Image – Sports Illustrated
AUBURN, Ala. – Alex McPherson connected on a 43-yard field goal with 33 seconds remaining Saturday to cap Auburn’s comeback and hand Arkansas a 26-23 loss at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The Razorbacks led 13-9 entering a fourth quarter in which the teams combined for 27 points. Arkansas (3-6, 1-5 SEC) pulled even at 23-23 with 1:56 remaining when KJ Jackson found Antonio Jordan for a 23-yard touchdown.
Auburn (5-4, 3-4 SEC) answered with a 10-play, 50-yard scoring drive directed by quarterback Byrum Brown. Brown opened the possession with an 11-yard keeper, connected with Keshawn Singleton for 21 yards and converted third-and-1 at the Arkansas 34 with a 2-yard run.
Arkansas used the rest of its timeouts during the possession but saved additional time when Brown stepped out of bounds after a 5-yard gain.
The Razorbacks could not capitalize on their final opportunity. An intentional grounding penalty caused a 10-second runoff, and a last-second lateral play ended with a fumble recovered by Auburn.
After struggling in the first half, Brown completed 10 of 14 passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns after halftime while adding 125 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. His rushing touchdown extended his streak to six consecutive games.
Brown put Auburn ahead 23-16 with 3:56 remaining when he escaped a potential sack by linebacker Ja’Quavion Smith and found Singleton alone in the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown.
Jackson, playing in his home state, responded with two key throws on Arkansas’ next possession. He hit tight end Ty Lockwood for 43 yards before finding Jordan for the tying touchdown on the first play after the two-minute timeout.
Jackson finished 14 of 30 for 180 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Auburn’s defense pressured him throughout the second half and recorded six sacks for a loss of 42 yards.
The Tigers took their first lead on Brown’s 5-yard touchdown run with 12:50 left. Arkansas answered with Max Gilbert’s 46-yard field goal, which bounced off the left upright and through to tie the score at 16-16 with 9:32 remaining.
Gilbert made three of five field-goal attempts, connecting from 38, 37 and 46 yards while missing from 53 and 51. He is 1 of 7 on attempts of at least 50 yards this season.
After missing from 53 yards on Arkansas’ opening possession, Gilbert gave the Razorbacks a 3-0 lead with a 38-yard field goal with 2:28 remaining in the first quarter.
Braylen Russell extended the advantage to 10-0 on a 2-yard touchdown run with 11:21 left in the first half. Sutton Smith’s 65-yard run to the Auburn 1 set up the score.
Arkansas officially finished with 172 rushing yards on 44 attempts. Excluding sacks, the Razorbacks gained 214 yards on 38 carries. Settles led the team with 100 yards on 16 carries, including a 46-yard run that set up Gilbert’s field goal late in the third quarter.
Arkansas controlled the game defensively early. After stopping Brown short on a fourth-and-2 keeper at the Auburn 48 on the Tigers’ opening possession, the Razorbacks forced punts on each of the next five drives.
Auburn fans booed when the punt team took the field following the Tigers’ third three-and-out. Through five possessions, Auburn had totaled just 39 total yards, and Brown had minus-10 rushing yards.
McPherson provided Auburn’s first points with a 33-yard field goal with three seconds remaining before halftime, cutting Arkansas’ lead to 10-3.
Bentonville native Chas Nimrod caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Brown with 5:01 left in the third quarter. McPherson missed the extra point, leaving Arkansas ahead 10-9.
Auburn became the first home team to win in the series since 2020, when Anders Carlson’s field goal with seven seconds remaining lifted the Tigers to a 30-28 victory. The visiting team won every meeting from 2021-25.
The Tigers moved within one win of bowl eligibility for the first time since 2023. Auburn visits Mississippi State and hosts Samford of the Football Championship Subdivision before closing the regular season at No. 5 Alabama in the Iron Bowl.
Arkansas faces three consecutive opponents ranked in the initial College Football Playoff rankings to close its season. The Razorbacks host No. 21 South Carolina next Saturday before visiting No. 7 Texas and welcoming No. 14 LSU to Fayetteiville.
The victory was Golesh’s first against Silverfield after going 0-3 against his Memphis teams while coaching South Florida from 2023-25.
Golesh and Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack were finalists for the Arkansas job before Silverfield was hired last November.
Next Up:
Arkansas hosts South Carolina (6-3, 4-3) at 6:45 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, in Fayetteville. The game will air on SEC Network. The Gamecocks defeated Texas A&M 17-9 in Columbia on Saturday.
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