Auburn QBs Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels will split practice reps before facing Arkansas
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3:28 PM on Monday, October 20
By MARSHALL DOWNING
Auburn starting quarterback Jackson Arnold and backup Ashton Daniels will split repetitions in practice this week, coach Hugh Freeze said Monday.
The Tigers (3-4, 0-4 Southeastern Conference) have scored a total of 54 points in four consecutive losses. So, Freeze is considering shaking things up at the all-important QB position heading into Saturday's game at Arkansas (2-5, 0-3). The Razorbacks have lost five straight games.
“As well as Jackson played in the first half of the last two games, you still have to start looking at everything," Freeze said. "Why do we not have the winning ways and sitting here feeling like we do?
"We’re going to get he and Ashton a lot of reps and kind of see where it goes from there.”
Arnold, who transferred from Oklahoma, has started every game this season. He has thrown for 1,190 yards, with five touchdowns and an interception. He also has run for 261 yards and seven scores.
Daniels transferred to Auburn after three seasons at Stanford. He has 3,986 yards passing, with 21 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. He has run for 1,121 yards and nine scores.
Freeze said the original plan was to redshirt Daniels.
“Not anymore,” Freeze said. “We’re going to play to win with him. He's prepared to play the last few, then if you go watch the game, and you’re watching it live, it’s really hard to complain about Jackson in the first half of the last two games.”
Whoever starts will have a new center after captain Connor Lew tore a knee ligament in the team's double-overtime loss to Missouri.
Lew has started 25 games for Auburn over the past three years, including all this season. Freshman Kail Ellis will step in for Lew against the Razorbacks.
“I think he’s going to be a really good football player," Freeze said. "But that was a huge loss to lose the leader of your O-line. He makes all protection calls and all the calls up there, run game, pass game, so that was a tough loss for sure.”
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