Arkansas Postgame Numbers

[StatTiger 3,188]

The Auburn Tigers kicked off the season with a 45-21 victory that was a tale of two halves. Auburn jumped out to a 21-7 lead, only to see the Razorbacks rally to tie the game at 21 by halftime. The Tigers played an inspired second-half, dominating the Hogs, 24-0 during the final two quarters. As well as Jeremy Johnson performed during the first half, it was the return of Nick Marshall that opened up the Tigers powerful run assault. The second-half performance of the Auburn defense marked the first time since the 2011 Florida game, Auburn shutout their conference opponent, during the final two quarters of the game.

Auburn extended their record to 83-5 since 1981, when scoring at least 14 points during the first quarter. The Tigers also extended their current scoring record, which is now 11 consecutive games of 30 points or more, dating back to the 2013 season. The previous stretch of 30-point games came during the 1994 season, when Auburn had 8 consecutive games of 30-points or more. It appears Auburn will have another stellar offense this season but there are a few question marks regarding the defense. Special teams had a solid performance against the Razorbacks and it will be interesting to see how much this team improves as the season progresses. I do believe it is safe to say, Auburn's offense will give them a chance to beat anyone in the country in 2014.

After week No. 1, it is way too early to begin placing labels on any team in the conference. Teams are often not as bad or good as they initially appeared. We won't observe true "team identities" until a few games into the season. LSU was a prime example of a team that looked hideous during the first 3 quarters against Wisconsin but looked like a typical LSU squad during the final period. As for Auburn, the Tigers are where they should be on offense with plenty of potential on defense and special teams.

Inside the Numbers:

• Auburn converted 57.1 percent of their third-downs during the first-half and 71.4 percent during the second-half. The defense held Arkansas to 25.0 percent during the first-half and 16.7 percent during the second-half. This is a wonderful trend, which hopefully carried over from 2013.
  
• Cameron Artis-Payne recorded the 41st 100-yard rushing performance during the Gus Malzahn offensive era at Auburn.
  
• 50 percent of Auburn's 70 offensive snaps netted at least 5-yards, while Arkansas hit at 40.0 percent.
  
• The Razorbacks averaged 7.6 yards per play during the first half and only 2.4 yards per play during the second half.
  
• The Razorbacks recorded 6 impact plays on offense during the first half but was held to just 2 during the second half. (Impact plays = 15+ yards)
  
• 34.3 percent of the Razorbacks offensive snaps were held to 2-yards or less during the first half, increasing to 68.0 percent during the second half.
  
• D'haquille Williams led the Auburn offense with 5 of Auburn's 14 impact plays on offense. The former JUCO standout was targeted 9 times during the game, making good on all 9 passes thrown his way.
  
• From 1981-2014, Auburn is now 134-9-1, when scoring on 33 percent of their offensive possessions. Auburn scored on 50 percent of their possessions against the Razorbacks, increasing Auburn's record to 62-0, when scoring on at least 50 percent of their possessions.
  
• The combination of Auburn's quarterbacks were lethal against the Razorbacks. Jeremy Johnson and Nick Marshall combined for a pass rating of 233.6 on first down and 232.5 on third down.
  
• Auburn lost the tackle for loss battle to the Razorbacks, 6 to 5.
  
• Auburn recorded only 1 sack against the Razorbacks but did have 9 QB hurries.
  
• The Auburn pass-offense was extremely efficient in their intermediate to deep routes. The Tigers were 8 of 12 for 233-yards. One of the incomplete passes was a dropped TD pass by Sammie Coates from Nick Marshall.
  
• Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant combined for 3.8 yards per rush with Jeremy Johnson as the quarterback. During the second half, Thunder and Lightning averaged 10.9 yards per rush with Nick Marshall at quarterback.
  
• 50 percent of CAP's 26 carries went for at least 5-yards but he was tackled for a loss on 3 occasions.
  
• After surrendering 267-yards of offense during the first half, the Auburn defense held Arkansas to just 61-yards during the second half.
  
• The secondary accounted for 50 percent of Auburn's tackles. The front-7 must become more active, which was the case during the second half.
  
