Auburn Tigers DL Isaiah Raikes on Arkansas: 'Kill Them in the Pocket'

Auburn’s defensive linemen know they will need to slow down Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green.

Auburn Tigers Defensive Lineman Isaiah Raikes / Photo by Austin Perryman, Auburn Tigers

The Auburn Tigers open SEC play against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. They'll face a dangerous opponent in quarterback Taylen Green who has accounted for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in the Razorbacks' first-three games.

Auburn’s defense got an opportunity to play against a dual-threat quarterback, like Arkansas has in Green, when taking on New Mexico last week. The results were mixed as Lobos' quarterback Devon Dampier sliced and diced the Tigers' defense in the first half, before being shut down in the second. On the day he finished with 291 yards passing and just 17 rushing yards.

That experience has helped the Tigers prepare for their first challenge of conference play.

Auburn veteran defensive lineman Isaiah Raikes, who spent three seasons with Texas A&M prior to joining the Tigers via the transfer portal this summer, knows what it will take to slow Green and the Razorbacks down.

“We have different strategies to either contain them or kill them in the pocket or flush them whatever way we want them to go,” Raikes said. “Just kind of dictating how they play, we don’t want them to be comfortable back there or able to scramble and make extra plays.”

Arkansas’s play style will test Auburn’s defense in an area where it has been solid so far this season but still could use some improvement.

“They like to run the ball,” Raikes said. “They’re averaging 259 yards per game right now, so we know they’re going to come in and try to run the ball. That’s a challenge for our defensive line.”

As a veteran in the league, Raikes’s mentality does not change when conference play begins as he treats every opponent the same even though the competition takes a significant step up.

“Preparation, no matter the opponent, is always the same,” Raikes said. “It’s just different when you get into SEC play. In SEC play, every game matters that much more. You know what  kind of talent you’re going to be facing at every position in and out.”

Raikes is no stranger to Arkansas as this will be his fourth time playing against the Razorbacks. Even with Arkansas’s offense being under new management this season, some things about it look familiar to Raikes.

“They have a lot of similar tendencies and stuff from what coaches are telling us and what we’re studying,” Raikes said. “Certain looks and things that are very similar, I should be familiar with.”

Raikes and the Tigers host Arkansas inside Jordan-Hare Stadium at 2:30 p.m. CT tomorrow. ESPN will carry the broadcast.