Auburn up next for Sam Pittman’s Hogs

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas and Auburn will open SEC play on Saturday with both teams entering with 2-1 marks.

Sam Pittman held his Monday press conference and talked about the challenges Auburn presents.

“Well, we’ve excited to start SEC play,” Pittman said. “Auburn has a really good team. Very physical on the offensive line. Obviously, (Jarquez) Hunter is a great running back. Their quarterback they brought in, (Hank) Brown, had an exceptional game. Four touchdowns and can really sling the ball. They protected him well. They got good wideouts, tight end is a transfer from FIU and they have extra. But, Coach (Hugh) Freeze always uses tight ends well. Very physical guys. (Rivaldo) Fairweather can really run routes and catch, good player. Really good offensively.

“Defensively, a little different than what coach was at A&M. A lot of odd, three-down, a lot of blitzing. Over half their snaps are that way. They’re using (Jalen) McLeod, their “jack” linebacker, really well. He makes a lot of plays. I like (Keldric) Faulk, the defensive end, number 15. Already has three sacks on the year. Long, good player. Great corner in (Keionte) Scott and safety and nickel and (Sylvester) Smith. Will run to the ball like an SEC team.”

Pittman is impressed with a current Auburn assistant who was previously with the Razorbacks.

“Special teams, one of the best special teams coaches in Tanner Burns,” Pittman said. “Obviously you guys know he was here. But, he’s a great coach, great person. And they’re punting, kicking it well. Their kicker is two out of three but he missed a 61-yarder that he attempted, so you know he’s got a great leg. And two really good — Scott is a punt-returner as well, really good, and then their kickoff returner is exceptional too. I think he’s had a 40-something yard return this year as well.

“So, they’re a really good team. The freshman quarterback, or redshirt freshman quarterback played really well last week. I think they want to run the football, they should. Hunter is a really good running back and their line’s big and physical.”

Pittman was asked to compare the two quarterbacks, Brown and Payton Throne, for Auburn.

“I think one game from Brown,” Pittman said. “The difference in their offense is really, with Throne it was more of a zone read, keep the ball, give the ball, counter read, give the ball, keep the ball. They threw more RPOs with Brown. So it’s the same principle, you’re giving it or you’re throwing it. I think with Thorne, a little bit more they gave it, or he kept it. And it killed us last year with him keeping the football. I don’t know what he averaged per run, but it was a bunch. That’s really the difference. I don’t think they changed a whole lot schematically throwing the football with their stops, their go routes or their crossers.

“They ran a little bit more drop-back with him this past week. I can’t speak for Coach (Hugh Freeze), but I think Thorne was a great threat in running the football. And Brown may be more of a bigger threat throwing it. I mean, he can wing it, now. For his first game to throw four touchdowns, pretty impressive. But that’s probably the biggest difference is, run to pass versus run to run.”

Auburn won last year’s game 48-10 in Fayetteville. Anything from that game Pittman feels he can use this year to avoid similar fate?

“Probably not a lot offensively, to be honest with you,” Pittman said. “Defensively, we don’t want to run the same thing we did last year, I can tell you that. They want to run the football. We have to find a way for them not to. They’re good at it, they’re big, they’re physical. Now I think they’re really confident in throwing the football, as well, with Brown. But they’re a run-first offensive football team.

“Defensively, schematically again, with us having a new coordinator and them having a new (coordinator), a totally different package. It’ll kind of be like a new deal between both of us from last year. I thought they whipped us in special teams last year, as well. So we’re trying to make some changes there, but we’re similar defensively us and them offensively. So obviously we’ve got to make a few changes to stop what they were doing last year.”

Hunter has been at Auburn for several years. Pittman talked about him sticking around the same program.

“Well, he’s certainly had success, and he must like it there,” Pittman said. “He plays like he loves it there. I mean, he gets his shoulders turned, and he’s a tank. He’s a hard guy. He’s just what you want. He runs extremely hard. Obviously, he’s loyal to Auburn, and I’m sure they’re excited about that. It’s hard to keep any player for four years, so he must have a love and a loyalty for the university and his coaches there. It wouldn’t have hurt me if he would have transferred, but he didn’t, so we’ve got to have a good plan for him. I respect him. I respect him as a player. He’s a very good football player. Plays the game like it should be played.”

As far as his own team, Pittman went over four injured players. Center Addison Nichols, safety Hudson Clark, cornerback Jaylon Braxton and offensive guard Patrick Kutas. Nichols was the only one of the four who played Saturday and he was injured on the third play of the game.

“Well, Kutas will be out,” Pittman said. “Hudson I would put him as doubtful. I think that comes out on Wednesday. You said Braxton. I anticipate Braxton being able to play. And you said … Nichols is better today than he was on Thursday of last week. So we thought he could play. Obviously he couldn’t. But I would anticipate him being ready to go.”

Arkansas and Auburn will kickoff at 2:30 p.m. and game televised on ESPN.