Good morning. This week, the attention turns to the Auburn defense and the challenge of facing Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson. At 6-foot-3, 247 pounds, Jefferson is a brick wall to bring down. 

Thankfully, Coach Freeze saw some explosive plays last week that have boosted his confidence in his squad.

“That is certainly an area we've got to look at,” Freeze said of Jefferson. “If you watch him enough, you know you're not going to get him on the ground every single time.”

Considering Auburn has forced a turnover in 18 straight games dating through last season—Jefferson also has a hill to climb on Saturday.

What else can you find mixed into today’s Brew?

🦵🏼 More exciting news for Auburn kicker Alex McPherson
🏈 A more in-depth look at Saturday’s game by the numbers
🐅 And much, much more!

🏈 THE FLIGHT: NEW EPISODE

The latest episode of The Flight is live on WarEagle+ today—and it’s a behind-the-scenes look at a dominating win on the road against Vanderbilt. Watch it today as the Tigers gear up for an SEC West showdown against Arkansas in Fayetteville.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Honesty is the Best Policy. Auburn overcame a sluggish start to defeat Louisiana 60-54 Thursday at Neville Arena thanks to a pair of late 3-pointers from Honesty Scott-Grayson and big games from post players Savannah Scott and Taylen Collins.
 
"We came out flat," Auburn coach Johnnie Harris said. "After halftime, we just battled. It wasn't a pretty game, but the way they bounced back and fought down the stretch, I was really proud of them."

The Tigers trailed by a dozen late in the first half when Shaw ended Louisiana's 7-0 run with a 3-pointer before Bostic made it five straight points for Auburn with a drive down the lane.
 
After Louisiana cut Auburn's lead from nine points to one with 4:13 to play, Scott-Grayson hit 3s on back-to-back possessions to put the Tigers on top 55-50. 
 
"She's just a warrior," Harris said of Scott-Grayson. "She's always coming up with big shots, and I have all the confidence in her."
 
The Tigers (2-0) play their first road game at Rutgers on Sunday at 4 p.m. CT in Piscataway, New Jersey.
 
"We're playing five Power Five teams in the preseason," Harris said. "It's good for us to bounce back in a game like this now because competition is going to get tougher and tougher."

🔼 Let’s Bowl. Last month, all the talk around Auburn was on the offense and the struggles that unit was going through. But the Tigers have found a rhythm in the last two weeks.

"We got off to a fast start," head coach Hugh Freeze said of last week’s game against Vanderbilt. "We were optimistic about some of the explosive plays. I felt good about our chances."

With their win at Florida, the Razorbacks (3-6) still have a chance to become bowl-eligible. But they have to win out. At 5-4, Auburn needs just one more win to become bowl-eligible in Freeze's first season on The Plains. 

For Freeze, playing in a bowl game is an important milestone when building a program. 

"I have been pretty open about the fact that going to a bowl game in Year 1 is desired, needed and wanted," he said.

Auburn and Arkansas will kick off at 3 p.m. CT from Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. The game will be televised on SEC Network with Dave Neal, Derek Mason and Alex Chappell on the call. You can also listen to Andy Burcham, Jason Campbell, Ronnie Brown and Will Herring, who will have the radio call on 94.3 FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the Auburn app.

🔼 Great Scott. In the ongoing series, here are Three Questions With Defensive Back Keionte Scott.

Q: How good does it feel to be back after missing some time with injury?  

A: “It's been a great feeling. Not being able to be out there and having to watch, it was a difficult time for me. But I feel like now that I'm back, I've been able to be that light on the team and lead the guys and just continue to preach and show positivity. I also think it showed a lot to some of the guys with how quickly I was able to recover. If you have the right mindset and attack things the right way, you can be able to snap back from any situation.”

Read the article for answers to the other two questions—what Scott learned during his time away and his take on the difference in Auburn for these past two weeks. 

Some more Brew headlines to make your day ⏬

🏈 The Auburn defense is 🔥!

🎾 Women’s tennis has signed Ashton Bowers.

⚾️ Permanent opponents for Auburn baseball for 2025 and beyond have been locked in.

🏐 Coach Brent Crouch thanks Auburn volleyball fans for a record-setting attendance.

👀 Check out these numbers on the Sack Obesity fundraiser.

🔼 The Recipe for Success. It’s time to take a look at this week’s game By the Numbers:

3: Against Vanderbilt, Jarquez Hunter became just the third SEC player with two touchdown runs of 50 or more yards in a quarter over the past 20 seasons. Hunter joins Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama) and Mark Dodson (Ole Miss) on the list. 

121: Hunter's 121 yards rushing in the first quarter were the most by an Auburn running back since Tre Mason had 141 yards on six carries in the first quarter against Alabama A&M in 2012. The last Auburn player to rush for 100 yards in the first half was Tank Bigsby (106) vs. Arkansas in 2020. The previous top rushing mark in the first quarter against an SEC opponent was Casinious Moore (104) vs. Mississippi State in 2001.

18: The 18-game streak of forcing turnovers nearly came to an end last week, but Nehemiah Pritchett pulled down an interception in the closing minutes. 

