Arkansas and Auburn had 50 seconds remaining in the first half Saturday and neither team seemed to want the ball.
Both teams traded interceptions over the course of 26 seconds of game time. Two picks were thrown by Auburn and one by Arkansas.
Down 7-0 and looking to put points on the board before heading into the locker room, Auburn quarterback Hank Brown tried to get the ball on a quick out-route to his receiver on the right sideline.
Defensive back Jayden Johnson jumped the route and snagged it out of the air, returning the ball 10 yards and setting Arkansas up for an easy half-ending field goal.
Then on the very next play, Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green had a short pass tipped up in the air by his receiver to Auburn’s Sylvester Smith who returned it 33 yards to near mid-field.
Two plays later, Brown threw a ball across the middle where it was tipped twice to Arkansas’ TJ Metcalf at the opposite eight-yard line.
The Razorbacks then ended the cycle of turnovers and knelt out the first half. Since Arkansas’ early touchdown in the first quarter, each of the ensuing nine drives for both teams ended in a punt or turnover (sans the kneel-down).
Brown, a freshman, was benched to start the second half and replaced by senior Payton Thorne who, ironically, Brown had supplanted as the starter in Week 3.
According to ESPN, by midway through the third quarter, both teams had combined for just 16 completions — five of them interceptions.
By the end of the game, which Arkansas won 24-14, the teams totaled 32 completions and six interceptions.
