Halftime Takeaways: Auburn Dominates First Half at Arkansas

The Auburn Tigers have commenced their last road test of the 2023 season in Fayetteville taking on the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Despite a rough start the Tigers have fielded an extremely healthy team. Has this been enough to help the Tigers earn bowl eligibility in week 11.

Here are some takeaways from the first half of play:

- The Razorbacks won the toss and elected to defer until the second half giving the Tigers the opening drive.

- Auburn is off to a quick start with an excellent completion from Payton Thorne to Caleb Burton III.

- Within the first 30-seconds the Tigers are already in striking distance to put points on the board.

- Payton Thorne is off to a great start using his legs to the tune of a rushing touchdown for the opening drive.

- The Tigers are looking to change the tune of their road game performance for the 2023 season, hitting the field with a lot of energy to begin the game.

- The Hogs begin their opening drive from their own 20-yard line.

- The Tigers defense is firing on all cylinders forcing the Razorbacks to a 3 and out and punt.

- Keionte Scott looked to fired out of a cannon with an incredible 74-yard punt return for a touchdown following Arkansas’s opening drive 3 and out.

- Arkansas makes another questionable decision on kick return choosing to take it out and getting tackled on their own 13-yard line.

- Auburn’s defense forces a second 3 and out, containing quarterback K.J. Jefferson pretty well so far.

- Thorne connects with a quick pass to Ja’Varrius Johnson who makes a lot of hogs miss in trying to bring him down gains roughly 28-yards on the play.

- The Tigers are looking to get the rushing game going to help open up the playbook a bit more. In three drives the offense looks really balanced.

- The Tigers are already cooking halfway through the 1^st quarter of play, leading the Razorbacks 21-0 off of a quick shuttle pass to tightend Rivaldo Fairweather for a touchdown.

- The Tigers have dialed in on both Rocket Sanders and K.J. Jefferson as the hogs are forced to punt away once more.

- Thorne makes his first bad read of the game throwing a pick that resulted in a 41-yard return after the pick.

- The defense stepped up to hold Arkansas to only a field goal after the pick.

- The score now at the bottom of the 1^st quarter is 21-3 Auburn leading.

- The Tigers have seemed to have found their identity late in the season with the implementation of Hugh Freeze’s tempo style of offense.

- Thorne makes up for his previous mistake taking some decent hits to rush for a 1^st down.

- Shane Hooks is still having difficulty pulling in the football, dropping a beautiful pass from Thorne to force a punt.

- As the 2^nd quarter gets underway the Tigers defense is hitting their stride putting incredible amounts of pressure K.J. Jefferson each drive.

- The Hogs are looking to put some pressure on the Tigers playing up tempo to put Auburn on their heels. Plausibly playing frustrated at this point.

- The frustration is palpable from the Hogs as an ugly late hit is laid on Jay Fair after stepping out of bounds on a quick passing play.

- This late hit was ruled as targeting and confirmed resulting in defensive back Jayden Jefferson being ejected from the game.

- The Arkansas secondary is wreaking some havoc on Auburn’s receiving corp forcing a lot of dropped passes during the second quarter of play.

- The Tigers defense is playing lights out only giving up one explosive play so far this half.

- The Hogs have pinned Auburn back with a great punt, forcing them to begin their drive inside their own 5-yard line.

- Thorne has another great rushing attempt proving how elusive he really is and how much talent he has with his legs.

- Jarquez Hunter has found his stride in running the football, looking patient and poised in each touch he gets.

- The Tigers forced to a field goal for the last drive of the half.

The Tigers have been playing lights out across the board this first half of play, leading the Hogs 24-3 going into halftime. If the Tigers can maintain this performance through the second half the Tigers should clinch the win and bowl eligibility.