Sarah Bentham • Arkansas News Bureau
By Scott Faldon
Times Record • sfaldon@swtimes.com
FAYETTEVILLE — In the first quarter, 15th-ranked Auburn rolled for 168 yards against No. 10 Arkansas.
But the Razorbacks’ defense quickly figured out Auburn’s one-dimensional game plan and shut down the Tigers in the second half en route to a 38-14 win at Razorback Stadium. In the remaining three quarters, Auburn managed just 227 yards.
What really pleased Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino was finally getting several turnovers in a game. The Razorbacks had produced just four turnovers in the previous five games.
Against Auburn, Arkansas got three interceptions — Tramain Thomas intercepted two passes for Arkansas and Eric Bennett got one — as the defense pitched a second-half shutout.
“We created turnovers; we’ve been waiting for those turnovers to come,” Petrino said. “We did a nice job of that.”
Early in the first quarter, Little Rock’s Michael Dyer hit Arkansas for a 55-yard touchdown run. Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said Auburn took advantage of the Razorbacks being out of position.
“That was unfortunate that he had that one because we were misaligned and we didn’t key things very well,” Robinson said. “I have a feeling that’s one the kids will look back on and wish they had to do it over again.”
But Dyer finished with 112 yards, which meant he gained just 57 yards on his other 20 carries. Auburn rushed for 291 yards in the game. Since the Auburn passing game was nonexistent, running the ball was the Tigers’ only option.
“We were just trying to do what our game plan was and stay with it,” Dyer said. “And try to fight and continue to get some success running the ball and try to make something happen.”
Auburn managed just 104 yards on 9-of-25 passing. Even that statistic doesn’t show the ineptitude of the Auburn air game, as 44 yards came on a flea-flicker. Take that trick play out of the equation, and Auburn gained only 60 yards on eight completions.
With Auburn married to the run, Arkansas linebackers Jerry Franklin and Alonzo Highsmith each had huge games. Franklin finished with 15 tackles, while Highsmith added 12 — 10 solo.
“Jerry is in there, really running the defense and had an understanding of what was coming before the ball was snapped,” Petrino said. “(Highsmith) made a lot of plays. He’s a really good football player, He’s really fast and tackles well. He understands the game, with he and Jerry out there they really help us understand the game.”
Robinson, who challenged his team to tackle better after the last game, said he was expecting that type of performance.
“They came to play tonight,” Robinson said. “You could tell Tuesday they were going to play like that.”
The defense was bolstered by the return of defensive end Jake Bequette, who had missed three games because of a hamstring injury. The senior from Little Rock said it was an enjoyable return to action.
“We knew any time they put the ball in the air it was either going to be a pressure, a sack or an interception and that’s a good feeling,” Bequette said. “We just had to stop the run on first and second down and put them in third-and-long. They’ve got good players, but we out-executed them and played well.”
Robinson said it was good to look at the field and see Bequette out there.
“He’s a staple to our defense. He did a really, really great job tonight,” Robinson said. “When we got them in those third-and-long situations, the one kid you could count on to cross that line of scrimmage was Bequette. That was one guy that really dominated.”