• Auburn surrendered 151-yards rushing during the first half and only 2-yards on the ground during the second half.
  
• Auburn was 3 of 6 in situations of 2-yards or less to convert. The Tigers were 2 of 4 running and 1 of 2 passing. The two failed 3rd & 1 run-plays is something that should be addressed .
  
• Both teams had one turnover but Auburn converted their forced-turnover into a TD, which was a major momentum swing for the Tigers during the third quarter.
  

The game plan against Arkansas with Jeremy Johnson was to attack vertically and the plan was successful. If not for the first half collapse by the defense, Auburn could have dominated earlier in the game. Full credit goes to the Razorbacks offensive line and running backs, for making the first half and extremely competitive game. In the future it will be interesting to see how the offense looks, when Johnson is allowed to run the football. He is not the same caliber of runner as Nick Marshall but he is certainly athletic enough to move the chains.

Each year brings a new personality for the team. Despite having plenty of returning personnel, the 2014 team will not have the same personality as the 2013 squad. The opening game revealed an explosive offense by ground or air and a defense that played better as the game wore on. If this becomes the trend for the 2014 season, Auburn will be a very difficult team to contend with down the road.

War Eagle!

[stoic-one 1,543]

[3Jtiger22 0]

Stat.

When you say "when Johnson is allowed to run" does that imply he was told not to or Johnson just choose not to?

[RunInRed 16,360]

In fairness to Sammie, I'm pretty sure that dropped TD pass was tipped ...

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

Stat.

When you say "when Johnson is allowed to run" does that imply he was told not to or Johnson just choose not to?

Can't speak for Stat, but my understanding is that the package the coaches put in for JJ didn't call for him to run.

[mike650h 1]

Thanks Stat! I always look forward to your post!

[jared52 4,354]

In fairness to Sammie, I'm pretty sure that dropped TD pass was tipped ...

Just saw the play while re-watching the game. It wasn't. Sammie misplayed it. A good throw will dip at the end and he didn't account for that and didn't quite get in the right spot to make the catch. He got his hands on it but at his knees and it's hard to catch a ball there. If he takes one more step towards the middle of the field, he catches it.

[WarTiger 3,896]

In fairness to Sammie, I'm pretty sure that dropped TD pass was tipped ...

Actually I just watched the play again and advanced it by frame and the ball was not tipped. It was just a few inches over the defensive players hand.

[WarEagle84 0]

• D'haquille Williams led the Auburn offense with 5 of Auburn's 14 impact plays on offense. The former JUCO standout was targeted 9 times during the game, making good on all 9 passes thrown his way.
  

Stat, where do you get your data on the number of targets? Is that available online, or do you do that yourself? I would be interested in seeing the numbers on our other receivers.

• Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant combined for 3.8 yards per rush with Jeremy Johnson as the quarterback. During the second half, Thunder and Lightning averaged 10.9 yards per rush with Nick Marshall at quarterback.
  

Any feel for how much of this difference was due to Nick as a running threat, and how much of it was better execution by the offense as a whole?

• The secondary accounted for 50 percent of Auburn's tackles. The front-7 must become more active, which was the case during the second half.
  

Do you have tackles by secondary broken down by halves? I would be curious to see that.

Thanks, as always, for sharing your data and insight with us.

[Richard78 73]

Frost had no tackles, no assists? Hard to believe.

[cammycam2 173]

Can we call grant and CAP "double trouble"? Much cooler than thunder and lightning

[Richard78 73]

Arkansas O second half: Two yards rushing, three first downs, no points. Ellis Johnson can make a halftime adjustment, no doubt. I also imagine Garner may have had a choice word or two to his D linemen.

[Bottomfeeder 244]

Auburn’s 25th meeting against Arkansas proved to be an eye-opening offensive performance for the Tigers. In the 45-21 win quarterback Jeremy Johnson, running back Cameron Artis-Payne and wide receiver Duke Williams led the Tigers to 595 total yards of offense.

• Auburn’s 595 total yards (302 rushing, 293 passing) are the sixth-most for Auburn against an SEC opponent.
  
