Gameday Extra

10.29.2022 KEYS TO VICTORY MATT JONES & SCOTTIE BORDELON WHOLEHOGSPORTS.COM Oftentimes late in the season, winning football is dictated by want-to. Who wants it more? Which teams outside of a championship hunt can find something to play for? That intangible feels as important as any matchup on the field today when Arkansas plays at Auburn. The Razorbacks (4-3) and the Tigers (3-4) both have 1-3 SEC records and are virtually out of contention for trophies except the ones given out for rivalry games or bowl games. Following a disappointing 38-23 loss to Auburn last year, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman found motivation in those trophies for a program that had not won a trophy of any kind in six years. He dubbed November as being about the four Bs, two of which centered around winning rivalry games, and another around qualifying for a bowl game. That tactic worked. After a 4-3 start, the Razorbacks closed with a 5-1 record and ended the season on a high note with an impressive win over Penn State in the Outback Bowl. Pittman thinks this year's team could be capable of a similar stretch run during a five-game schedule that includes games at Auburn and Missouri, and home games against Liberty, Ole Miss and LSU. For a program not far removed from the SEC West cellar, the prospects of a second consecutive nine-win season can be a motivating factor. Another motivator: Arkansas' six-game losing streak to Auburn by an average of 29 points. No Razorback player has beaten the Tigers, including sixth- year senior Dalton Wagner. Pittman was Arkansas' offensive line coach the last time the Razorbacks won a game in this series, 54-46 in four overtimes in 2015. Since then, Auburn has only seriously been challenged once. The Tigers won by scores of 56-3, 52- 20, 34-3 and 51-10 between 2016-19, and pulled away in the second half for a 38-23 victory last year. The 2021 loss sat with Pittman throughout the offseason. He said his failed decisions on fourth down in that game taught him not to "press" so much and force other teams to make mistakes. The 30-28 loss in Arkansas' last game at Auburn two years ago likely still burns many of those who will make the trip this week. The SEC admitted an officiating error after the game which allowed the Tigers to kick a last-second field goal. Coaches and players can't afford to circle one game more than another, but you can bet a win over the Tigers this week would be especially sweet for the Razorbacks. Auburn's motivation seems harder to identify. The Tigers haven't quite entered lame- duck territory, but they might not be far away. Job security for second- year coach Bryan Harsin has been openly discussed for most of this year in Alabama. Harsin kept his job when Auburn investigated his program after several players and coaches left for other destinations following a 6-7 season in 2021, and the athletics director who hired him stepped down just before the start of the season. We've seen where that often leads. After five coaches were fired early in the season, many in the national media now feel Harsin has the hottest seat of any coach in the Power 5. Not only have that Tigers fallen out of championship contention, but their two biggest rivals — Alabama and Georgia — own the last two national championship trophies. That kind of backdrop always makes for an interesting dynamic as the season winds down. Pittman has credited Auburn for playing hard despite the media noise that he said has the capability to "crush" a team. The Tigers have competed well late into their last three games, but were ultimately outmanned in losses to LSU (21-17), Georgia (42-10) and Ole Miss (48-34), the latter two of which were played on the road. Saturday's game will be the Tigers' first at home in four weeks, so it will be interesting to see how large of a crowd this game draws. At its best, Jordan-Hare Stadium is as loud and intimidating of a home-field advantage as you'll find in the SEC. But as Arkansas experienced firsthand last year at LSU, the intimidation factor comes down quite a bit when seats are empty, and they have a tendency to be when a fanbase feels its team will not reach its ceiling. Bowl trophies are nice, but they are far beneath the expectations at Auburn. HEALTH One could argue that Arkansas will be as healthy for this game as it has been for any game since the season opener against Cincinnati. The Razorbacks are expected to return four defensive backs for this week's game — Myles Slusher, Khari Johnson, Jayden Johnson and Malik Chavis. Two weeks off since a 52-35 victory at BYU have given other Arkansas players — primarily defenders — a chance to rest some nagging bumps and bruises. If fully healthy, Slusher's return has the potential to provide a boost to an Arkansas secondary that has been picked on all season. The Razorbacks lost its best defensive back, safety Jalen Catalon, to an injury in the first game of the year. Slusher was also injured against Cincinnati, missed three games and was reinjured in his first game back against Alabama. He hasn't played since that Oct. 1 game against the Crimson Tide. During a spring interview with Hawgs Illustrated, Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom identified Slusher as one of the top playmakers on the defense. "He is maybe one of our most athletic players on our roster," Odom said after spring ball. "We are excited with what we can do with him at that position. He can play any of the five spots in the back end. That really helps us out." On the flip side, Arkansas has been hurt without Slusher's presence on the back end. His return gives Arkansas some rotation options, especially with Hudson Clark's recent emergence as a safety. 2ND HALF DEFENSE Since traveling to Arkansas in 2021, Auburn's offense has struggled to gain traction in the second halves of games. And struggling might be putting it lightly. In their last 10 games against Power 5 teams, the Tigers have scored more than six second-half points only twice. They have been kept off the scoreboard three times in that span, including twice this season. Oddly enough, Auburn found decent success in its last two outings, putting up 10 points against Georgia and 17 against Ole Miss. Beyond those games, however, the Tigers have largely spun their tires and averaged 2.6 points after halftime. The Razorbacks' defense has been up and down after halftime this season. It has allowed at least 10 second- half points in each game, including 19 or more four times. Arkansas' best defensive second halves have come against Missouri State and Texas A&M, which each scored 10 points. HOGS LOOK FOR MOTIVATION TO END SIX-YEAR AUBURN SKID See KEYS, Page 4 Raheim Sanders leads the SEC in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage. (Charlie Kaijo) Arkansas at Auburn 19 Kentucky at 3 Tennessee Florida vs. 1 Georgia* Missouri at 25 South Carolina 15 Ole Miss at Texas A&M 9 Oklahoma State at 22 Kansas State 2 Ohio State at 13 Penn State Arkansas Tennessee Georgia South Carolina Ole Miss Oklahoma State Ohio State Arkansas Tennessee Georgia South Carolina Ole Miss Oklahoma State Ohio State Arkansas Tennessee Georgia South Carolina Texas A&M Oklahoma State Ohio State Arkansas Tennessee Georgia South Carolina Ole Miss Kansas State Ohio State Arkansas Tennessee Georgia South Carolina Ole Miss Oklahoma State Ohio State Arkansas Tennessee Georgia South Carolina Ole Miss Kansas State Ohio State Arkansas Tennessee Georgia South Carolina Ole Miss Oklahoma State Ohio State Arkansas Tennessee Georgia South Carolina Ole Miss Oklahoma State Ohio State GAMES PREDICTIONS Matt Jones 4-3 Scottie Bordelon 3-4 Tom Murphy 2-5 Ethan Westerman 4-3 Paul Boyd 3-4 Andrew Joseph 4-3 Rick Fires 3-4 Chip Souza 4-3 OVERALL LAST WEEK 36-13 30-19 35-14 35-14 33-16 36-13 34-15 29-20 * Game in Jacksonville, Fla.

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