Auburn 26, Arkansas 23: McPherson's late field goal settles it

Auburn beat Arkansas 26-23 at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday when A. McPherson made a 43-yard field goal with 33 seconds left. Arkansas had tied the game 79 seconds earlier and spent most of the afternoon in control of the ball. It also turned it over twice. Auburn turned it over none.

The Tigers trailed 10-0 in the second quarter and did not lead until early in the fourth. Byrum Brown accounted for all three Auburn touchdowns.

How it was won

Arkansas scored first. M. Gilbert made a 38-yard field goal at 2:28 of the first quarter. B. Russell ran in from 2 yards at 11:21 of the second to make it 10-0. McPherson answered with a 33-yard field goal with three seconds left in the half, and Arkansas went in up 10-3.

Auburn closed the gap in the third. Brown hit C. Nimrod for a 15-yard touchdown at 5:01, but McPherson missed the extra point, leaving it 10-9. Gilbert pushed the lead back to 13-9 with a 37-yarder at 1:36.

The fourth quarter produced 26 points. Brown ran in from 5 yards at 12:50 for Auburn's first lead, 16-13. Gilbert tied it from 46 yards at 9:32. Brown found K. Singleton for 28 yards at 3:56 to make it 23-16. KJ Jackson answered with a 23-yard touchdown pass to A. Jordan at 1:54, and Gilbert's kick tied it at 23. McPherson's 43-yarder at 0:33 decided it.

The box score was close almost everywhere. Auburn had 363 total yards to 352 and 21 first downs to 20. Both teams threw for exactly 180 yards. Auburn ran for 183, Arkansas for 172.

Arkansas held the ball for 33:16 and converted 8 of 18 third downs; Auburn was 4 of 15 and had it for 26:44. The difference was the two Arkansas turnovers, one of them an interception thrown by Jackson.

Brown was the game's central figure. He completed 23 of 34 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns and led all rushers with 122 yards and a score on 23 carries. Jeremiah Cobb added 41 yards on 11 carries. Keshaun Singleton caught 6 passes for 58 yards and a touchdown; Chas Nimrod had 5 for 38 and a touchdown.

For Arkansas, Jackson went 14 of 30 for 180 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Cam Settles ran 16 times for 100 yards, and Sutton Smith gained 64 on three carries. Chris Marshall caught 5 passes for 65 yards, and Ty Lockwood had a 43-yard catch.

Against the number

Auburn closed as a 10.5-point favorite. A three-point win means Arkansas covered comfortably.

The total closed at 53.5. With 49 points scored, the under cashed, even after a fourth quarter that produced more than half the game's points.

On the moneyline, Auburn closed at -410 and Arkansas at +320. Auburn backers collected, though McPherson's kick came closer to deciding that result than the price suggested it would. Full closing odds are on the game page.

What's next

Arkansas falls to 3-6 with a third loss in four games. The Razorbacks have lost all six of their games against SEC and ranked opposition except a 31-21 win at Vanderbilt. They host No. 21 South Carolina on Saturday, November 14, on SEC Network.

Auburn moves to 5-4 and is one win from bowl eligibility. The Tigers snapped a two-game losing streak after defeats to No. 18 LSU and No. 12 Ole Miss. They travel to Mississippi State on Saturday, November 14.