• With 154 yards receiving today, Duke Williams had Auburn’s best receiving total since Darvin Adams (217 yds) in the 2010.
  
• Williams’ ninth catches were the most receptions in a game since Emory Blake (10) vs. Arkansas in 2012.
  
• Cameron Artis-Payne finished with a career-high 177 yards on 26 attempts (6.8 ypc). It was his third career 100-yard rushing game and Auburn’s seventh consecutive game with a 100-yard rusher.
  
• Artis-Payne’s 177 yards rushing and Williams 154 yards receiving marks the first time Auburn had a 150-yard rusher and a 150-yard receiver in the same game since Carnell Williams [177 rush] and Tim Carter [156 receiving] in 2001 against Arkansas.
  
• Daniel Carlson’s 62-yard punt in the second quarter was the longest Auburn punt since a 71-yarder by Kody Bliss vs. Tulane in 2006.
  
• Auburn is now 306-5 when scoring at least 30 points and it has scored 30 points or more in 11 straight games.
  
• Auburn is now 94-26-2 in season openers and 97-15-3 in home openers all-time.
  

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/auburn-football/auburns-prolific-offensive-numbers/

[AU64 10,122]

It's a 60 minute game folks...why all the focus and griping about the first half?

Games against big time teams have ebb and flow and changes in momentum. Auburn played all 60 minutes (and not 59:59) and not just 30 like Arky....and looking at the game in it's entirety, the Tigers dominated the Hawgs to a greater extent than many people expected.

WE

[WarTiger 3,896]

It's a 60 minute game folks...why all the focus and griping about the first half?

Games against big time teams have ebb and flow and changes in momentum. Auburn played all 60 minutes (and not 59:59) and not just 30 like Arky....and looking at the game in it's entirety, the Tigers dominated the Hawgs to a greater extent than many people expected.

WE

They just love to focus on anything negative they can find.

[Guest jojo1515]

Auburn’s 25th meeting against Arkansas proved to be an eye-opening offensive performance for the Tigers. In the 45-21 win quarterback Jeremy Johnson, running back Cameron Artis-Payne and wide receiver Duke Williams led the Tigers to 595 total yards of offense.

• Auburn’s 595 total yards (302 rushing, 293 passing) are the sixth-most for Auburn against an SEC opponent.
  
• With 154 yards receiving today, Duke Williams had Auburn’s best receiving total since Darvin Adams (217 yds) in the 2010.
  
• Williams’ ninth catches were the most receptions in a game since Emory Blake (10) vs. Arkansas in 2012.
  
• Cameron Artis-Payne finished with a career-high 177 yards on 26 attempts (6.8 ypc). It was his third career 100-yard rushing game and Auburn’s seventh consecutive game with a 100-yard rusher.
  
• Artis-Payne’s 177 yards rushing and Williams 154 yards receiving marks the first time Auburn had a 150-yard rusher and a 150-yard receiver in the same game since Carnell Williams [177 rush] and Tim Carter [156 receiving] in 2001 against Arkansas.
  
• Daniel Carlson’s 62-yard punt in the second quarter was the longest Auburn punt since a 71-yarder by Kody Bliss vs. Tulane in 2006.
  
• Auburn is now 306-5 when scoring at least 30 points and it has scored 30 points or more in 11 straight games.
  
• Auburn is now 94-26-2 in season openers and 97-15-3 in home openers all-time.
  

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/auburn-football/auburns-prolific-offensive-numbers/

So we've won and tied more opening games at home than we have opening games total? Seems implausible...

Otrhe than that, nice stats

[ToomersRevenge 284]

It's a 60 minute game folks...why all the focus and griping about the first half?

Games against big time teams have ebb and flow and changes in momentum. Auburn played all 60 minutes (and not 59:59) and not just 30 like Arky....and looking at the game in it's entirety, the Tigers dominated the Hawgs to a greater extent than many people expected.

WE

Just ask Wisconsin about that ebb and flow.

[Quietmaninthecorner 1,945]

Auburn’s 25th meeting against Arkansas proved to be an eye-opening offensive performance for the Tigers. In the 45-21 win quarterback Jeremy Johnson, running back Cameron Artis-Payne and wide receiver Duke Williams led the Tigers to 595 total yards of offense.

