Byrum Brown’s 300 yards of total offense push Auburn to 26-23 victory over Arkansas

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Byrum Brown threw for 180 yards with two touchdowns and ran for another 120 yards as Auburn defeated Arkansas 26-23 on Saturday.

Alex McPherson, the hero of the Auburn-Georgia game, kicked his second game-winning field goal of the season. McPherson kicked the 42-yarder with only 33 seconds left, forcing Arkansas into a desperation moment they couldn’t convert.

After a slow first half, Auburn (5-4, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) used the momentum of a field goal right before halftime to score 23 points in the second half.

After winning their fourth one-possession game, Tigers coach Alex Golesh talked about what these close wins mean to the program.

“I think that’s how you build a football program: is that you build depth through young guys,” Golesh said. “And today, I thought it was a really, really good example to our entire program and some other guys that maybe aren’t playing.”

A trio of Auburn receivers stepped up for the Tigers as Keshaun Singleton, Chas Nimrod, and Christian Neptune each had at least five catches, with Singleton and Nimrod finding the end zone. Singleton led with six catches and 58 yards.

Arkansas quarterback KJ Jackson, who is from Montgomery, improved as the game progressed, going 14 for 30 with 188 yards. He threw for 123 yards in the second half and a fourth-quarter touchdown to tie the game at 23. However, his negative 20 yards on the ground ruined the momentum for Arkansas in the second half. Jackson was aided, however, by the running game as the Razorbacks (3-6, 1-5) ran for 179 yards, 74 more than their season average.

After the game, Golesh said sophomore linebacker Bryce Deas will miss the rest of the season after suffering an unspecified injury during practice Wednesday.

Injuries along the defensive front seven plagued the Tigers as Riddick, Cody Sigler, and several others were injured throughout the game. Freshman linebacker Toodle stepped up in the absence of Riddick with 11 tackles, three sacks, and four and a half tackles for loss.

Up next, Auburn will play on the road next Saturday against Mississippi State.

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