Auburn Football: 3 takeaways from blowout win at Arkansas

Auburn football secured bowl eligibility on Saturday, blowing out Arkansas for the Tigers’ sixth win of the 2023 season. It has been an up-and-down season, but this may have been the biggest up of the year.

As the Tigers head into the Iron Bowl against Alabama in two weeks, Hugh Freeze has his team peaking at exactly the right time.

1. It’s official: Auburn’s offense is in tune

The first year for a new coaching staff is, inevitably, going to be rocky. For Hugh Freeze and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery, getting the offense to operate at a high level was an immense struggle in the first half of the year.

There’s been a slew of bad offensive games for the Tigers this season, from the ugly win at Cal to the inept outputs in losses to Georgia, LSU, and A&M. Everyone on the plains understood this was a rebuilding year, but it didn’t make those performances any easier to stomach.

In the last three games, things have finally turned around. After posting 416 total yards and 424 in wins over Mississippi State respectively, the box score from Saturday’s win at Arkansas makes it official: the offense is in tune.

Payton Thorne continued his redemption tour, going 12-of-20 for 163 yards and three scores through the air, and adding 88 yards and a score on the ground.

As a team, the Tigers rushed for 354 yards, pounding the Razorbacks all day long.

When Auburn is on, they run the ball at an extremely high level. On Saturday, they were on.