Tag: Alex McPherson

The Athletic includes two Tigers on Freshman All-American team

The Athletic honors two of Auburn football’s most productive freshmen.

Auburn’s first football season under head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] was deemed successful, as the Tigers are headed to a bowl game.

Part of the Tigers’ success is due to the efforts of two freshmen, kicker [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag]. Their impact on the season has caught the attention of the national media.

The Athletic has released its selections for the 2023 Freshman All-American team and has included McPherson and Faulk in the bunch.

McPherson earned first-team kicker honors after enjoying, literally, a perfect season.

Every time the Tigers sent in McPherson, he delivered. The redshirt freshman from Fort Payne, Ala., went a perfect 13 for 13 on his field goal tries and made all 39 of his extra points while also handling kickoff duties. He converted four kicks of 40-plus yards on the year, with a career-long 53-yarder at Texas A&M.

Faulk is listed as a second-team defensive lineman after recording 32 tackles in his debut season on the Plains, with 2.5 being registered as tackles for loss. The best game of his season took place on Oct. 21 against Ole Miss, when he made six tackles. He was responsible for 17 pressures this season according to Pro Football Focus data.

Auburn has the No. 11 overall class for the 2024 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports. How many future Tigers will occupy next season’s freshman team?

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Three Tigers named to All-SEC Freshmen Team

Auburn’s Alex McPherson, Keldric Faulk, and Connor Lew have been named to the All-SEC Freshmen team.

Three young Auburn Tigers have received All-SEC Honors.

Kicker [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag], edge rusher [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Connor Lew [/autotag] were all named to the All-SEC Freshmen team on Thursday.

McPherson was not only one of the best place-kickers in the country this season, but one of the best kickers period.

The younger brother of Bengals’ kicker Evan McPherson, Alex drilled every single one of his attempts this year, including 13-of-13 field goals and 39-of-39 extra points.

McPherson showed accuracy and power throughout his freshman campaign, connecting on a 53-yard try as well as 3 more attempts from 40-plus yards.

The College Football Network Freshman Kicker of the Year seems ready to continue Auburn’s recent run of strong kickers on the Plains.

Unlike McPherson, [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] and [autotag]Connor Lew[/autotag] weren’t major cogs in head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s lineup until late in the season.

Lew started Auburn’s last five games, earning Freshmen of the week honors in his first start filling in for the injured [autotag]Avery Jones[/autotag] against Mississippi State.

The freshmen ran with the momentum, usurping Jones as the starting center for the final stretch of the season.

Lew helped a solid Tigers offensive line become great, specifically against Alabama in the Iron Bowl, when Auburn rushed for 244 yards against the SEC’s College Football Playoff representative.

Edge rusher [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] was also a late-bloomer for the Tigers in his first season on the plains.

The freshman started the final 7 games of the season for Auburn, collecting 12 of his 32 total tackles in the final three games of the season.

He played an important role in attempting to shut down Alabama quarterback [autotag]Jalen Milroe[/autotag] in the Iron Bowl, and did a decent job for the most part.

These three freshman will enjoy the honor before retunring to practice to prepare for the Music City Bowl against Maryland on December 30 in Nashville.

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Instant analysis: Auburn boatraces Arkansas to earn bowl eligibility

Auburn took control of the game early, and dominated throughout on its way to a 48-10 victory over the Razorbacks.

Arkansas snapped a six-game losing streak last Saturday by upsetting Florida on the road and hoped to keep momentum going this week by hosting Auburn, a team that needed just one win in order to qualify for a bowl game.

From the very beginning, it was evident Auburn wanted to play the role of villain on Saturday. They set the tone early and dominated nearly every aspect of the game throughout. Because of this, they will strut out of Fayetteville with a 48-10 win.

Auburn (6-4, 3-4 SEC) won many categories on Saturday including total yards (519), first downs (32), yards per play (7), and red zone opportunities (7-of-7). The Razorbacks ended with 255 total yards, and they managed to earn just 10 first downs.

Auburn quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] headlined offensive production yet again, as they were responsible for 374 of Auburn’s 517 yards. Thorne passed for 163 yards and three scores while completing 12-of-20 passes. Hunter posted another triple-digit rushing output by gaining 109 yards on 16 carries.

Defensively, the Tigers recorded eight tackles for loss, with five going as sacks. Linebacker [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] was the star of the defense by making nine stops, with three sacks and four tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

The opening quarter was dominated by Auburn, as they outgained the Razorbacks 169-24 en route to a 21-3 lead.

