B.J. Young had 11 points as Arkansas remained undefeated in Bud Walton Arena with a 56-53 win over Auburn.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Men’s basketball wins over Auburn 56-53, Game Stats (PDF), Post-game Notes (PDF), Game Highlights (Video), Post-game Press Conference (Video)
• Robert Turbeville: Hogs heat up after half, hold on
• Matt Jones: Hogs win despite rough start
• Chris Bahn: Full-Court Press
• Robbie Neiswanger: Arkansas Overcomes Ugly Start To Beat Auburn

Coached by Tony Barbee (2nd year, 23-27), Auburn (12-7, 2-3 in SEC) is much improved from last year thanks to a healthy Frankie Sullivan.  Sullivan (6-1, 206) leads the team in scoring, averaging almost 13 points per game.  While Sullivan is the perimeter threat, forward Kenny Gabriel (6-8, 209) is the inside threat combining with Sullivan to account for 37% of the Auburn offense and 35% of their rebounding.

Overall, the Razorbacks are currently 14-5 and 2-2 in conference play with 12 games remaining.  Of those remaining games, the Hogs have six on the road and six in Bud Walton Arena.

The Razorbacks have a great shot at making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2007-08 season, when they finished 23-12 and 9-7 in the SEC.

I believe the Hogs can finish the season undefeated at home, and will win at least one game on the road.  If they can win 2-3 games on the road (which I think is possible), then they would enter the SEC Tournament sitting at 22-23 wins, only needing to win a game or two in the SEC Tournament.

What do you think?  Post your thoughts on the rest of the schedule and whether or not you think Arkansas will get an NCAA Tournament bid.

The Good

• Tyler Wilson is obviously playing at another level right now.  Wilson has thrown for 772 yards and five touchdowns in the past TWO games.  And oh, by the way, both of those winning performances were against teams ranked in the top 25.
• Joe Adams’ 92-yard touchdown run was great…but it was the blocking that made the play.  Pulling guard Grant Cook and wide receiver Cobi Hamilton sealed the edge, fullback Kiero Small got the kick out, and tight end Chris Gragg got a nice downfield block as Adams ran (and hurdled!) down the Arkansas sideline to the end zone.
• The Razorbacks linebacking crew had its best performance to date this season.  Jerry Franklin (15 tackles), Alonzo Highsmith (12 tackles) and Jerico Nelson (10 tackles) combined for four tackles for loss on the night.
• The seventh largest crowd in Razorback Stadium history (74,191) were into the game and loud.  And two thumbs up to the Razorback Stadium game day production crew…they had the music rockin’ during most of the timeouts on Saturday.  (Although we’re sure there will be some calling to complain this week about “all the racket.”)
  
• Honorable Mention:  Good to see receiver Greg Childs looking a little more like he did before his season-ending injury last year.  Childs finished with four catches for 44 yards, but also had a 22-yard grab nullified by a penalty.

The Bad

• The Razorback defense has shown all the signs of being a unit that plays their best in the 2nd half of games.  But that doesn’t make it any easier to watch them make numerous mistakes before adjustments can be made.  I mean…was it really a surprise that Gus Malzahn would run misdirection rushing plays that would try to attack the Hogs’ defense at the edges?  Luckily, the Tigers only scored 14 points before the defense finally clamped down for the rest of the game.
• The final outcome could’ve been even larger had the Hogs done a better job on third downs.  The 5-for-16 conversion rate — including two failed attempts at 3rd and 1 — certainly isn’t going to cut it with Coach Petrino.  The Hogs currently rank 64th nationally (35-for-85, 41.2 percent) in 3rd Down Efficiency on the season.
• Honorable mention: Kicker Zach Hocker lining up right in the middle of the field — with the wind at his back — and missing a 34-yard field goal to start the game.  It was good, however, to see Hocker bounce back and make a similar field goal kick in the 4th quarter.

