Auburn vs Arkansas: 3 Keys to Victory
Nov 2, 2013; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks running back Alex Collins (3) is tackled by Auburn Tigers defensive backs Mackenro Alexander (21) and Jermaine Whitehead (9) during the first half at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Each week at Fly War Eagle, we will provide readers with three keys to victory for the Auburn Tigers, as well as three ways the opponent can have success.
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This week, when the Arkansas Razorbacks take the field, they must do three things in order to win – and because the Tigers are a more talented group with greater depth, the Razorbacks will probably need to do all three in order to have a shot at victory.
For Arkansas to Win:
1. Control the Tempo: Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn really doesn’t care about time of possession, so it is pretty likely that Arkansas will have a large lead in the time of possession category – exactly as Bret Bielema hopes for.
The Razorbacks had a good game plan in place last season when they grinded it out on offense for 222 rushing yards and held the ball for more than 34 minutes. More importantly for the Hogs, they accomplished something that few teams can against the Tigers: Arkansas controlled the tempo.
Malzahn wrote the book on hurry-up, no-huddle offenses (literally), and has prided himself on dictating the pace of play since his days as an Arkansas high school coach. However, last season, it was the Hogs that controlled the pulse of the game. If they hadn’t shot themselves in the foot over and over, the Razorbacks could have won.