that some had set his (Allen’s) Chevy Avalanche on fire, the second time in the last nine months it has apparently been targeted. It was egged last November after an overtime loss to Mississippi State.
Fayetteville police are treating it as a potential arson situation.
The incident could either be a distraction for a team which doesn’t really need one or an inspiration for a team which could use all of them it can get prior to such a tough opener.
Either way, Arkansas’ best shot at upsetting the defending SEC champions is the Razorbacks to crank up their 1-2 punch at running back — Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams — to jump on an early lead and control the clock.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Razorbacks
— QB Brandon Allen is having to play through a distraction not of his making this week after his Chevy Avalanche was the target of a possible arson just before 4 a.m. Monday. Allen would be a key figure in any event as the starting quarterback, but with this unwanted piece of news, the question now becomes whether he can shelve it and focus on a big game.
— RB Alex Collins tries to build on an outstanding 2013 season which saw him rush for 1,026 yards, the most among FBS freshmen. Collins said he can improve on all aspects of his game and figures to get about 15 or 20 chances to do just that against the Tigers.
— DE Trey Flowers could tilt this game in Arkansas’ favor with a couple of his trademark big plays on defense. Flowers has 26.5 tackles for loss in the last two years, including 3.5 sacks two years ago in the Razorbacks’ last visit to Auburn.
— S Alan Turner was a big contributor in coach Bret Bielema’s first season with the Hogs last year. Turner had 97 tackles and two interceptions in 12 starts. That’s the most tackles for an Arkansas safety since Matt Hewitt had 118 in 207.
Tigers
— WR Sammie Coates goes into his junior season after catching 42 passes for 902 yards last year. A big-play guy, he had an 88-yard reception for a touchdown in the Tigers’ win over Arkansas last year and averaged 21.5 yards a catch.
— RBs Corey Grant and Cameron Artis-Payne are competing for the spot vacated by the departure of leading rusher Tre Mason. Grant ran for 647 yards, Artis-Payne 610 last year.
— DE Gabe Wright has a big load to carry in the pass rush defense with Dee Ford (10.5 sacks) out of eligibility and Carl Lawson (4.0 sacks) injured and out for an undermined time. Wright was credited with 3.0 sacks among his 31 tackles last year.
— LB Cassanova McKinzy led Auburn in tackles with 75 last year, the first underclassman to do so for Auburn since 2008. He had his first career start as a true freshman in 2012 and started at will linebacker last season but has been moved to the middle.