Auburn football is finally finished with its month-long stretch of road games, but comes out of it with the sweet taste of victory that it has not felt since September.
The Tigers escaped Kroger Field with a 24-10 victory on Saturday, fulfilling a 10-point comeback and finishing the game in full, something they have not done in quite some time. The win puts Auburn at 3-5 on the year and 1-4 in the SEC.
This game started like recent ones, where the offense showed a very slow start while the defense gave the team somewhat of a chance. This time though, the offense turned things around throughout the action.
Here is what we learned about the Tigers after the win.
Starting quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] finally made necessary changes after yet another slow start, and his smart decisions helped drive a lot of momentum into the entire offense.
Thorne threw an interception in the first quarter, but overall, went 20 for 26 with 172 yards and one touchdown. His vision got better as the game went on, but things still have a lot of room to improve in that facet if the team wants a better start.
Senior running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] needs to be handed the ball in order for Auburn to have success down the stretch. The star in the backfield rushed 23 times for 278 yards and two touchdowns, becoming a workhorse throughout the night and pushing the team towards the win down the stretch.
Hunter showed all night that he has the skills to break off big runs, which were evident in a 50-yard run and a 45-yard touchdown run that he had in the fourth quarter to put the dagger on the Wildcats.
As for the offensive line, things need to be reviewed with its blocking scheme, as Thorne took five sacks on the night. As tough opponents near at the end of this season, Thorne needs to have more time in the pocket than he does in order to make plays and stay healthy.
As for the defense, it was an all-around complete performance. Two interceptions and three sacks were a big reason why Kentucky’s offense was shut out after the first quarter, making big plays all night.
Freshman cornerback [autotag]Jay Crawford[/autotag] is going to continue to be a force for this defense… and he is only in his first season. Crawford made the first interception of the night for Tigers, arguably seen as the turning point of the game. He also only allowed a 33% completion rate on six targets for the night.
As for the special teams, [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] made his way back into action for the first time in the 2024 season. While he missed and made one kick each, there is some optimism that he will make a steady return over the course of November.
Auburn returns home to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 2 to welcome Vanderbilt and former New Mexico State quarterback Diego Pavia to town. Kickoff is set for 11:45 a.m. CST and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
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