Arkansas Things and Other Auburn Connections
The Hawgs are coming. Auburn gets to return home in their awful schedule of four straight games before noon to play Arkansas, the worst team in the SEC. Vanderbilt might have argument. One thing is for sure about this series: it’s rarely normal. We think LSU games are weird. Arkansas games are stupid. I used to describe Arkansas as an “annoying gnat.” And they’re still that. But most of the times these games are stupid or a blowout. Let’s do the blowout thing.
🐗 Arkansas Things
🐦 1. They Used to Be the Cardinals. Arkansas wasn’t always the Razorbacks. They were originally the Cardinals until coach Hugo Bezdek described his team as a wild band of razorback hogs after beating LSU in 1909. Students voted to change the nickname in 1910. They willingly traded a bird for a pig.
📣 2. Calling the Hogs. Arkansas fans have been yelling “Wooo Pig Sooie” since the 1920s, apparently inspired by farmers calling their pigs. Tens of thousands of people throwing their arms around and making livestock noises. Most embarrassing cheer of all time.
💌 3. The University Love Rock. Arkansas has a giant limestone rock called Spoofer’s Stone, where students once secretly exchanged love notes because men and women weren’t allowed to mingle. It’s now a popular spot for marriage proposals. Nothing says romance like a rock named Spoofer.
☠️ 4. The Cursed Sidewalk. Arkansas engraves graduates’ names into miles of campus sidewalks, but the Class of 1900 section supposedly carries a curse. Legend says walking across it could prevent you from graduating. Imagine surviving four years of college only to be defeated by concrete.
🏛️ 5. Their Main Building Is Uneven. The two towers on Arkansas’ historic Old Main building aren’t the same height. One legend claims the taller north tower was a tribute to the Union winning the Civil War. Even their most famous building can’t agree with itself.
🐅 Auburn Connections
🔄 1. The Coaching Carousel. Gus Malzahn was Arkansas’ offensive coordinator in 2006 before becoming Auburn’s head coach from 2013–20. Chad Morris went 4–18 as Arkansas’ head coach before becoming Auburn’s offensive coordinator in 2020. Auburn got the better end of one of those deals.
🏆 2. Kodi Burns Is an Arkansas Boy. Auburn national champion and current co-offensive coordinator Kodi Burns grew up in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Burns played quarterback and receiver at Auburn from 2007–10, catching the first touchdown in the 2010 national championship game.
🔀 3. The Transfer Pipeline. Former Auburn defensive back Caleb Wooden transferred to Arkansas in 2025, and former five-star Auburn defensive lineman Jamonta Waller followed in 2026. Wooden even recorded three tackles against Arkansas while playing for Auburn in 2024. Sometimes the grass is greener. Sometimes it’s just another shade of SEC football.
🏈 4. The First Meeting. Auburn and Arkansas first met in the 1984 Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Bo Jackson rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown as Auburn won 21–15. Arkansas’ first experience playing Auburn was losing to Bo Jackson. Not a great introduction.
🛡️ 5. T-Will Goes Hog Wild. Former Auburn linebacker Travis Williams played for the Tigers from 2001–05, winning an SEC championship in 2004. He later coached Auburn’s linebackers from 2016–20 before eventually becoming Arkansas’ defensive coordinator in 2023. Another Auburn man teaching the Razorbacks how to play defense.
