FAYETTEVILLE — Here are five initial thoughts following Arkansas’ 38-23 home loss to Auburn, its third straight in SEC play since a 4-0 start to the season:
• Letting the ball hit the ground on 2 plays crushed the Razorbacks
In real time they seemed like critical moments in the game, plays that might have some kind of an impact on the outcome. In hindsight, they absolutely contributed to another loss in a winnable game.
The two plays: punt returner Nathan Parodi allowing an Auburn punt to hit and roll following a defensive stop, and wide receiver De’Vion Warren dropping a first-down pass deep in Tigers territory.
The Razorbacks appeared to have seized control of the game in the third quarter after the offense scored on its first possession of the second half to grab a 17-14 lead. Arkansas had forced a pair of Auburn three-and-outs and had an opportunity to pile on a bit.
Auburn punter Oscar Chapman then hit a 57-yard punt that rolled dead at the Razorbacks’ 11, about 16 yards past where it initially landed.
Three plays and two Tigers sacks later, Auburn was back in front after recovering a KJ Jefferson fumble in the end zone.
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said Parodi told him he was unable to field the punt because he lost Chapman’s kick in the midday sun.
“That was kind of the final straw,” Pittman said. “Not really, but kind of, giving up those seven, because our defense was playing pretty well to that point in the second half, and even late in the second quarter.
“Then to give that, it kind of took the wind out of our sails it seemed like."
On the Razorbacks’ ensuing series, they moved to the Auburn 37 with relative ease with gains of 7, 8, 17 and 16 yards. Then Warren dropped Jefferson’s ball 19 yards downfield.
Rather than continuing its push in the red zone, Arkansas netted eight yards on its next three plays and turned the ball over on downs.
• Bo Nix was largely really good
If the Auburn quarterback didn’t bring his A-game against Arkansas on Saturday, it was B-plus work at worst.
Nix, who was benched in the Tigers’ near loss to Georgia State a few weeks ago, made only one true mistake in the game — the interception to Montaric Brown late in the first half that led to a Razorbacks' touchdown in the final minute. He completed 21 of 26 passes (81%) for 292 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Nix also rushed for 42 yards on five carries. He iced the game in the fourth quarter with a key third-down conversion and 23-yard score with his feet.
His 292 passing yards are a season high and his most in a game since Auburn’s bowl game loss to Northwestern last season. On passes 5 to 14 yards downfield, Nix was 10 of 11 for 110 yards. He connected on 3 of 5 passes 15-plus yards at depth for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns.
"He's done a great job all year extending plays with his legs,” Arkansas linebacker Bumper Pool said. “I thought he played good, but just too many mistakes. Too many things we could have done better, but hats off to him.
“He's been in this league for a while, has experience and really played well."
Nix also finished with a passer rating of 192.8, his highest mark since the Tigers’ season opener against Akron in which he completed 20 of 22 passes and had 3 touchdowns.
• The Razorbacks struggled to move the ball on the ground on first down
One key to being an efficient offense is being productive on first down to stay on schedule. Arkansas was fine throwing the ball on first down against Auburn, completing 10 of 17 passes for 101 yards.
But it struggled mightily to gain traction in the run game with a fresh set of downs.
The Razorbacks rushed for 58 yards on 20 first-down carries in the loss. Aside from a pair of 10-yard runs by Trelon Smith in the first quarter, they did not find much success there.
Thirteen of those 20 rush attempts gained three or fewer yards. Five went for no gain or lost yardage.
Most telling was the failure to push forward in the second half.
The Razorbacks did not pick up more than two yards on eight of their final 10 runs on first down. After halftime, their 10 carries on the down netted 17 yards.
“I think for us, I feel like we have the most success — and probably anybody — but if we get four or more on first down and kind of get rolling and play fast and those type things (it benefits us)," Pittman said. "We weren’t winning first down.
“It was mostly miss and not a lot of hit on first down, and we’re really not built that way. We have to stay on schedule to have success and we couldn’t get on schedule on first down a lot of times.”
Saturday's game was a stark contrast for the Razorbacks to one week earlier when they ran for 180 yards and 6.4 yards per carry on first down at Ole Miss.
• Losing Jalen Catalon for the season is an obvious gut punch
The biggest news to come out of pre-game warmups Saturday was the status of Catalon, who was not in uniform.
There was chatter throughout the week that the availability of one of the team’s captains was in question not only for the Auburn game but down the line as well. Pittman confirmed after the game that Catalon will undergo shoulder surgery on Monday and miss the remainder of the season.
“Mentally, you could see he wasn't playing his type of ball, tackling like he had earlier in the year and this, that and the other,” Pittman said. “I think it's time for him to get that shoulder fixed. It was a decision that he came and talked to me and that's what we came up with.
“I think it's best for Cat that he gets it fixed.”
He is undoubtedly the voice in the Arkansas secondary and one of the more respected players on the roster. To not have the quarterback of your defense for the final five games of the regular season and a possible bowl game is tough to stomach.
The situation will now push players like Myles Slusher and Jayden Johnson to the forefront. Both players are talented, but replacing a player with the intangibles of Catalon will be a challenge.
Slusher finished the game with seven tackles, which tied for second most on the team, and had a pass breakup. Johnson added a tackle.
Other players with injuries that Pittman mentioned were defensive lineman Markell Utsey (undisclosed) and cornerback LaDarrius Bishop (hamstring). Pittman said he was confident Utsey would return by the team’s game against Mississippi State on Nov. 6.
• Arkansas didn’t catch any breaks with officials
I can say with a great deal of certainty that Arkansas fans knew what was coming when officials went to replay to review the fumble forced by defensive lineman Jashaud Stewart late in the first quarter.
Stewart, a Jonesboro native who has received praise from Pittman for his relentless motor when on the field, blew through the Tigers’ offensive line on third-and-1 at the Auburn 16, picked up and dropped the running back at the line of scrimmage and jarred the ball loose in the process.
Arkansas quickly recovered the ball. Momentum seemed to be on its side. The Razorbacks were in prime position to potentially take a 10-7 lead.
And then they weren’t.
After a review, officials deemed the ball carrier’s forward progress had been stopped due to Stewart picking him up off his feet. No fumble.
Boos rained down from the crowd of more than 73,000.
They came down heavier and more often later in the game when cornerback Hudson Clark was flagged for pass interference on a Nix pass down Arkansas’ sideline that looked uncatchable. Auburn added a field goal four plays later to take a 31-23 lead.
“You'd like to catch a break here and there,” Pittman said, “but yeah, it gets frustrating."