Byrum Brown Got The Best Of Arkansas When It Mattered Most

FAYETTEVILLE — Byrum Brown was dazed and confused in the first half of Saturday's game between Arkansas and Auburn, but the veteran quarterback got the best of the Razorbacks when it mattered the most.

With the game tied at 16-16 and Auburn facing a third and 12 from the Arkansas 28-yard-line, linebacker Ja'Quavion Smith had a shot at getting Brown on the ground, but slithered out of Smith's grasp and threw a pass to Keshaun Singleton, who was wide open at the goal line and scored to give the Tigers a 23-16 lead.

28-yard strike for the lead 🎯@byrumbrown17 ➡️ @KeshaunX21 pic.twitter.com/Rd7Nt4vyKl
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) November 7, 2026

On Auburn's final drive that saw Alex McPherson kick the game-winning field goal, Brown ran on six of the series' 10 plays. After Arkansas bottled him up in the first half, he had 128 rushing yards and three total touchdowns over the final two quarters.

"We got pressure when he tried to pass, we had the opportunities to get him down," Arkansas head coach Ryan Silverfield said. "So it'd be one thing if it was just sitting back there [and there was] all day for him to throw or to run it. Just a ton of missed tackles in the second half. There wasn't a certain technique. There wasn't a certain thing that occurred that ultimately led to those failures to get defensive stops. But Brown found a way to will them and make those missed tackles and make those completions."

What makes the failure to contain Brown in the fourth quarter disappointing is how much doing so was harped on all week, first by Silverfield then by defensive coordinator Ron Roberts.

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown (17) runs the ball in the end zone for a touchdown as Auburn Tigers takes on Arkansas Razorbacks at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. Auburn Tigers defeated Arkansas Razorbacks 26-23. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Arkansas did a good job of containing Brown, who is Auburn's leading rusher on the season, for three quarters but couldn't do so when it needed to most.

It was another example of a mobile quarterback burning Arkansas and the Razorbacks failing to be disciplined enough to make key tackles. It was a similar story against Utah's Devon Dampier, Georgia's Gunner Stockton and Texas A&M's Marcel Reed.

Arkansas' defense played well enough for the Razorbacks to win on Saturday, but with their backs against the wall in a key moment, didn't make what would've been the biggest play of the game. Had Arkansas held Auburn to a field goal on that drive, the Hogs' ensuing touchdown drive would've been for the lead rather than the tie.

But that's not what happened.

Sign up to our free newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter) and subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google