Auburn Rallies Past Arkansas as Byrum Brown, Young Defensive Stars Fuel Second-Half Comeback

The Auburn Tigers snapped their two-game losing streak with a comeback victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks at home, 26-23, on Saturday. 

The team bounced back from a 10-3 halftime deficit to pick up a game-winning field goal from Alex McPherson to get their fifth win of the season. 

Here's what you need to know from the contest. 

It was another slow start for the Auburn Tigers, as the team couldn't get anything going to begin the game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. 

Auburn possessed the ball for seven drives in the first half and was forced to punt five on five different occasions. The game took a turn in the wrong direction when Arkansas running back Sutton Smith recorded a 63-yard score to pick up the only touchdown of the first half. 

The Tigers began to find some momentum before the half expired, with a 50-yard drive that settled for a McPherson field goal before heading to the locker room.

After the slow start, the second half was a completely different team for the Auburn Tigers, led by their star quarterback Byrum Brown. 

Brown finished the day with 23 carries for 122 yards and a touchdown, as well as throwing 23 for 34 for 180 yards and two passing touchdowns. 

He found both his top wide receivers, Keshaun Singleton and Chaz Nimrod, for a score to help give Auburn their third SEC victory of the season. 

Another major win inside the game is that Auburn didn't turn the football over and won the turnover margin by two. Auburn forced Arkansas to two turnovers in the game, one fumble lost and an interception picked off by AnQuon Fagans. 

Alex Golesh discussed early in the week that younger players should find themselves with more playing time beginning with the Arkansas game and for the rest of the season. And plenty of players utilized that opportunity in a big way. 

Arguably, the player of the game, besides Byrum Brown, was true freshman linebacker Shadarius Toodle. Out of Mobile, Alabama, the young Auburn defender picked up 11 tackles, 3 sacks, and 4 tackles for a loss in his very first collegiate football game. 

Toodle stepped up in a big way as the linebacker corps was riddled with injuries, with Bryce Deas being ruled out before the game, as well as De'Marcus Riddick being injured during the contest. 

It was an ugly win, but that's ok. It was a win. A big step in the right direction for Alex Golesh. 

Auburn has an opportunity to secure something they haven't been able to do since 2023 next Saturday. 

Become bowl-eligible.  

They'll attempt to do so on the road in Starkville against Mississippi State. Kickoff between the Bulldogs and the Auburn Tigers is scheduled for 11 am Central.