The Arkansas Razorbacks (3-1, 1-0 SEC) rose in the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) following their 24-14 win Saturday over the Auburn Tigers (2-2, 0-1 SEC) at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.
After coming in at 29th overall following Week 3, the Razorbacks rose six spots to No. 23 off the back of the win over Auburn in ESPN’s FPI this week.
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Led by an impressive performance from safety TJ Metcalf, Travis Williams' defense stole the show with four interceptions and one forced fumble. The Razorbacks held the Tigers to 14 points despite Auburn outpacing Arkansas in total yards, 431-334.
Offensively, Arkansas struggled to find rhythm but was excellent in third-down situations (9-19 on conversions). Head coach Sam Pittman's club also dominated in the time of possession game, as Arkansas had the ball for 36:36 minutes of game time compared to Auburn's 23:24 minutes.
Head coach Sam Pittman’s squad now has a 6.5-5.5 projected win total with a 78.7% chance of obtaining six wins during the season. On top of that, Arkansas has a 0.2% chance of winning the SEC and a 3.6% chance of making the College Football Playoff, according to the FPI.
After four weeks of football, Arkansas shot up to No. 19 in the country in efficiency rankings, according to ESPN. This includes a 76.2 (No. 21) offensive rating.
The defensive rating moved up to 71.5 (No. 36) this week, and the special teams unit increased its rating to 41.4 (No. 92) after the Auburn game.
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Compared to the rest of the SEC, the Razorbacks come in at No. 10 in the FPI just above South Carolina, Auburn, Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. The Hogs look better in the efficiency department, as they slot in at No. 6 in the SEC behind Tennessee, Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama and Georgia.
Going into a Week 5 matchup against Texas A&M — a team that ranks No. 18 in the FPI — the Razorbacks must clean up their offensive miscues for an Aggies team that ranks No. 22 in defensive efficiency (77.1).
Up next, Arkansas will travel to take on the No. 25 Texas A&M Aggies (3-1, 1-0 SEC) at AT&T Stadium on Saturday. The game will kick off at 2:30 and it will be broadcast on ESPN.
