Arkansas (4-3, 1-3 SEC) at Auburn (3-4, 1-3), Saturday, noon ET (SEC Network)
Line: Arkansas by 3 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Auburn leads 19-11-1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Both teams are trying to turn around their seasons and rise from the bottom of the SEC West standings (along with Texas A&M). The Razorbacks, who spent two weeks ranked No. 10 in September, snapped a three-game losing streak against BYU. Coach Bryan Harsin’s Tigers have now dropped three games in a row, further damaging his already tenuous job security.
KEY MATCHUP
An Arkansas running game led by RB Raheim Sanders and QB KJ Jefferson against an Auburn defense that has been abused on the ground lately. Sanders leads the SEC with 870 rushing yards for the nation’s No. 9 rushing offense. Jefferson has run for 344 yards and four touchdowns in six games. The Tigers rank 119th in defending the run. Plus, they have allowed 740 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground in their last two games against Mississippi and Georgia.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arkansas: Jefferson has to salivate at how much success opposing quarterbacks have been having on the ground against Auburn lately. Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart ran for 115 yards, Georgia’s Stetson Bennett had a 62-yard touchdown run and LSU’s Jayden Daniels ran for 59 yards and a score.
Auburn: LB Owen Pappoe is Auburn’s leading tackler with 58 and could be a key factor in trying to contain the Arkansas running game. He had a career-high 16 tackles against Ole Miss, which ran for 448 yards.
FACTS & FIGURES
The teams were separated by a mere four points (633-629) after the first four meetings. Of the last 21 games in the series, 15 have been decided by at least 15 points … Auburn QB Robby Ashford’s 15.13 yards per completion is fourth nationally and second in the SEC behind Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker. … Arkansas LB Drew Sanders leads the SEC’s top pass rushing defense, which has racked up 21 sacks. Auburn is 12th in sacks allowed. … The Razorbacks have had a 100-yard rusher in a program-record eight consecutive games dating back to the end of last season.
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