Auburn, or should I say [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], set the tone early by playing a key role in two of Auburn’s three scores. He led his team on a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive which ended with a 12-yard touchdown run to push his team ahead, 7-0 with 12:37 remaining.

He paired up with [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] for the team’s third score of the first quarter with 6:28 remaining. The 11-yard pass pushed Auburn ahead, 21-0. The second score of the quarter for Auburn was a 74-yard punt return by [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag], which took place following Arkansas’ first possession.

The Razorbacks’ lone score came with 1:54 to go in the quarter when kicker Cam Little nailed a 39-yard field goal to cut the Tigers’ lead to 21-3. The score was set up by a Thorne interception that was returned 42 yards by Dwight McGlothern.

The second quarter was not as fast-paced, as [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] was responsible for both scores, a 39-yard field goal and a 31-yard field goal, to give Auburn the 27-3 lead. However, the Tigers still managed to gain 108 yards on 20 plays.

The Tigers’ defense played a key role in Auburn’s wide first-half margin. Auburn limited Arkansas to just 110 total yards, with Razorbacks’ quarterback KJ Jefferson only gaining 103. They also posted five tackles for loss with four sacks through the first half.

Auburn’s 3rd quarter brought flashbacks the the 1st quarter of the game, where the Tigers grabbed command early. Auburn scored 21 points in the quarter and posted 143 yards to expand their lead to 48-3 through three quarters. Thorne threw two more touchdown passes, one to Fairweather and another to [autotag]Ja’varrius Johnson[/autotag]. Running back [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag] entered the chat with 0:14 remaining in the quarter. He rushed from seven yards out for his first touchdown as a Tiger.

The Tigers coasted in the 4th quarter to secure the victory. The lone score in the quarter came with 14:35 in the game when Arkansas quarterback Jacolby Criswell connected with Isaac Teslaa on an 11-yard reception.

Auburn will go for win No. 7 of the season next Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium when they host New Mexico State for the nonconference finale. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on SEC Network.

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First half highlights: Top plays from a dominating first half

Auburn is outplaying Arkansas in every way through one half of play.

Wow, what a first half from the Auburn Tigers.

Auburn entered Saturday’s game at Arkansas needing just one win in order to secure a bowl bid, and are in prime position to do so after one half of play as they lead, 27-3.

The Tigers ended the first half with 216 yards, compared to Arkansas’ 110 yards. There were plenty of players that contributed to Auburn’s high first-half output.

Starting with quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag]. Thorne ends the first half with 205 yards and two total scores. He rushed for a 12-yard touchdown to put Auburn on the board early in the game, and connected with Rivaldo Fairweather for another in the 1st quarter.

Defensively, Auburn was led by [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] with six total tackles. The Tigers recorded four total sacks and five tackles for loss. [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] recorded the lone turnover by falling on a fumble with 0:21 to go in the first half.

[autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] connected on both of his field goal attempts in the 2nd quarter of 39 and 31 respectively.

It was a half to remember. Here are the plays that defined the first half of Auburn’s 27-3 lead over Arkansas.

Alex McPherson named Lou Groza Award semifinalist

He is one of 20 semifinalist for the award.

In his first year as Auburn’s starting kicker, [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] has been named a semifinalist for the 2023 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Thursday.

McPherson is a perfect nine for nine on field goal attempts this season and has also made all 29 of his extra points, both are tied for the top rank in the country.

The three finalists will be selected by more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers. They will be announced on Nov. 28 with a winner announced live on ESPN during the Home Depot College Football Awards on Friday, Dec. 8.

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Music City mash: Tigers crush Vanderbilt for first SEC road win

That’s two wins in a row for the Tigers!

The Auburn Tigers headed to Nashville in hopes of earning their first SEC road win of the season at Vanderbilt. They managed to get the job done, doing so in a dominating fashion.

The Tigers (5-4, 2-4 SEC) outgained the Commodores (2-8, 0-6 SEC), 424-266, and recorded five total sacks on defense in a 31-15 win.

Auburn started fast with two quick scores in the first quarter and pulled away with a solid defensive effort and two third quarter touchdowns.

The big storyline when reflecting on this game, was the quarterback rotation. After spending the first seven weeks of the season splitting time between Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford, head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] elected to give Thorne a majority of the snaps in Auburn’s win over Mississippi State last Saturday. Freeze turned it up a notch in Saturday’s game at Vanderbilt by giving Thorne 100% of the snaps. His day ended with 194 yards and two touchdowns.