The Ugly

• When the penalty flag came out during Joe Adams’ touchdown run, we got nervous that it might be called back.  But it turned out to be an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Auburn linebacker Daren Bates, who was yelling at and (it appeared) intentionally bumping an official out of bounds while running behind the play.  Stay classy there, Daren.  And speaking of that…
• As someone said on Twitter during the game, the whole Auburn “us against the world” routine is getting tired.  At the end of the third quarter, with his team trailing 28-14, Auburn coach Gene Chizik sent his entire team down to northeast corner of the field to help fire up the Auburn cheering section.  The stunt by the ever front-running Chizik certainly didn’t motivate his team, as a Kiehl Frazier interception followed by Hocker’s 36-yard field goal quickly put the game out of reach.

Of course, we can’t possibly mention everything that was “Good, Bad and Ugly.”  What did we leave out?

Walking on Sunshine also contributed to this post.

ESPN.com: Tyler Wilson’s sharp passing helps No. 10 Arkansas beat No. 15 Auburn

Tyler Wilson threw for 262 yards on Saturday night, completing 19 straight passes at one point, leading No. 10 Arkansas to a 38-14 win over No. 15 Auburn.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Razorbacks streak past Auburn in 38-14 win, Game Stats (PDF), Post-game Notes (PDF), Post-game Quotes (PDF)
• ArkansasRazorbacks.com (Video): Game Highlights, Bobby Petrino Post-game Press Conference
• ESPN.com (Video): Arkansas Puts Away Auburn, 38-14
• WholeHogSports.com (Video): Game Recap, Garrick McGee, Tyler Wilson, Jake Bequette
• Razorback Nation (Video): Willy Robinson
• Chris Bahn: Adams’ Big Play Allows No. 10 Razorbacks To Relax In Second Half, Two-Minute Drill
• Jim Harris: Defensive Seniors Step Up Big For Razorbacks In Shutting Down Dyer, Tigers
• Matt Jones: Arkansas settles in, downs Auburn
• Robbie Neiswanger: Arkansas Controls Second Half, Cruises Past Auburn, Wilson’s Streak Among SEC’s Best; Bequette Returns
• Scott Faldon: Defense Shakes Off Early Troubles, Shuts Down Auburn
• Harry King: Arkansas ends Auburn streak

[Show as slideshow]

Now…normally we might chide ILP for a little more of a prediction quote than that one.  But as we found out when we got ready to mail his new RBN T-shirt, ILP is a little busy right now…serving our country in Iraq!  He did give us a great quote in his email:  “The victory over A&M was especially sweet since my annoying boss is an Aggie!”  Ha…nice job, man.  And thank you from all of us here at RBN for your service.  Stay safe.

So here we go:

Walking on Sunshine:  After giving up an unthinkable number of yards last week to the Aggies, the Hog defense should find easier going against the Tigers.  That said, we’ve made some pretty average quarterbacks look great lately.  Aubie QB Barrett Trotter might be next in that line…we’ll see.  Arkansas 41, Auburn 31.

HogBaller:  Tyler Wilson and this team passed a huge test last Saturday.  Now the Hogs show that they are starting to come together as the running game improves and Jake Bequette returns to make an impact.  Arkansas 38, Auburn 17.

HogBlogger:  The Gus Bus doesn’t have enough weapons.  The Hogs have plenty.  Arkansas 42, Auburn 17.

TipsterHog:  Gene Chizik has a new plan for SEC domination…make one call and steal Houston Nutt’s recruits!  Brilliant!  Uh…yeah…sell, sell, sell.  Arkansas 34, Auburn 24.

Leave a comment with your name, e-mail address and pick.  And feel free to add your own take like “Cam Newton is not walkin’ through that door, fans.” or “War Eagle crashes.  Hogs roll.”

While the miracle second half comeback against Texas A&M was fun to watch, the painful remnants of the lopsided first half linger in the back of all Hogs fans minds.  The wild affair saw over 1,200 yards in total offense.

Give the Hogs credit, they could have folded down 35-17 at the half.  But they fought back, and when the momentum swung, the Aggies had to be saying to themselves, ‘Here we go again.’

