5 keys for Arkansas to leave Auburn with a win

FAYETTEVILLE — A key SEC game for both Auburn and Arkansas is Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

This will be the fourth straight home game for Auburn. On the other hand, this will be the fourth different stadium for the Razorbacks to play in. The good news for Arkansas is they seem to play better on the road.

Both Arkansas and Auburn enter the game with a record of 2-1. Auburn lost at home to Cal 21-14 and the Hogs fell at Oklahoma State 38-31 in two overtimes.

Here’s five keys for the Razorbacks to win.

Eliminate Turnovers, Cut Down on Penalties

This is likely to be the No. 1 key for Arkansas all season. If they hadn’t turned the ball over in Stillwater they would have escaped with a win. Taylen Green had an interception early against UAB that put the Hogs in a hole to start the game. The Hogs need to play a clean game on Saturday and also keep the penalties at a minimum.

Tackle Better

The tackling against UAB was horrendous. Sam Pittman probably rightfully so blamed it on so many players practicing in green jerseys and not being able have a physical practice. The OSU game beat the Hogs up no doubt, but two weeks later they need to be able to tackle better. I feel part of the tackling issues also is the Razorbacks didn’t play as hard against UAB as they did Oklahoma State. Once the Hogs knew they were in a game they dominated the Blazers 34-10 to erase a 17-3 deficit.

Get Points When in Position

The Hogs need to get points when in scoring position. Last week, Kyle Ramsey was much better than at OSU. He only missed one field goal after missing two the previous game. In addition to being able to get at least three points, Green needs to hit wide open receivers for touchdowns. He missed running back Rodney Hill at OSU and then both Tyrone Broden (high throw) and Andrew Armstrong (low throw) against UAB. It seems at times when Green has open receivers he aims the throw instead of just hitting his target. Green is a great weapon for the Hogs, but could be even a greater one if he hit the open players for touchdowns.

Create Some Turnovers

Cal was able to create turnovers at Auburn and despite it being a different quarterback now the Hogs need to do the same. They have intercepted two passes for three games. The Hogs need to turn up the pressure on defense, get to the opposing quarterback and force some errant passes that are easier to pick off (see the OSU game Green was hit on the Pick-6).

Protect Green

Green was sacked three times against UAB. He was hit as noted above on the Pick-6 he threw against OSU. The offensive line is much improved over last season, but they need to do a better job in pass protection. Green can help the offensive line by not holding the ball so long at times himself.

Prediction — Arkansas 34 – Auburn 28