Bo Nix, Auburn passing game find rhythm in upset of Arkansas
Despite his past struggles on the road, Auburn quarterback Bo Nix ignited the passing game Saturday in Fayetteville. That began with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Varrius Johnson on the first drive.
“You put a plan in,” Tigers coach Bryan Harsin said. “You feel like everything you put in is going to have some type of success. So when you hit it early … it creates that belief and that momentum that are important in a four-hour game.”
Nix finished 21-of-26 for 292 yards passing and three total touchdowns. His quarterback rating of 192.8 was his best in two years in an SEC road game and best ever against a ranked opponent.
That led to a 38-23 victory as the Tigers improved to 2-1 in league play. It was the third consecutive loss for the Razorbacks, who fell to 1-3 in the conference.
The game stayed close for a while, as Arkansas fought back to reclaim a 17-14 lead at the beginning of the third quarter. Shortly after, Derrick Hall sacked and stripped Razorback quarterback KJ Jefferson, and Marcus Harris picked it up for a touchdown to take back the lead.
It was Nix, however, who delivered the play of the game on the next drive.
After Auburn forced a turnover on downs to get the ball back, the quarterback hit Demetrius Robinson for a beautiful 71-yard pass. That put the Tigers up 28-17 and all but sealed Arkansas’ fate.
“It was huge. Obviously the play of the game. Those back-to-back were important,” Nix said. “That just carried us on throughout the game into the fourth quarter when we got a chance to run the ball.”
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It has been an up-and-down season for Nix, who found himself benched in a Week 4 game against Georgia State. He helped lead Auburn to a win against LSU the following week, and after today has a clear hold on the job.
But things weren’t all great for the Auburn passing game Saturday. Harsin noted the receivers dropped a few passes, cutting into Nix’s completion percentage.
“Sometimes when you have something become such a focus, you have to take a step back and have some perspective,” the coach said. “Our guys are going to catch the ball. We just have to work on it every day.”
The Tigers have a bye before facing another test against No. 13 Ole Miss on Oct. 30. The junior quarterback will look to keep his progress going as Auburn tries to pull off another upset victory.