• Auburn’s 595 total yards (302 rushing, 293 passing) are the sixth-most for Auburn against an SEC opponent.
  
• With 154 yards receiving today, Duke Williams had Auburn’s best receiving total since Darvin Adams (217 yds) in the 2010.
  
• Williams’ ninth catches were the most receptions in a game since Emory Blake (10) vs. Arkansas in 2012.
  
• Cameron Artis-Payne finished with a career-high 177 yards on 26 attempts (6.8 ypc). It was his third career 100-yard rushing game and Auburn’s seventh consecutive game with a 100-yard rusher.
  
• Artis-Payne’s 177 yards rushing and Williams 154 yards receiving marks the first time Auburn had a 150-yard rusher and a 150-yard receiver in the same game since Carnell Williams [177 rush] and Tim Carter [156 receiving] in 2001 against Arkansas.
  
• Daniel Carlson’s 62-yard punt in the second quarter was the longest Auburn punt since a 71-yarder by Kody Bliss vs. Tulane in 2006.
  
• Auburn is now 306-5 when scoring at least 30 points and it has scored 30 points or more in 11 straight games.
  
• Auburn is now 94-26-2 in season openers and 97-15-3 in home openers all-time.
  

http://www.saturdayd...ensive-numbers/

So we've won and tied more opening games at home than we have opening games total? Seems implausible...

Otrhe than that, nice stats

Sometimes our home opener is not the same as our first game of the year. Think of it this way. we could lose an opening game if we were the visiting team ...than we come home for game two (first game at home) and win. we would be 0-1 in opening games. and 1-0 in home openers.

[aucanucktiger 1,789]

7 of 19 bullet points dedicated to defense. Wise man.

San Jose State will be playing without its starting RB and with 2 freshmen and a sophomore on its O line. Guessing our D stats improve after this game.

[WFE12 9,191]

i feel it's great to have these struggles on defense early so we'll know what to do later on in the year, now we'll be ready for Gurshall, as long as we can hold them under 150 yards i say that will be BIG

[Quietmaninthecorner 1,945]

,,,, now we'll be ready for Gurshall, as long as we can hold them under 150 yards i say that will be BIG

Bwaahahahahahaha!

What better way to make sure a nickname sticks for life than to complain about it in a news article.... http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/22987847/todd-gurley-keith-marshall-dont-want-to-be-called-gurshall

"I never really liked the name," Gurley told the The Macon Telegraph. "I always said that, since it came up."....

...."Sometimes I'll be out somewhere and someone will be like: 'What's up Gurshall?'" Marshall said. "That's not my name."

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

Dual QB offense

[AURex 1,983]

There's lots to like about Auburn's game against Arkansas. CAP and Grant were going strong. I would have liked to see Grant get more touches, but certainly can't criticize CAP in any way. JJ to Duke is a deadly combo, and I was happy to see Ray get some attention as well. He deserves more balls. As for Coates, somebody needs to explain to that young man that it does not matter how fast you can run or how strong you are,. if you don't make catches that are right in your hands, you will not get drafted. An NFL team will not play a receiver that drops balls, and Coates seems to drop a wide open big gainer every game. He's looking at becoming a permanent diversion, as Duke, Ray and others step up and make plays.

Auburn's defensive stats look much better in the second half. The DL played better for sure. The two LBs were, just as last year, mostly MIA. And how much of the second half improvement was due to Arkansas switching to a passing attack -- with receivers that could not catch the ball? How many drops did they have? A dunno. A lot.

San Jose State will be no contest. We'll see Roc and Barber a lot, probably plenty of JJ as well and maybe even some more plays with Jonathan Wallace. And I'm hoping we'll see Williams at LB. Even if he is lost a lot on the field, well, at least he'll pursue and hit somebody.

Any win is a good win, especially against an SEC team. But still a lot of work to do in order to compete in the SEC West with Kansas State on the schedule as well.

[dmoney 271]

What were the body count numbers for Arkansas? According to their coach the HUNH kills.