Arkansas Should Provide a Favorable SEC Test for Hank Brown

The Auburn Tigers will host the Arkansas Razorbacks for the start of SEC play in 2024. Hank Brown remains the starter and will face a defense ran by a familiar face.

Hank Brown earned his shot to lead the Auburn Tigers in an SEC matchup. The Arkansas Razorbacks provide a favorable test. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hank Brown and the Auburn Tigers stacked forty-five points on New Mexico, emerging victorious in his 2024 debut and his first career college start. Now, the Arkansas Razorbacks walk onto The Plains as Auburn’s first SEC matchup of the season.

The campus and fanbase still buzzes with the euphoria of watching an offense not only consistently move the ball, but seeing the entire offense engaged. Now, they face an Arkansas defense that aims to test them.

Somehow, within the recesses of the fanbase, Hugh Freeze heard the calls for Payton Thorne's necessary benching. In his first start for Auburn, in front of 88,043 fans, the redshirt freshman threw for 235 yards and two scores. More importantly, Brown completed 68 percent of his passes and tossed zero interceptions.

His poise and touch on passes at all three levels provides hope that Freeze made the correct decision in sitting Thorne. Brown looks calm and collected in the pocket, flashing the ability to consistently spread the ball around to open teammates, not locking on to just one. That awareness endears him to the wide receiver group that wants to receive their share of quality targets.

Familiar Face

Arkansas defensive coordinator makes his way back to The Plains. Travis Williams, a former Tigers standout linebacker, previously coached for his alma mater for seven years. Williams fully understands the intricacies of the team that calls Jordan-Hare home.

 Arkansas, through Williams, comprehends the noise and raucous crowds. As a result, they will not let the loud crowd rattle them. When looking at Arkansas' start to the season. You see a defense that loves multiple looks. The Razorbacks will primarily operate out of a 4-2-5 or the exotic 3-2-6. Either way, they pay an extraordinary amount of attention to playing the pass.

Under those circumstances, the pass rush suffers and teams do enjoy time to throw against a subpackage. The major caution for Auburn as far as the Razorbacks' pass rush is the blitz from a defensive back.

Bottom Line

Hank Brown, for the time being and hopefully for longer, earned the starting job. Now, Arkansas brings him a favorable matchup that should see little pressure, allowing for the ability to scan the progressions and make the right reads.

While no SEC team looks tailor-made for another, Arkansas' defensive weaknesses align with Auburn's strengths. As such, look for a productive day on The Plains. Whether that day ends in a victory remains up in the air.