Arkansas Derails Auburn Hopes

Arkansas made one of the biggest upsets of the college football season look easy.

With a swarming defense and unstoppable tailbacks, the Razorbacks knocked off No. 2 Auburn in a stunningly one-sided 27-10 victory Saturday that will rearrange the top of the rankings.

Arkansas, 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the Southeastern Conference, entered as 15-point underdogs and left with the SEC West lead.

“We want people to respect us,” said tailback Darren McFadden, who ran for 145 yards and a 63-yard touchdown against a defense that hadn’t given up a rushing touchdown all season.

“We came out here with the mentality that we were going to earn that respect.”

Auburn (5-1, 3-1) became the first top-10 team to lose to an unranked opponent this season, a huge blow to its national title hopes. The Tigers leave with questions about a defense that gave up 279 rushing yards and an offense that totaled 213 yards.

“They beat us to the punch on both sides of the ball,” Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville said. “We’ve got to find ways to get it done, especially at home. We’re disappointed, but this is not over.”

McFadden carried 28 times and Felix Jones gained 104 yards in 13 carries, pounding out yards inside and occasionally busting outside for big gains.

Arkansas hadn’t beaten a team ranked so high since a 42-11 win over No. 1 Texas in 1981.

It was ugly enough for Tuberville to offer this assessment: “We’re not that bad a football team.”

But is Arkansas, a team that lost its opener at home, 50-14, to USC, that good?

“I thought we could compete for four quarters,” Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt said. “To say we were going to be up, 10-0, I don’t know about that. To say we were going to win by 17 points -- no way.”

Jones’ one-yard touchdown run gave Arkansas a 24-10 lead late in the third quarter that was too much to overcome.