The Traveler

Issue date: 10/15/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Chris Bryan Arkansas safety Matt Hewitt (31) makes the tackle on Auburn running back Ben Tate.

The Arkansas defense was tenacious from the start until just near the finish, despite the Hog offense never managing to get in a groove Saturday night. The tough 9-7 loss leaves Arkansas winless in the SEC. There were 72,463 fans who made their way through the Reynolds Razorback Stadium turnstiles expecting an offensive contest but were instead treated to a defensive stalemate.

Razorback fans did manage to see Darren McFadden break the school's all-time career rushing record but had to wait until about five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Auburn's game plan was to slow McFadden, and it did, holding the Heisman Trophy candidate to a season-low 43 yards on 17 carries.

If there was any bright spot in the game for Arkansas, however, it had to be the play of defense. For the most part, they never really allowed Auburn to get into a rhythm. In the first half, the Razorbacks mostly kept the Tigers in check on the ground, forcing Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox to constantly scramble and hurry his passes in order to gain first downs.

Auburn, however, came out in the second half with the game plan of grinding it out on the ground and did exactly that. Despite not scoring an offensive touchdown, the Tigers controlled the football for a long period of time and kept the ball out of Arkansas' hands offensively.

The Razorback defense was then forced to be on the field for long periods of time and still held the Tigers out of the end zone for the entire game.

"Our kids played their guts out, and I'm extremely proud of them," Arkansas defensive coordinator Reggie Herring said. "I feel bad for our fans and our players because we hung in there and fought, and at the end, we just didn't get it done.

The Tigers mustered only 101 yards passing on the night as the Razorback secondary came up with their strongest performance of the season. The Razorbacks also held Auburn from gaining any big plays or cheap touchdowns, which had plagued Arkansas in previous games.

Auburn did manage to come up with enough offense for a game-winning field goal after Arkansas took its first lead of the game with 1:36 remaining. The Tigers went 50 yards in eight plays, with the deciding play coming from Cox on a pass to Robert Dunn, who went 30 yards deep into Razorback territory.

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