The Arkansas Game

The understatement of Chizik's Auburn tenure would be to say that Auburn needs to win this game today.  At 1 & 3 playing a 1 & 4 Arkansas team that has given up points in bunches this year the Tigers desperately need to win this football game if they have any hopes of a winning season and a bowl game.  The offense needs to shine today as it hasn't all year.  We need to eliminate any turnovers.  Arkansas can score; it's just that their defense has been terrible.  The game is an 11 o'clock kickoff on ESPN 2.

FIRST QUARTER

Arkansas receives and from their 25 move the ball right down the field starting with a 40 yard pass completion.  The Hogs move into the red zone before our defense stiffens and they miss a short FG as the ball hits the right upright.
The Tigers drive across midfield but then get pushed back to the 50 where Steven Clark punts into the end zone.  Arkansas is getting pressure on Frazier.  Stan White says Frazier is looking at the rush and is not looking downfield.  This is not a good start for our offense.  Our offensive line is letting the rush in and Frazier looks lost.  Our offense definitely does not look better.
Their QB Wilson is getting plenty of time to throw the ball.  This is a big differnce so far in the two team's first possessions.  The Hogs move the ball again.  Their QB has time and their receivers are open.  This is not going well.  Their offense is making our defense look helpless.  We continue to have busted pass coverages.  The touchdown comes after another picture perfect drive on a straight run into the end zone from the two.  This is bad.

Auburn 0  Arkansas 7

A different day but the same story for Auburn.  Another slow start for the Tigers.  Their QB is picking our defense apart.  We are getting zero pressure on their quarterback.  Our offense is looking like it has all year, which is to say, terrible.  We are certainly not as physical as we were against LSU.  Something is wrong.  Arkansas is doing what they've been doing all year on offense.
McCalebb mishandles the ball in the end zone and can't make it back to the 10.  Jay Prosch carries for the first time from the 7 to the 10.  There's a first down pass to Blake as the quarter ends.

Auburn 0  Arkansas 7

SECOND QUARTER

Going into the second quarter it appears that we are going to lose this game.  Our offense will not win a shootout against Arkansas if that is what this game turns out to be.  With our offense, of course, a shootout is unlikely.  More likely lots of points for Arkansas and much fewer for us.
We start moving the ball but then Frazier loses 12.  That's 3 sacks so far by the Hogs.  Frazier has to learn to get rid of the ball.  Our offense has some good plays but we have so many negative plays.  We were moving the ball but then Frazier allows himself to get sacked for a 12-yard loss. 
Arkansas, leading by 7, starts on their 19.  We are going to lose this game barring a miraculous turnaround.
This is sad.  One thing: Frazier is not an SEC quarterback.  He doesn't know how to look downfield.  He doesn't know how to get rid of the ball.  Our offensive line is allowing penetration on every play against a defense that has given up over 50 points twice this year.
We get a 3 and out as they come up a yard short of the first down.
The punt rolls dead on the AU 19.
Here we go again.  There is no reason to think we will move the ball any better than we have in our first 2 possessions.
Blake catches a pass but the ball comes out and Arkansas on the AU 29.  This is big trouble.  Blake fumbles and it's all on him.
There is a pass to a wide-open tight end.  Their TE has been open all game.  Our linebackers seem to be lost at times.  It's about assignment football Stan White says.  We cannot cover the TE.  This is not a well-coached defense.  Our hopes after LSU have been dashed that this team would be more physical and improve.  This team has regressed.  Our linebackers are struggling.  Jake Holland is awful.  Our linebackers are missing their QB bootlegs.
At least we hold them to a field goal . 

Auburn 0  Arkansas 10

I suppose that is something of a minor victory for our defense, but still, we look terrible on both sides of the ball.  The Blake fumble leads to 3 for Arkansas.
We start on the 25.
There is a 22-yd. pass to Stallworth.
There is great pass and catch to Coates.
Frazier looks good on this drive.
But then the drive stalls and on third down Frazier holds the ball and goes down on a big sack.  Frazier continues to do this.  We move the ball but once again we have a huge negarive play as Frazier doesn't throw the ball away.  He stands back there, runs around, and ends up taking a big sack.
Parkey misses the long FG attempt.  Frazier's big sack probably costs us 3.
Arkansas moves the ball as the quarter winds down.  You can tell they have a very good senior QB.
They are winning the battle of the trenches as their lines on both sides of the ball are dominating our lines.
The Hogs miss a 50-yrd. FG attempt.
As the clock winds down Frazier completes a pass to Blake to the Hog 49.
But then there is an interception as Blake doesn't look around on a high throw.
The first half mercifully ends.  It looks bad at the half.  Very bad.

