Key Arkansas Offensive Players that Could Give Auburn Fits

Amidst a season of struggle, Auburn football isn’t a favorite against the 2-5 Arkansas Razorbacks. The Hogs have a new head coach, are 0-3 in the SEC, but are overall ranked above the Tigers, who are 3-4 with a 0-4 SEC record.

Bobby Petrino’s squad, despite struggles, boasts a litany of talented offensive players that could easily cause significant issues for Auburn, a credible threat given that the team currently leads the SEC in total offense. The game could quickly evolve into a high-scoring affair for the Hogs, especially if Auburn’s offense is unable to stay on the field. 

Here’s a look at a few key Razorbacks that could cause strife for Hugh Freeze’s strong Tiger defense.

Taylen Green - Quarterback

Every high-flying offense has to have a general, and Taylen Green is far from an exception to the rule. On the season, Green boasts an impressive 1,910 passing yards and 17 passing touchdowns, complemented by 589 rushing yards and five more touchdowns with his legs.

He’s currently boasting a whopping 155.9 passer rating and has been dicing up defenses all year. Green’s offense even put up 42 points in a three-point shootout loss to Texas A&M, a team that Auburn only scored 10 points against. 

In fact, the lowest-scoring game of the year for the Razorbacks was 13 points against Notre Dame, but they’ve shown an ability to put up very high point totals against other top-tier defenses, like 31 against Tennessee and 35 against Ole Miss. 

Conversely, the Tigers have yet to score more than 17 points in SEC play, so they’ll have to step up if they want to keep up with Green’s pace.

O’Mega Blake - Wide Receiver

No quarterback can generate these high-scoring results on his own, of course; receiving help is crucial. Green’s favorite target this season has been O’Mega Blake, who’s boasting 582 yards on 42 receptions, good for an average of 13.9 yards per catch.

He’s also hauled in four touchdowns on the season, but his longest play of the season was just 36 yards. The Tigers will need to limit his production, as he’s far and away the most-targetted receiver in Arkansas’ core. 

Rohan Jones - Tight End

The Tigers famously struggle to limit tight end play, and Rohan Jones could quickly take apart any hopes of a Tigers victory if he’s not contained. His nine receptions on the season are quite a misleading stat, as he’s the Hogs’ second leading receiver by yards this season.

On his nine receptions, Jones has accumulated over 280 yards, good for a terrifying average of 31.2 yards per catch. He’s tied for second in total receiving touchdowns with three, and he also boasts the Hogs’ longest receiving touchdown of the season, at 62 yards. 

Statistically, one in every three Rohan Jones catches is a touchdown, likely due to the fact that he doesn’t receive many targets, making him a variable threat, particularly later in the game, where Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino surely hopes the Tigers’ defense will have forgotten about him.

Mike Washington, Jr. - Running Back

Rounding out a balanced Razorback attack is Mike Washington, Jr., a senior running back who’s been able to keep defenses on their toes all season. On 96 carries, he’s accumulated 671 yards and five touchdowns, but his average of seven yards per touch is something the Tigers can’t allow to continue if they want to emerge victorious.

Washington has been a strong rushing threat for the Razorbacks for three years now, and he’s proven to be strong on essential short-gain plays while still flashing significant ability to break off long runs. 

He complements his quarterback’s rushing, too; the two of them have combined for 1,260 rushing yards in just seven games this season. The Razorbacks’ attack is impressively balanced, with 1,577 rushing yards and 2,019 passing yards this season, and Washington’s veteran production is almost certainly to blame.

Auburn’s displayed abilities to limit the rushing game, particularly against Ahmad Hardy and Missouri, while also flashing impressive pass coverage, particularly in games like Texas A&M, but the Tigers’ defense hasn’t faced a threat as balanced as the Razorbacks this season.

The Tigers have limited every single opponent to under 24 points this season, but since that’s likely to change this week against Bobby Petrino’s Razorbacks, the Tiger offense will have to find its footing in all four quarters, and potentially beyond.

The game will be played at 11:45 a.m. CDT in Fayetteville, Ark.

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