Razorbacks Need to Stop Their ‘Auburn Problem’ This Year

Players well aware of not having lot of wins against Tigers

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Oct 25, 2022 11:33 PM EDT

In this story:

Arkansas Razorbacks

Auburn Tigers

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Sam Pittman knows the record lately against Auburn.

"We haven't beat them since I've been here," he said at his Monday press conference ahead of Saturday morning's game at Auburn on the SEC Network and fuboTV.

The Razorbacks have had an Auburn problem for awhile. They win less than four out of every 10 games. That got worse after Bobby Petrino left Fayetteville.

Jalen Catalon-Auburn — Arkansas Razorbacks safety Jalen Catalon jars the ball loose from Auburn Tigers running back Tank Bigsby the last time the Hogs visited Auburn on Oct. 10, 2020. (Walt Beazley / Arkansas Communications)

The Hogs have won twice in the last decade. Even John L. Smith managed to beat them in 2012.

"Yeah it bugs me," offensive tackle Dalton Wagner said after practice Tuesday. "It's not fun and this weekend there's a tremendous opportunity for us to go change that."

He's been around six years. Wagner has seen the Hogs almost invent ways to blow games against the Tigers even in some years when they probably should have won.

"To get a win before we get out of here playing for the seniors and all the guys that might not be coming back or guys that are done," he said. "That's obviously something that weighs a little bit more on us this week just knowing it's been six years since we beat them last."

Tight end Trey Knox has seen a few of them, too.

"We haven’t been playing our best ball against them since I’ve been here," he said Tuesday. "Every time I’ve played them we just come out flat and we don’t play well.

"We're going to change that this year."

Trey Knox-Cincinnati — Arkansas Razorbacks tight end Trey Knox (7) celebrates with offensive lineman Dalton Wagner (78) as wide receiver Jardon Haselwood (9) looks on in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Razorback Stadium. Arkansas won 31-24. (Nelson Chenault / USA TODAY Sports)

If Arkansas is ever going to beat the Tigers again this year offers a great chance. The Tigers got down to Ole Miss 21-0 last week and then somehow managed to make it respectable (48-34) in Oxford.

"It says a lot about their coaching staff and the kids still believing in them and playing extremely hard," Pittman said.

Most people are writing off Auburn coach Bryan Harsin as being out whenever they have a new athletics director. They are 1-3 in the SEC and 3-4 overall and had a bye week coming off three straight losses ... to LSU in a 21-17 game and were routinely blown out by Georgia.

All four losses were to teams currently in the Top 25.

KJ Jefferson-Texas A&M — Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson motions to the offense during the 23-21 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday night, Sept. 24, 2022, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Michael Morrison / allHOGS Images)

An officiating mistake in 2020 cost them in a memorable game the last time the Hogs went to Auburn Everybody remembers that one that has gone into the lore.

Quarterback KJ Jefferson remembers it all too well.

"It's more personal than anything," he said. "We're taking it as a challenge more personal to try and not leave the game in the ref's hands."