Tyler Wilson (510 passing yards) and Jarius Wright (13 catches for 281 yards) had record-setting days working the middle of the A&M defense.  But the thing we are having a hard time getting past is the fact that defensive coordinator Willy Robinson’s squad gave up a staggering 628 total yards, including 381 rushing yards.

And we thought giving up 470 yards — 330 of it on the ground — to Cam Newton and Auburn last year was unforgivable.

Auburn knows a thing or two about poor defense this year.  The Tigers have been porous so far in 2011, giving up 439.8 yards per game (106th nationally) and 27.4 points per game (74th).  They did play their best defensive game of the season though last week — a 16-13 upset win over South Carolina in Columbia.

“My hat’s off to our defensive coaches and players,” said head coach Gene Chizik.  “What an incredible night for those guys.  I could not be more proud of them.  They needed this, especially against a great running back and a great team.  This is a great start.  We are 2-0 in conference play.  It’s huge for us.”

A 2-0 mark in SEC play is a great start, especially for a team picked to finish last by some preseason publications.  With only six starters returning from their 2010 National Championship team, you can tell Chizik and the Tigers are starting over.

On offense, our old friend Gus Malzahn is doing it with ‘smoke and mirrors’ this season…trying to make some offense with only one real playmaker.  Auburn currently ranks 79th nationally in total offense (370.6 yards per game) – unfamiliar territory for a Malzahn-led offense.

Gus is doing everything he can to mask talent deficiencies at the quarterback spot.  Junior Barrett Trotter (895 yards, 9 TDs, 5 Ints) is pedestrian at best.  That’s why true freshman Kiehl Frazier (Shiloh Christian) has been seeing more and more playing time each week.  Frazier has carried the ball 12 times for 78 yards in the last two weeks, while only attempting one pass.

Sophomore running Michael Dyer (Little Rock Christian) is certainly doing his part.  Dyer (584 yards, 7 TDs in 2011) is fresh off a school record-tying 41 carries for 141 yards and a touchdown versus South Carolina.  Wide receiver Emory Blake (19 catches, 333 yards, 4 TDs) is really the only receiving threat.  Tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen (6 catches, 3 TDs) is a threat when the Tigers get in the red zone.

It’s usually a bad thing when members of the secondary lead your defense in tackling.  After five weeks, Auburn’s top three tacklers are defensive backs.  Free Safety Neiko Thorpe (41 tackles in 2011) leads the way.

After a big win last week, the Hogs jumped back up in the national polls (10th in AP, 12th in USA Today).  A win against the Tigers would taste pretty good going into the bye week.  The key will be stopping Dyer, and forcing Trotter to make plays.

Repairing the Hog defense (both physically and mentally) has to be the top priority this week, though.  The sellout crowd at Razorback Stadium should help.  The Hogs open as a 10-point favorite.

Auburn rallied from a one-run deficit with four runs in the eighth, and held off a ninth inning Arkansas rally to defeat the Razorbacks 8-7 on Sunday afternoon at Plainsman Park.

Kevin Patterson drove in four runs, while Casey McElroy went 3-for-5 with a run scored as Auburn defeated Arkansas 9-5 on Saturday afternoon at Plainsman Park.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats (PDF)

Collin Kuhn drove in the game-winning run in the top of the 11th and Nolan Sanburn threw three shutout innings in relief as Arkansas defeated Auburn 6-5 in 11 innings in the Southeastern Conference opener on Friday night.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats (PDF)

Delvon Johnson dunked with 6 seconds left to lift Arkansas to a 57-55 win over Auburn on Saturday for a second-straight dramatic win.

Also:

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Hogs make it two straight, Game Stats (PDF)

Rotnei Clarke and Julysses Nobles scored 16 points each as Arkansas pulled away in the second half for a 73-64 win over Auburn on Tuesday night.

 Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Powell records sixth straight double-double, leads to win, Game Stats (PDF), Game Highlights (Video), Post-game Press Conference (Video)
• Matt Jones: Arkansas Holds on For Win, Growing Pains Evident in Win
• Dudley Dawson: Arkansas 73, Auburn 64
• Trey Biddy: Hogs hold on against Auburn, 73-64
• Robbie Neiswanger: Arkansas Builds Lead, Holds On, Beats Auburn
• Chris Bahn: Full-Court Press

What if I added that Auburn would run for 330 yards?  Would you then have picked the Hogs?

