AUBURN | Arkansas wants to run the ball. So does Auburn.

The winner of the rushing battle will probably come out on top in Saturday’s SEC West showdown at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

When the Tigers are on offense, it will be about getting Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter rolling. AU’s top two running backs combined for 274 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in their first two games before averaging just 57.8 yards and scoring one total touchdown over the next four.

The running game finally got back on track at Ole Miss with Bigsby and Hunter combining for 259 yards and two touchdowns.

AU enters the game eighth in the SEC averaging 170.0 rushing yards per game while the Razorbacks rank seventh allowing 141.6 rushing yards per game.

“They're good,” said AU tight end John Samuel Shenker. “They have two really good linebackers, Bumper Pool and Drew Sanders, the transfer, and Coach (Sam) Pittman always has his guys playing very physical. They play really hard. So they'll be another challenge.

“They're your normal SEC defense. They're very talented, very athletic, and they trust their guys, Coach Pittman does, so it'll be fun. I'm excited.”

On the other side of the ball, AU fell to last in the SEC in rushing defense after giving up 448 rushing yards to the Rebels. Led by the SEC’s leading rusher, running back Raheim Sanders, and quarterback K.J. Jefferson, Arkansas is second in the league averaging 240.0 rushing yards per game.

“Really good back -- and they have a really good quarterback with KJ. They use both those guys really well in the run game,” said edge Derick Hall. “They're both dynamic, really athletic and can move the ball down the field really quickly.

“Fits is going to be the biggest thing for us this week -- just making sure everybody's playing their gap and playing fundamentally sound football, playing complimentary of each other, everybody doing their 1/11th. I think that will show up on Saturday if we do that.

Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on SEC Network.