Game I 2014

Saturday Situation, Game 1

• Phillip Marshall
  7 hours ago

The matchup: No. 5 Auburn (0-0) vs. Arkansas (0-0)

Gus Malzahn will open his second Auburn season today.

Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn
When: Today, 3 p.m. CDT
TV: SEC Network
Coaches: Gus Malzahn is 12-2 in his second season at Auburn and 21-5 in his third season overall. Bret Bielema is 3-9 in his second season at Arkansas and 71-33 in his ninth season overall.
Series: Auburn leads 12-10-1.
Last meeting: Auburn 35, Arkansas 18, Nov. 2, 2013, in Fayetteville, Ark.
2013 STATISTICS
Points per game: Auburn 39.5, Arkansas 20.7
Points allowed per game: Auburn 24.7, Arkansas 30.8
Rushing yards per game: Auburn 328.3, Arkansas 208.7
Rushing yards allowed per game:0 Auburn 162.1, Arkansas 178.4
Passing yards per game: Auburn 173.0, Arkansas 148.5
Passing yards allowed per game: Auburn 258.6, Arkansas 235.0
Total yards per game: Auburn 501.3, Arkansas 357.2
Total yards allowed per game:[/b] Auburn 420.7, Arkansas 413.4
Auburn returning offensive leaders: QB Nick Marshall 142-239-6, 1976 yards, 14 touchdowns; QB Jeremy Johnson 29-41-2, 422 yards, 6 touchdowns. RB Corey Grant 66 carries, 647 yards, 6 touchdowns; Cameron Artis-Payne 91 carries, 610 yards, 6 touchdowns. WR Sammie Coates 42 catches, 902 yards, 7 touchdowns; WR Ricardo Louis 28 catches, 325 yards, 2 TD; WR Marcs Davis 23 catches, 217 yards, 1 touchdown; WR Quan Bray 23 catches, 195 yards, 3 touchdowns; C.J. Uzomah 11 catches, 154 yards, 3 touchdowns.
Auburn returning defensive leaders: LB Cassanova McKinzy 75 tackles, 8 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 6 QBH; S Jermaine Whitehead 65 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2 INT, 1 FR; LB Kris Frost 59 tackles, 6 TFL, 1 FR; ST Robenson Therezie 57 tackles, 3 TFL, 4 INT; CB Jonathon Mincy 56 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT.
Arkansas returning offensive leaders: QB Brandon Allen 158-258-10, 1552 yards, 13 TD. RB Alex Collins 190 carries for 1026 yards, 4 touchdowns; RB Jonathan Williams 150 carries, 900 yards, 4 TD; TE Hunter Henry 28 catches, 409 yards, 4 touchdowns; WR Keon Hatcher 27 catches, 346 yards 2 touchdowns/
Arkansas returning defensive leaders: S Alan Turner 97 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 1 INT; DT Darius Philon 46 tackles, 9.0 TFL, 3 sacks; DE Trey Flowers 44 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 5 sacks, 5 QBH.
Notable: Today will mark the long-awaited Auburn debut for wide receiver D’haquille Williams, the nation’s top junior college prospect in the last recruiting class. … Arkansas has won on three of its last four trips to Jordan-Hare Stadium. … Auburn has sold 77,400 season tickets. … The big question of the day: When will quarterback Nick Marshall and cornerback Jonathon Mincy enter the game? … Star Robenson Therezie, after dealing with an eligibility issue, was cleared Friday night to play in today’s game. … Auburn had the ball while trailing with less than two minutes remaining five times last season,

Quite an Opening NIght

Like most people I'm sure I was amazed at how Texas A & M destroyed Steve Spurrier's Gamecock 52 to 28.  The Aggies looked like world-beaters and USC looked very mediocre.  My thought is that this shows how preseason predictions usually have little basis in reality.  Until teams actually play a game, you don't really know.  South Carolina looks nothing like a team that should be favored to win the East, or else A & M is a national championship contender.  Good for Texas A & M.  Johnny Who?

Ole Miss beats Boise State 35 to 13 but doesn't look very sharp.  Poor Vanderbilt gets ripped 37 to 7 by Temple.  First games give only a hint of things to come.  We'll see what implications these games have down the line.

The only game that matters starts tomorrow at 3 p.m.  Historically Auburn starts slow.  We need to start fast this year (no pun intended).  

When will Marshall play?

Malzahn has kept the Marshall Plan a secret.  My guess is early in the second quarter.  What do you think?

The Driven

A Week from Today

A week from today we'll know how Auburn's football season will begin.  I expect a tough game and surely we will win.  For some reason Arkansas has always been a tough game for us, and I expect this year to be no different.

The SEC Network

The new SEC Network is good for at least one thing.  I watch the replay of the 2013 Alabama game.  I could watch the ending a thousand times.  Now I'm all worked up.  Gotta settle down between now and August 30th.

Two Weeks from Today

Two weeks from today it beings.  Two weeks from today another Auburn football season beings.  I can wait.  The anticipation is there as always before the start of another season, but I can wait.  After last season's great run anticipation is greater than usual.  But I can wait patiently until August 30th.