Curtain Comes Down On Abysmal Hog Season in Auburn Blowout Loss

Travis Williams' return to alma matter collapses like a house of cards, Pittman, Razorbacks mail in Bowl hopes late.

Daniel Shi | Nov 11, 2023

Curtain Comes Down On Abysmal Hog Season in Auburn Blowout Loss /

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With the Hogs already down by 32, lacking energy and vigor all afternoon, they looked to finally have picked up a cookie crumb with a 35-yard strike to the speedy Isaiah Sategna. It didn't last long. Raheim "Rocket" Sanders, who had accounted for negative yards up until that point (finished the game with eight carries, zero yards) fumbled the ball and allowed the Auburn defense to return the ball 74 yards and the final meaningful chapter of a disastrous season came to a close, in a 48-10 loss to the Auburn Tigers.

"I didn't feel like we quit," coach Sam Pittman said. "I just didn't feel like we ever really started today, and that's all of us."

Auburn could smell bowl eligibility from the opening kick, marching straight down the field led by Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne in just six plays. Thorne hit freshman Caleb Burton on a crosser over the middle for 45 yards. Thorne also showcased his dual-threat ability accounting for 28 yards with his legs, including a 12-yard touchdown run.

That would be a bad omen in a 27-3 first half, where the Hogs would be dominated in all three phases of the game. Thorne finished with more rushing yards (79) than KJ Jefferson had passing (66).

"He’s (Thorne) very valuable to them," Pittman said. "Very good. Their offensive line, they played lights out. They were exceptional, and that’s including the tight ends and all that, but he ran the offense very well. He threw the ball well and managed the time well."

Auburn took a page out of the Hogs' book. Having relied on special teams to carry them throughout the season, the Hogs were burned by a 74-yard punt return down the left sideline by Keionte Scott and doubled Auburn's lead to 14-0 less than 5 minutes into the game.

After 483 yards against Florida, the Kenny Guiton offense did nothing, starting their first three drives with three and outs, forcing the boo birds out early. Punter Max Fletcher was forced into action often. It went rather poorly, back-to-back shanks of 35 and 28 yards set Auburn up with short fields. The Auburn offense continued to wear out the exasperated Arkansas defense with a variety of screens, run plays and quarterback keepers. A tight end screen to Rivaldo Fairweather, and the Hogs continued to dig a deeper hole, 21-0.

Travis Williams, returning to face his alma matter for the first time, wasn't having much fun. His unit featured a lowlight reel of missed tackles and bad angles until Dwight McGlothern picked Thorne off and weaved through traffic for a marvelous return of 42 yards to set up the Hogs on the fringe of the red zone. The Enos Era miscues returned. The Hogs finished the first quarter with 24 total yards and zero first downs and only turned the gift into a Cam Little field goal.

"We’ve just got to do better as a defense," defensive end Trajan Jeffcoat said. "We already took a commitment after this to bounce back. We’re just gonna get in the film room, get better and just take it from there."

Pittman, already backed into coffin's corner, saw no choice but to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the Arkansas 24, an 8-yard run by Jefferson finally netted a first down and allowed Arkansas to run true tempo for the first time all day. The drive once again stalled, this time at midfield, forcing Fletcher into action for the fourth time.

Old demons continued to rear their ugly head, as the Razorbacks' home woes continued, Jefferson fumbled the ball with less than 30 seconds left in the half, costing the Hogs yet another field goal, after Auburn just drove the ball 73 yards in 13 plays for a field goal moments before.

Whatever adjustments were attempted, they didn't work. They made things even worse, the Hogs had a patented three-and-out as the life left their soul like a tragic play. The running backs had 2 total yards midway through the third quarter as the small contingent of Tiger fans began to overpower the diminishing Hog crowd.

As Thorne and Company continued to pad their stats, Pittman mailed it in and put in backup quarterback Jacolby Criswell, who did nothing but maintain the status quo. Auburn added three more touchdowns in the third quarter, two passing touchdowns, one to Ja'Varrius Johnson, the other to Fairweather, his second of the day. Bryan Battie added a rushing touchdown to complete the trifecta.

Criswell broke off a 60-yard run, setting up an 11-yard touchdown pass to Isaac TeSlaa, drawing nothing more than an apathetic cheer as the Hogs trailed 48-10, which would end up being the final score.

"We just owe it to the city," TeSlaa said. "Owe it to the state to play better, especially at home. Just got to go out and do that."

The Razorbacks will finish the non-conference slate against Florida International 6:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at home. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU and fuboTV .