Auburn's Defense Faces Tremendous Test at Arkansas

Auburn's defense has been one of the nation's best. They will be tested as such against a stellar Arkansas offense.

Auburn Tigers cornerback Kayin Lee intercepted a pass last week against Missouri. | John Reed-Imagn Images

AUBURN, Ala.- The Auburn Tigers (3-4) are heading into their third conference road game of the year on Saturday when they travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks (2-5). The Auburn defense has been playing lights out all year, with not much help from their offense.

However, Auburn's stout defense faces a tremendous challenge as the Arkansas offense has been lighting up the scoreboard all year long. 

Arkansas currently has the fourth ranked offense in the entire country with 513.7 yards per game, or 7.57 yards per play, while scoring 34 total touchdowns this season.

In comparison, the Auburn defense has only given up 13 total touchdowns this season while allowing opponents to average 316.7 yards per game. The Auburn defense only gives up 4.69 yards per play.

The most points a team has scored on Auburn since beginning conference play is 20 against the Georgia Bulldogs. Auburn constantly finds itself in defensive battles week in, and week out, but will the Auburn defense finally crack this week?

“I feel like they got some nice pieces over there, but I feel like we’re just gonna come out there and play our game and handle our business and do what we’ve been doing every week on defense,” Auburn cornerback Kayin Lee stated when asked about the Arkansas offense. 

“Fast, violent, physical and elite mental execution really, that's our standard right there.”

When asked about Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green and his ability to scramble and make something out of nothing, Lee expressed confidence in himself and the Auburn defense being able to contain him. 

“I mean, we played him last year. So it's really nothing I haven’t seen before, so I’m just coming out there handling it how I handled it last year but just more mentally elite execution and just more intensity and taking it to another level,” Kayin Lee stated. 

So far this season, Green has 1,910 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns and five interceptions. He also uses his legs often, having 83 carries thus far for 589 yards and five rushing touchdowns, all of that while averaging 7.1 yards per carry. 

Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. has also been heavily involved in the run game this season, averaging 7.0 yards per carry.  Washington has 96 carries for 671 yards this season and five rushing touchdowns. 

The Arkansas passing attack however, is where the team has been the most deadly. Nine different pass catchers this season for Arkansas have caught touchdowns, with the leading receiver for the Razorbacks being O’Mega Blake with four receiving touchdowns on the year.

The Auburn defense will without a doubt have their hands full this week with the electric Arkansas Razorbacks offense. Auburn defensive coordinator DJ Durkin has been calling the defense all season, and it has been lights out. For Hugh Freeze, his team cannot afford to lose, as he is sitting on what is likely a scalding hot set for his job.