The Auburn Tigers lost to the Arkansas Razorbacks at home by a score of 24-14, dropping their second game in the last three and falling to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in SEC play.
After Hugh Freeze switched quarterbacks and started Hank Brown last week against New Mexico, following Payton Thorne’s dreadful performance against California that led to a loss, this was Brown’s first real test after an easy win over the Lobos.
Brown flopped completely, throwing three first-half interceptions and being benched at halftime with the Tigers trailing 7–0.
Thorne returned to the QB1 role in the second half and had more success than Brown, but ultimately, the Tigers’ leaky second-half defense made it too little, too late for Auburn.
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With the score tied at 7 late in the third quarter, Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green made the play of the game on a rollout bomb, which was caught in the end zone by Isaiah Sategna:
WHAT A BEAUTY pic.twitter.com/rQPht6GcUa
— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) September 21, 2024
KeAndre Lambert-Smith was dominant all day, catching five passes for 156 yards and both Auburn touchdowns, including a 67-yard dash with just under 10 minutes left to pull the Tigers back within three after a Razorbacks field goal made it 17-14:
KeAndre Lambert-Smith with a 67 yd TD on 4th down and a high five on the way into the end zone pic.twitter.com/tKcSZiANzi
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) September 21, 2024
Ultimately, it did not matter, as Arkansas marched down the field on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended in a 1-yard rushing touchdown to put the game out of reach for Auburn:
END ZONE BOUND➡️ pic.twitter.com/FRjjnFkBOi
— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) September 21, 2024
It’s a disastrous loss for Auburn and an even more disastrous quarterback situation for the remainder of the season. Presumably, Payton Thorne will be reinstated as the starter after Brown’s poor first-half performance, but neither option seems ideal right now.
The Tigers could be facing a painfully long season.
They will host the Oklahoma Sooners next week at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
