Taylen Green struggled passing but rushed for 80 yards on 18 carries in leading Arkansas to a 24-14 victory over Auburn as the two teams opened Southeastern Conference play on Saturday afternoon in Auburn, Ala.
Green was only 12-of-27 passing for 151 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions before guiding the Razorbacks (3-1, 1-0 SEC) to a final clinching drive on the strength of his legs. He rushed for 27 yards on the Hogs’ final, 75-yard scoring drive capped by Ja’Quinden Jackson’ second 1-yard scoring plunge.
The Tigers (2-2, 0-1) turned the ball over on downs on their first series after the Razorbacks went up by their 10-point cushion with just 3:38 to play. Less than a minute remained when they got the ball back.
The Tigers were scoreless in the first half until Payton Thorne rallied them with two touchdown passes to Keandre Lambert-Smith in the second.
Thorne relieved struggling starter Hank Brown (7 of 13 for 72 yards with three picks) to start the third quarter. Thorne finished 13 of 22 for 213 yards with two scores and an interception.
Lambert-Smith finished with 156 yards on five receptions. His 54-yard catch set up his 10-yard scoring reception in the third quarter, and he had a 67-yard touchdown reception in the fourth.
The Razorbacks responded to Lambert-Smith’s first score with Green’s career-long 58-yard touchdown heave to Isaiah Sategna just over three minutes later to put them up 14-7 entering the final period.
Kyle Ramsey made it a two-score game at 17-7 with a 43-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
Arkansas nearly doubled Auburn’s time of possession in the first half by controlling the ball for 19 minutes and 26 seconds but went to the locker room up only 7-0.
The Hogs got the only score of the first half when Jackson’s plunge from less than a yard out capped a 15-play, 81-yard drive to open the second quarter.
The Tigers’ best chance of scoring in the first half was thwarted when Damari Alston fumbled at Arkansas’ 5-yard line at the end of a 36-yard run and Arkansas’ Stephen Dix Jr. recovered in the end zone for a touchback.
A wild flurry of interceptions — one thrown by Green, two by Brown — marked the final minute of the first half.