1: Through nine games, Auburn's Alex McPherson is the only kicker in the SEC yet to miss a field goal. The redshirt freshman is 9 of 9 on the season and has made 15 consecutive field goals dating back to last year.

🔼 Post-Doc. Pat Sullivan's first varsity game at Auburn coincided with the arrival on the Plains of a young doctor who, like the future Heisman Trophy winner, would one day become a household name—Dr. James Andrews.

In 1969, as a third-year resident at Tulane Medical School, Dr. Andrews came to Auburn to study under orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jack Hughston, a sports medicine pioneer.

"That's how I really got kicked off in the sports medicine field, learning from him," said Andrews, who learned about repairing knees from Dr. Hughston.

Dr. Andrews' appreciation for elite athletes and passion for helping them traces back to his own athletic career as an SEC pole vault champion at LSU, a feat that stemmed from humble origins. His athletic scholarship covered not only his undergraduate graduate tuition at LSU but also his tuition and expenses at LSU School of Medicine.

"I'm indebted to my athletic career, believe me. It made me a better sports medicine doctor, having been an athlete myself. I understand the psychology of how these guys think a little bit, and it's helped me in taking care of them through the years."

At the conclusion of the 2023 football season, Dr. Andrews will retire from his role as Auburn football's orthopedic surgeon and medical director.

"I'm still going to be around," he said. "It's been a good ride."

🔼 The Good Place. Auburn's Alex McPherson is one of 20 semifinalists for the 2023 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award.

McPherson ranks No. 1 in the country with a 100 percent field goal accuracy, having converted on all nine attempts this season. The redshirt freshman from Fort Payne, Alabama, is also 29-for-29 on PATs for a total of 56 points scored.

McPherson is 1-for-1 from 50 yards or farther, 2-for-2 from 40-49 yards, 6-for-6 on kicks from 30-39 yards and 2-for-2 from 20-29-yard range.

Fellow Groza Award semifinalists Graham Nicholson from Miami of Ohio, who is 17-for-17, and Texas State's Mason Shipley, who's 11-for-11, have also connected on all their field goal opportunities this season.

Auburn's game at Arkansas on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT will feature two Groza Award semifinalists. Razorbacks kicker Cam Little shares the national lead with four kicks from at least 50 yards out.

On To Victory is the Official NIL Collective of the Auburn Tigers whose sole purpose is to provide expanded name, image, and likeness opportunities for the hard-working players we so proudly cheer on the field.

🎉 Learn more about On To Victory and support our student-athletes this year!

🤔 TIGER TRIVIA

Commence the “Scoreboard” Chant. The Tigers and Razorbacks have kept things very, very close in their matchups over the years. One team has outscored the other in the 25-game series, but not by much.

Today’s question—which team has outscored the other in their storied history thus far?

Think you know the answer? Scroll to the bottom to find out!

🐅 ONE BIG THING

Spring Into Softball Action. The SEC slate is set, and it all ends with the 2024 SEC Tournament at Jane B. Moore Field.

🎁 THE ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY

Calling all Auburn fans! The Diamonds Direct Ultimate Fan Giveaway starts now and runs through Nov. 17. Enter for your chance to win two tickets to the Auburn vs. Alabama game, pregame hospitality passes, sideline passes, fan gear, and a $250 Diamonds Direct gift certificate.

📬 FORWARDED BY A FRIEND

Did someone send you the Bodda Getta Daily Brew? Well, the first thing you should do is thank them. The next thing you should do is subscribe here and get it in your inbox every weekday morning just in time for your first cup of coffee!

📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

Friday 11/10

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. Southeastern Louisiana @ 7:00 p.m. CT on SECN+ | Live Audio | Live Stats 

⚽️ Women’s Soccer NCAA Tournament | Live Stats

👟 Women’s Cross Country/Track @NCAA South Regionals 6k @ 7:30 a.m. CT. | Live Stats 

💨 Men’s Cross Country/Track @NCAA South Regionals 10k @ 8:30 a.m. CT. | Live Stats 

🐎 Equestrian @ Texas A&M @ 1:00 p.m. CT

Saturday 11/11

⚽️ Women’s Soccer NCAA Tournament | Live Stats

🐎 Equestrian @ SMU @ 10:00 a.m. CT

🏈 Football @ Arkansas @ 3:00 p.m. CT SEC Network | Live Audio

Sunday 11/12

⚽️ Women’s Soccer NCAA Tournament | Live Stats

🏐 Volleyball @ Missouri @ 3:00 p.m. CT SECN+ | Live Video 

🏀 Women’s Basketball @ Rutgers @ 4:00 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network 

🐅 Click here to view the entire Auburn Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Auburn!

Before last season, the Tigers had scored at least 30 points in nine straight games against the Razorbacks. Through the first 25 games in the series, Auburn outscored Arkansas by a total of just 633-629, an average differential of just 0.16 points per contest. The first 10 games (1984-2000) of the series featured six games decided by six points or fewer, including one tie.

This is going to be one heck of a game on Saturday.

🐅 Have a great Friday, y’all!