I doubt it.  Yet all many fans seem to want to do is complain about the officials.

Yes, the goal line fumble call was a letdown.  When you almost get a ‘totally save your skin’ miracle and you don’t…well, I get it.  But don’t overlook the fact that Auburn was down on the three and in position for an easy touchdown.  The Hogs saving the TD on a fumble would’ve been a fluke break.

The blocked punt and 99-yard kickoff return were much more hurtful — leading to two touchdowns that Auburn didn’t have to work very hard for at all.  In fact, the Tigers only had to go 47 yards for their first touchdown after a 47-yard kickoff return.

You have to give a lot of credit to the Hog offense and Tyler Wilson for showing terrific resilience and fighting their way to a 43-37 lead early in the fourth quarter.  Greg Childs’ performance was All-Pro worthy.

Auburn’s answering drive for a touchdown was almost too easy.  It was quickly followed up by Broderick Green’s fumble on third and one that was returned for a touchdown.  The Hogs threw an interception on their next play and who really cares what happened after that.

The fact is the officials had nothing to do with Auburn’s answering drive.  They didn’t cause Green to drop the ball, down or not.  They didn’t call the play or make the throw that was intercepted.  Or the next one that was intercepted, for that matter.

Great teams overcome adversity.  When the game is on the line, the defense gets stops.  They don’t fumble the ball.  They don’t make panic play calls and throw interceptions.

Calls that don’t go your way are a fact of life.  Saying the officials made us sad so we didn’t play very well after that…yeah, right.

Great teams typically have excellent special teams.  Lose the battle of special teams and you usually lose the big game.  Great teams can play defense.  The Hogs got their helmets handed to them big time on special teams and defense.

While the Hogs are much improved from last year, they are not yet ready to contend for being considered in the top tier of the SEC.  They proved that in the second half against Alabama and again against Auburn with the fourth quarter collapse.

If the Hogs can prove on the field that they’re ready for the top tier of the SEC, then they’ll get the benefit of the “call on the field” on the goal line so that inconclusive goes in their favor.  When you are getting your butts kicked on defense, the refs aren’t going to bail you out.

Auburn was the better overall team Saturday.  That’s why they won.  Give them credit.

The Good

• Before the game, if we’d told you Ryan Mallett would go out in the second quarter with a concussion, most Razorback fans would have said, “It’s over.”  But Tyler Wilson came in and played great football, showed a lot of poise and gave the Hogs a chance.  His 332 passing yards and four touchdowns should have been enough to lead the Hogs to victory.
• Knile Davis continued to show why he deserves more carries.  The sophomore running back toted the rock 91 yards on 14 attempts (6.5 yards/carry).  He also caught three passes for 22 yards out of the backfield.
• Despite the Tigers porous secondary, Greg Childs’ performance Saturday would rank as great in anybody’s book.  Childs was unstoppable, catching nine passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns.  And don’t forget the two-point conversion that gave the Hogs a 43-37 fourth quarter lead.

The Bad

• We’re not taking anything away from Cam Newton — he was ‘as advertised.’  But the Hogs defensive game plan, coupled with poor execution led to one of the worst defensive performances since the Hogs joined the SEC.  Until late in the fourth quarter, our complete refusal to load the box with more than 5-6 players in an effort to force Newton to throw was as ‘bad’ as it gets.
• Bad calls didn’t beat us Saturday, but they sure didn’t help matters on a frustrating day.  The Hogs were able to recover from the Mario Fannin ‘non-touchdown,’ but the Broderick Green fumble was the turning point in the fourth quarter.

The Ugly

• The old adage of “if you have to return more than 2-3 kickoffs a game, it doesn’t really matter,” is very true.  (The Hogs returned ten on Saturday.)  But without injured Dennis Johnson, our kickoff return game has been a downright embarrassment, and it doesn’t appear to be the fault of the returners.  The Hogs now rank 112th nationally (18.3 ypr).  Block somebody, please!
• And overall, Arkansas’ special teams were anything but on Saturday.  The second quarter block of Dylan Breeding’s punt by Auburn’s Antonio Goodwin — who was untouched on the play — was only trumped by Onterio McCalebb’s third quarter kickoff return of 99 yards.  The Tigers capitalized with touchdowns after both plays.

