Alex McPherson’s second field goal, a tiebreaking 43-yarder with 33 seconds remaining, lifted host Auburn to a 26-23 victory over Arkansas on Saturday.
The Tigers (5-4, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) rallied from a 10-0 deficit to snap a two-game losing streak.
Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown was 23-for-34 for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 120 yards and a score on 23 carries.
For the Razorbacks (3-6, 1-5), KJ Jackson went 14-for-30 for 188 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Cam Settles rushed for 100 yards on 16 carries.
Arkansas kicker Max Gilbert recovered from an earlier miss to put up the first points of the game late in the first quarter. He hit a 38-yard field goal with 2:28 remaining in the period to cap a 12-play, 57-yard drive.
The Hogs stretched their lead to double digits early in the second quarter. Sutton Smith set up the score with a 65-yard run to the Auburn 1-yard line on the first play of the drive after an Auburn punt. He went off the left side, bounced the play outside toward the sideline and then raced downfield. Three plays later, Braylen Russell punched it in from 2 yards out for a 10-0 margin with 11:21 to go in the half.
AnQuon Fegans gave Auburn life with 6:29 to go before the half by picking off a high, floating pass from Jackson. Later, Shadarius Toodle recorded his first sack and his second tackle for loss in his collegiate debut to thwart an Arkansas drive close to the two-minute timeout.
Toodle’s play gave the Tigers one last chance to score in the half. McPherson drilled a 33-yarder with three seconds left to cut the deficit to 10-3.
Gilbert had a chance to extend the lead to two scores in the third quarter, but he pushed a 51-yard try wide right, dropping him to 1-for-7 this season from 50 yards or longer.
The Tigers appeared to be on the brink of tying the contest with 5:01 left in the period after Brown connected with Chas Nimrod from 15 yards out to cap a 12-play, 67-yard drive. But McPherson pulled the PAT kick wide left, leaving his team down 10-9.
Gilbert moved the lead to 13-9 with a 37-yard field goal with 1:36 left in the third, but Brown’s 24-yard run moved Auburn into the red zone. He then picked his way through the line from 5 yards out to give the Tigers their first lead with 12:50 left in regulation.
Gilbert kicked a 46-yard field goal to knot the game at 16-all, but Brown found Keshaun Singleton from 28 yards out on a third-and-12 play to put Auburn back on top with 3:56 left.
Arkansas responded again as Jackson hit Antonio Jordan on a 23-yard score to tie the game 23-23 with 1:54 remaining.