Auburn  0  Arkansas  10

THIRD QUARTER

Despite the week off, Auburn has shown no improvement.  Arkansas is winning the line of scrimmage.  This is an Arkansas team that is ranked 116th in the country on defense and we are shut out so far.  Our offense is ranked 113th and we are showing it.  If we lose this game it cannot be explained away.  The improved team we showed against LSU is nowhere to be seen.
Big change!  Clint Mosely starts the second half at quarterback.  We must run the football better.
No change.  We are pushed back from the 25.  It doesn't matter who the QB is when your offensive line cannot block.
Three and out.  No difference.  Our offense is ugly.  There is no spark whatsoever.
Our special teams are getting in on the act.  The punt gives Arkansas possession on our 42.  This is team is coming apart right before our eyes.  This could be Chizik's Waterloo.
Arkansas had 7 sacks  in 5 games coming into today's game.  They have 5 already today.
We have a 3 and out as our defense gets a big sack, the first of the game, on Tyler Wilson.
Trovon fair-catches on the AU 10.
We move out to our 41 before a 5 yd. penalty creates a first and 15.
On third down Mosely goes down back at the 19.  Just when you get a little excited reality sets in.
But then Arkansas muffs the punt and AU has the ball on the Hog 39.  Here is a big break and our offense must take advantage.
Mosely misses a WIDE-OPEN Blake who has his man beat by 5 yards with an overthrow.  That would have been a touchdown easy.
Back we go past midfield after a big sack AGAIN on third down.
Auburn punts to the Arky 13.  My, my.  This is painful to watch.  This offense makes a play or two and then goes backwards.  We cannot block their blitz.  Our QB is easy pickings in the pocket.
That's about 6 sacks so far.  That last one was on the line.
I am more confortable with Mosely throwing the ball but he has to be given a chance.
So many, many negative plays for the offense.
Arkansas goes 3 and out.
Our defense looked animated on that series.
The Tigers start at midfield.
The Tigers are 3 and out. 
Arkansas fair-catches on their 10.
I would say this game is slipping away.  Nothing is going right for our offense.  The only way we win is if our defense scores.
Once again Arkansas is 3 and out.  Arkansas has yet to make a first down in this half.
Auburn startts at their 32 with 2:46 left in thei third.
What can the offense do?  We are not winning the line of scrimmage.  Open receivers need to be hit with catchable passes.
There is a 22-yd. pass completion to Mason.
The drive culminates in a 21-yrd TD pass to a wide-open  Blake!
Being able to run the ball on that drive led to the touchdown pass.
If we can run the ball and control the line of scrimmage this offense can throw the ball successfully.
The play by Mason turned a 4 yard gain to a 22 yd. gain.  Mason sparked the drive.

Auburn 7  Arkansas 10

The quarter ends with Arkansas 2nd and 5 on their 30.

FOURTH QUARTER

Well, at least that last score has made it a game.  The 4th quarter will likely be a wild one.
The problem now is that our momentum goes away as Arkansas moves the ball.
There's a poor holding call on Holsey.  Unbelievable!
There's a 26-yrd. TD pass.
Just like that Arkansas takes our score back and retakes a 10-point lead.
The Hogs gut-punch our defense.  They go right down the field as if our defense wasn't there.
We finally score, have the momentum, and Arkansas, to their credit, takes it right back, moving right down the field virtually unimpeded.
It's hard to understand this football team.  It really is.  After being aggressive in the third quarter, our defense goes passive.

Auburn 7  Arkansas 17

Mosely is sacked on 2nd and 4 when he cannot get rid of the ball.
A ruffing penalty allows us to keep the ball.
Blakely fumbles and Arkansas recovers on the AU 40.
That should do it.  It's ugly, very ugly.
The talk will heat up about Chizik.
This is a poorly performing football team for whatever reasons.
With 9:18 to go Arkansas is at the AU 18 driving for an icing on the cake score.
The Razorbacks run it in from the 2.  After having the momentum on an exciting touchdown, AU has been outscored 14 to 0 in the fourth quarter.  What is left to say?  This is a poorly performing football team with seeming no character.

Auburn 7  Arkansas 24

Arksansas has struggled all year in the 4th quarter, but not today.  This is a team that has yielded boatloads of points all year, and all we can manage so far in this game is 7 points.  Arkansas has risen to the occasion in the 4th quarter, and Auburn has given up.  This team has played horribly.
Stan White says, "Auburn's offense is bad."  No joke.
Arkansas has won in every phase of the game today.
We move the ball crisply but Mosely gets hit as he releases the ball, the ball floats, and the ball is intercepted in the end zone.  Stan White says Slade got beat which allowed Mosely to get hit.
Not that it matters.  This has been a hard game to watch.  In a game we desperately needed to win, the Tigers go down ugly.  The sad thing is that I don't see any upside the rest of the season.  We are dominated by a 1 & 4 team that has given up big points all year.
With 3:36 to go Auburn gets a fumble.
Arkansas's defense  is not very good Stan White says, which tells you how bad our offense is, and we've had good field position all game long to start drives.
We have averaged less than 2 yards rushing per attempt.
If we cannot rush the ball against this team, we cannot rush the ball effectively against any SEC team.
After a good pass completion to Trovon Reed, there is an interception  in the end zone when Lutzenchirchen lets a smaller man in front of them catch the ball.
No need to run down the rest of the game.
This is one of the toughest losses in Auburn football history.
Let it go at that.  The sun will come out again one day in Auburn football, but not this year.  This will be one of those years.  We've had them before.  There will be better years.

FINAL SCORE

Auburn 7  Arkansas 24