Of course, in a game as wild as that one, we can’t possibly mention everything that was “Good, Bad and Ugly.”  What did we leave out?

ESPN.com: Auburn overpowers Arkansas after Mallett hurt

Cameron Newton ran for three touchdowns and added another score through the air, as seventh-ranked Auburn outslugged No. 12 Arkansas, 65-43, in a wild SEC showdown from Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Childs posts career night, Game Stats, Post-game Notes
• ESPN.com: Newton Leads Auburn In Shootout Win (Video)
• Chris Bahn: Razorback Defense Exposed Against Newton, Tigers, Two-Minute Drill
• Jim Harris: Auburn’s Newton Huge, But Arkansas Can Point to Other Areas That Hurt
• Matt Jones: Poor Execution Overshadows Wilson, Post-game Press Conference (Video)
• Robbie Neiswanger: Auburn Knocks Out Arkansas in Fourth Quarter
• Scott Faldon: Wilson Steps in For Injured Mallett

This is a developing story that will be updated soon.  You can also get the latest breaking Razorback news by following @RazorBloggers on Twitter.

Bruce will be receiving a spiffy white RBN t-shirt soon that is perfect for wearing under the car while changing the oil.  If you need a quick refresher on how we judge the winner of our little weekly contest, you can check the rules here.  So here we go:

Walking on Sunshine: This game hinges on stopping Cam Newton — plain and simple.  If the Hogs can’t contain him, and it turns into a wild, ‘playground’ affair, then it’s not going to be much fun to watch.  I think the Razorback defense is up to the task.  Arkansas 27, Auburn 23.

HogBaller: The Hogs have many questions going into this game. Can the offense cut out the mistakes and finally put together a complete game?  Can the defense contain Newton and limit Dyer?  Can the special teams continue to contribute and play solid?  Make no mistake, this is a huge game with the winner being in a great position to challenge for the Western Division title.  And it’s not going to be easy.  But the Hogs play one of their best games and it finally all comes together for this team.  Arkansas 31, Auburn 27.

HogBlogger: The ‘Gus Bus’ puts the Hogs’ defense back on its heels and the offense stuggles on the road.  Auburn 38, Arkansas 31.

TipsterHog: I had this one as a ‘W’ before the season.  But it looks like it’s going to take another loss this season before the Razorback offense figures out that they can’t just ‘turn it on’ when they want and still beat a quality team.  Auburn 28, Arkansas 20.

Leave a comment with your name, e-mail address and pick.  And feel free to add your own take like “Auburn fans finally get mad enough to flip off Petrino” or “Damn…War Eagle flies away.  Hogs roll.”

You would have thought that the Aggies had beaten us by 30 the way some fans are reacting this week.  Say what you want, but in my book that performance was not about “X’s and O’s.”  Even after the week off, the Hogs were as flat as I’ve seen us since the Ole Miss game last season.  That’s how much the Alabama game took out of us.  Doing just enough to get out of Dallas with a win shows how far we have come.  Last year’s squad would not have fared so well.

The Auburn camp is in similar discontent this week.  The Tigers jumped out to a big 31-14 lead just before halftime last week at Kentucky.  And then only scored six points in the second half to win.  A field goal as time expired allowed Gene Chizik (14-5, 2nd year) and his team to escape 37-34.  Sound familiar?

How about this…which head coach, Bobby Petrino or Gene Chizik, had this to say about their own team this week?

“I feel like we’re still in search for a really good, all around four-quarter game. I don’t think that we’ve had that yet.  We’ve just got to continue to work every week and try to get better at some of the little things.  As I’ve said every week, I don’t feel like we’re where we need to be.”

Could have been either, but this quote came from Chizik.  He was talking about the second half Kentucky comeback that the Wildcats engineered without star tailback Derrick Locke, who injured a shoulder in the second quarter.

