In the final minutes of the first half of the Auburn versus Arkansas game, the Tigers were down 21-10, but they were driving down the field and were in the red zone. The Tigers were having success with the run game, but quarterback Jackson Arnold threw a pass that was intercepted by Arkansas and returned for 89 yards.
It was the straw that broke the camel's back.
On the next Auburn offensive possession, former Stanford QB Ashton Daniels took over, and Arnold would remain on the bench for the rest of the game. After starting 20 games for the Cardinal, Daniels had enough experience under his belt to remain calm and collected throughout the game, ultimately getting the job done and leading the Tigers to their first conference win.
Although Daniels got the job done, the Auburn offense did not magically look better, scoring only 15 points in six different trips to the red zone. Daniels was expected to see playing time in the Arkansas game after Arnold sputtered down the stretch of the last several games. But did Daniels do enough to secure the permanent QB1 job? Head coach Hugh Freeze was hesitant to say so after the game.
"I mean, it's just a weird set of circumstances," Freeze said, per Auburn Undercover. "You know, we've got a guy (Arnold) that leads us down the last three games, drives and looks like a million bucks and puts it in the end zone, and then we kind of sputter a little bit. So I'd love to make sure I'm accurate in what I'm saying by what I see on film before I go there."
As for Daniels, he knows that decisions have not been made, and his plan is to keep preparing in case his name gets called again.
“Nothing is set in stone,” Daniels said, per AuburnTigers.com. “Go back to work and get better, get this game plan down and go back in Jordan-Hare in front of another packed-out stadium. It’s another great opportunity for us to bounce back, get a win in Jordan-Hare, and I’m excited for that.”
The Tigers return to action against the Kentucky Wildcats in Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday at 6:30 p.m.