Like it is

Hogs no match for Tigers, fans head to exits

Arkansas quarterback Cole Kelley is tackled by an unidentified Auburn defender on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- With 4:13 to play in the third quarter a mass exodus began Saturday night at Reynolds Razorback Stadium..

Auburn scored on a 62-yard reverse pass to take a 38-6 lead and a good crowd, a loud crowd -- but definitely not the announced crowd of 71,961 that is 39 short of a sellout -- who tried to make a difference with their noise, had seen enough.

So, many missed the game's most exciting moments for the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Freshman De'Vion Warren returned the ensuing kickoff 100-yards for a touchdown, the Hogs' first touchdown of the game.

Other than that, it was a decent effort against a superior opponent. No. 21 Auburn (6-2, 4-1) was too talented.

The game wasn't as close as the score, just like a week ago when No. 1 Alabama dominated the Hogs from start to finish.

Auburn is known for its defense, and it held the Hogs to a little more than 300 yards.

But Auburn's offense went for more than 600.

Of course those fans who left, none of them wearing orange and blue, didn't have to see Auburn score two more times and go home the 52-20 winner.

The Hogs' final touchdown was against subs who looked like their uniforms have never been dirty.

At 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the SEC play, the Razorbacks can't afford to think about anything but getting a victory and stopping the bleeding.

The negative trend of losing is something the Razorbacks Nation faithful has obviously tired of.

A good start to turning things around might be if the Hogs protected their quarterbacks, who have been sacked 24 times this season, 6 times Saturday night.

That's an average of more than three a game and on pace to top last year's 35 allowed.

Another big problem for the Razorbacks, and why they fell behind early and were out of it in the second half, was they couldn't get the Tigers off the field on third down.

Auburn converted 6 of 10 third downs and gained 88 of their 288 first-half yards on those six plays.. Those numbers continued to grow in the second half and going into the fourth quarter the Hogs had allowed more than 140 yards on third down.

The Hogs, meanwhile, didn't convert on third down until the third quarter.

That's not winning football by anyone's definition.

The first-half score was indicative of the whole game, one sided from beginning to the end, which seemed like it couldn't come fast enough.

Auburn forced a three-and-out situation in 49 seconds to start the game and then drove 80 yards in 7 plays -- including a 50-yard pass on third and 11 -- and grabbed the lead with 11:39 to play.

It pretty much went downhill from there, although Arkansas answered with a field goal, and the Tigers' response was to drive to the Arkansas 4 and make it 10-3 with a 21-yard field goal.

The Razorbacks appeared ready to get in the game when they drove to the Auburn 38, but a sack set them back 8 yards and a holding call left them with a fourth and 28 at the Tigers 45.

Auburn again drove inside the Hogs 5 and were given a first and goal from the 1 on a dive play that clearly came up short to everyone in the stadium but the officials.

It took a review to make it fourth and 1, and the Razorbacks stuffed Kerryon Johnson, who had 20 carries in the first half and one in the second half.

A fumbled punt led to the Tigers' second touchdown, which came after a 41-yard drive capped by Johnson's 2-yard run.

Arkansas answered with another field goal that no doubt kept some from leaving at the half, although several thousand had seen enough.

The first half set the tone for the game and several thousand fans.

Sports on 10/22/2017