The straw that stirs the drink for the Tigers is junior quarterback Cam Newton.  Newton has wowed the SEC this year with his arm and his legs.  He comes into the Arkansas game averaging 301.7 yards per game (112 rushing, 189.7 passing), with 21 total touchdowns (9 rush, 12 pass).

Newton’s 1,810 total yards ranks 12th nationally.  (Ryan Mallett, 344.8 yards per game is 3rd.)  Newton should command a ‘spy’ this week from the Arkansas defense, and whoever that is better be a good tackler in open space.

It’s been interesting to watch how offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn has used Newton this year.  Most of the time when you think about a spread attack, you think passing.  However, the 2010 Tigers are running the ball 71% of the time.  Newton’s 672 rushing yards are more than Arkansas’ entire total (544).

The inverted veer attack that Gus is running is hard to stop.  Employing many of the principles of the ‘Wildcat’ (except with a real quarterback at the helm), the veer read of the play-side or back-side defensive ends is giving defensive coordinators fits at the moment.

When the Tigers throw, wide receiver Darvin Adams (21-385, 2 TDs) is usually the target.  True freshman running back Michael Dyer (390 rush yards, 2 TDs) has been effective in the run game, as well.

On defense, the player that stands out is defensive tackle Nick Fairley (6-5, 298).  Fairley has proven to be a load inside.  His 12.5 tackles for loss (including 5 sacks) ranks 2nd nationally.  Strong safety Zac Etheridge leads the team in tackles with 38.  If there has been a weak spot, it’s been in the secondary.  Auburn is 10th in the SEC versus the pass, giving up 239.2 yards per game.

On special teams, punter Ryan Shoemaker (38.9 avg.) has been pedestrian — the Tigers rank 91st nationally in net punting.  Senior kicker Wes Byrum (8-11 field goals) has been solid.  No real threats have emerged in the kick return area this year.

If the Hogs are to have success down on The Plains, it’s going to hinge on being able to contain Newton on every play.  So far, Malzahn has proven he wants to run first to set up the pass with his new quarterback.  With the improved Hogs secondary playing pretty well, forcing Newton to beat you through the air seems like the way to go.  We’ll see how Willy plays it.  Auburn is favored by 3 points.

The No. 7 University of Arkansas baseball team lost to Auburn, 13-2, Sunday afternoon at Baum Stadium.  In defeat, Zack Cox was 3-for-4, including his seventh home run of the season.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats, Post-game Comments (Video)
• Razorback Nation (Video): Razorbacks lose finale, series to Auburn
• Terry Wood: Auburn pounds Hogs to win series
• Matt Jones: Auburn Routs Arkansas, Wins Weekend Series

The No. 7 University of Arkansas baseball team came within one score of erasing a five-run deficit but fell to Auburn, 8-7, Saturday afternoon at Baum Stadium.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats, Post-game Comments (Video)
• Razorback Nation (Video): Diamond Hogs 9th Inning Rally Falls Short
• Brandon Marcello: Big inning lifts Auburn against Hogs
• Terry Wood: Auburn holds on to nip Hogs 8-7
• Robbie Neiswanger: Eight-Run Inning Pushes Auburn Past Arkansas, Auburn’s Morris Enjoys Big Inning

For the second time in three starts, Drew Smyly tossed a complete game to lead the No. 7 University of Arkansas baseball team to a 9-4 win over Auburn Friday night at Baum Stadium. 

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats, Game Highlights (Video)
• Razorback Nation (Video): Smyly pitches Hogs past Auburn, 9-4
• Brandon Marcello: Hogs work late innings for win
• Robbie Neiswanger: Smyly, Eibner Lead Arkansas To Win

ESPN.com: Auburn 92, Arkansas 83

Tay Waller scored 29 points and made seven 3-pointers to lead Auburn to a 92-83 win over Arkansas on Saturday night.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Arkansas falls at Auburn, Game Stats
• Robbie Neiswanger: Auburn Hands Arkansas SEC Road Loss