Sam Pittman comments on whether Auburn matchup is ‘personal’

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman is aware of what Saturday’s matchup against Auburn means to both his players and the program. The Razorbacks have not beaten the Tigers since 2015, including losses in each of Pittman’s first two seasons.

In his Monday press conference, Pittman talked about what it would mean to snap that losing streak for players like quarterback KJ Jefferson.

“KJ didn’t play well against Auburn last year,” Pittman said. “I think that’s a driving force for him. Obviously, they did some things that had success against us and him. Auburn’s a team we haven’t beat six times in a row. It’s a big deal to us and I’m sure it is to them to continue that streak, but I think it is personal to our guys.”

Arkansas lost 38-23 to Auburn last season as Jefferson threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns. The year before in Pittman’s inaugural season, the Razorbacks suffered a heartbreaking 30-28 loss as the Tigers kicked the game-winning field goal with seven seconds remaining.

But there are some players on the roster who have endured the losses even before Pittman arrived. One such player is sixth-year senior offensive lineman Dalton Wagner, who has been a part of five straight losses to Auburn.

“We’ve got guys on our team (like) Dalton Wagner, who’s been here six seasons and we haven’t beat ’em,” Pittman said. “That’s a credit to them and their program. But yeah, I think there’s a little more incentive. We’ve got to win. It’s going to be very difficult but, to answer your question, I do feel at practice that we understand that Auburn has embarrassed us six years in a row and we would like not to make it the seventh. But we’ve got to go play well.”

This year seems like Sam Pittman’s best shot yet to notch his first win against Auburn, as the Tigers enter Saturday having lost four of their past five games. Auburn ranks 13th in the SEC in points per game (22.3) and 12th in points allowed (28.3), and the Arkansas is a 3.5-point favorite despite being on the road.

The Razorbacks will kick off against the Tigers at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday in Auburn.