Gus Malzahn, Bret Bielema
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema shake hands at Razorback Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in Fayetteville, Ark. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)
AUBURN, Alabama -- Auburn will go whole hog on Arkansas starting today.
Auburn capped preseason camp Sunday and today the No. 6 Tigers will finally start preparing for the season opener against the Razorbacks, who travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Aug. 30. It's the earliest SEC opener for Auburn since 1995, and staying focused on the three-win team from a season ago shouldn't prove difficult.
"It's a team that went to LSU and really should have won that last game of the year," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said Monday on SiriusXM radio. "We know we're going to get their best."
Arkansas led nationally-ranked LSU 27-24 late in the fourth quarter before a 49-yard touchdown pass derailed the upset bid with 1:15 remaining. Coach Bret Bielema finished his first season with the Razorbacks 3-9 and the school went winless in the SEC for the first time in their history, but it's the near-miss at LSU and the closer-than-it-appeared loss to Auburn last season that has Malzahn circling the Razorbacks as a threat.
"It was a really good game last year, if you really look at it," Malzahn said of the 35-17 victory at Arkansas. "We had two short fields, they got down to the 1-yard line, had two shots at it, didn't get in, so that game could have went either way. We know we're going to get their best shot."
Arkansas' run-heavy scheme and large offensive line will prove difficult to prepare for as well. The Tigers have not yet completely focused on the Razorbacks' two tight-end sets and different personnel groupings with the fullback. Auburn focused on installing its own plays, improving its newcomers and identifying potential contributors while developing a depth chart during the first 16 days of preseason camp.
Auburn does run the football plenty in its hurry-up offense, but the Razorbacks' personnel and scheme is much different. It could prove difficult for Auburn to replicate Arkansas' offense in practice.
"They're going to give us some formations we have not seen," Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson told SiriusXM radio. "You would say that sounds simple, but when you put in two tight end wing sets and our players have not seen them all through spring and (preseason) camp, that's another adjustment."
Arkansas averaged 208.7 rushing yards per game, ranking 21st nationally and third in the SEC last season. The main running backs return -- Alex Collins, Jonathan Williams and Korliss Marshall -- and so does quarterback Brandon Allen.
The good news for Auburn's offense is that it exits preseason camp without any major injuries, but the Tigers lost starting left guard Alex Kozan to season-ending back surgery in July.
"We have been hitting each other for too long now in our minds," tight end C.J. Uzomah said. "We're definitely ready to start. We have been looking at film already individually. We're definitely ready to start scheming for Arkansas."
The defense battled through a dozen injuries in preseason camp, but none of them appear serious. Defensive end Carl Lawson is lost for at least half the season following knee surgery in the summer, however.
Only one starter -- hybrid Star safety Robenson Therezie, who is facing eligibility issues -- could miss the season opener as of today, but that can change.
"We have high expectations," Malzahn said on SiriusXM radio. "We do have a lot of guys back, but ... our schedule is unbelievable. It's the who's who every week. We're going to have to earn it."