Auburn got off to a hot start by jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter.

Vanderbilt put together a solid opening drive that covered 40 yards in nine plays, but it resulted in zero points as Commodores’ kicker Jacob Borcila missed a 43-yard field goal. The missed field goal proved costly as [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] sprinted 67 yards on the second play of Auburn’s ensuing drive to put Auburn on the board, 7-0 with 10:00 remaining in the opening quarter.

Hunter’s incredible run was nearly duplicated two possessions later. Seven minutes after rushing for a 67-yard score, he ran 56 yards to push Auburn’s lead to 14-0 with 3:01 remaining in the quarter. He rushed for 144 yards in last Saturday’s win over Mississippi State, he ended the 1st quarter with 121 yards and two scores on four carries.

Auburn outgained Vanderbilt, 154-83 in the first quarter, with Hunter’s two long runs being the highlights. The Tigers’ defense held both Vanderbilt quarterbacks, Ken Seals and Walter Taylor, to 26 passing yards on five completions.

In a similar fashion to Auburn’s quick 1st quarter start, Vanderbilt had a hot start of their own in the 2nd quarter. On a 3rd down play inside their own five-yard line, Auburn’s [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] threw an interception to Bryce Cowan which was returned for a touchdown. The five-yard pick-six trimmed Auburn’s lead to 14-7 with 12:15 remaining in the first half.

Both teams traded a few possessions throughout the second quarter before another score was added to the board. Auburn’s [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] connected on a 32-yard field goal with 0:20 remaining in the half to give the Tigers the 17-7 halftime lead.

Auburn outgained Vanderbilt, 226-93 in the yards department through one half. Hunter remained Auburn’s top rusher with 131 yards on nine carries while [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag] led the team in receiving with 23 yards on two catches. Thorne completed 10-of-17 passes for 72 yards in the half, completing at least one pass to five different receivers.

Defensively, [autotag]DJ James[/autotag] led the team in tackles with six. As a unit, the defense created two quarterback hurries and two tackles for loss.

After struggling offensively in the 2nd quarter, Auburn made adjustments in the locker room that were immediately felt.

Auburn needed just three plays on their first drive of the 3rd quarter to extend the lead to 24-7. Thorne connected with tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] for a 53-yard score with 13:36 to go in the quarter. Then, just four minutes later, Thorne flipped the football to freshman [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] for a five-yard touchdown pass to bump the lead to 31-7 with 9:44 to go in the 3rd.

The 3rd quarter would also see the Commodores’ first offensive touchdown. With 2:43 to go in the quarter, Seals threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to receiver Junior Sherill to trim Auburn’s lead to 31-15 following a successful two-point conversion play.

The 3rd quarter was Auburn’s best quarter offensively, as they gained 167 total yards. Thorne cracked the 100-yard mark for the third straight game by passing for 167 yards in the quarter, which brought his total up to 194 to that point.

Neither Auburn nor Vanderbilt posted a score in the first quarter, but a late interception by Nehemiah Pritchett sealed the Auburn win.

Hunter led the team in rushing with a season-high 183 rushing yards on 19 carries while Rivaldo Fairweather and Ja’varrius Johnson each recorded 62 receiving yards. Defensively, DJ James led the team in tackles with seven while five sacks were split between Eugene Asante, Zykevious Walker, Austin Keys, Jalen McLeod, Marcus Harris, and Cam Riley.

Auburn will hit the road for the second straight week next Saturday when they visit the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville for a 3 p.m. CT kickoff. The Razorbacks upset Florida on Saturday in overtime, 36-33.

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Instant Analysis: Auburn ends losing streak with win over Mississippi State

A strong first half allowed Auburn to cruise to its first SEC win of the season.

It took five tries, but Hugh Freeze has earned his first SEC win as Auburn’s head coach.

Auburn used a dominating first half to coast past Mississippi State, 27-13, on Saturday afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn (4-4, 1-4 SEC) jumped out to a dominating 24-3 halftime lead after posting 301 total yards. Quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] appeared to be comfortable throughout the game, as he tossed three passing touchdowns in the first half on his way to a 230-yard performance. Mississippi State (4-4, 1-4 SEC) busted for 223 total yards in the second half, but they could not overcome the giant first-half deficit laid out by Auburn.

The Tigers dominated the first quarter by outgaining the Bulldogs, 163-77 en route to a 14-3 lead. Thorne completed eight passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. On the Tigers’ initial drive, he connected with [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag] on a 27-yard pass with 11:38 remaining in the quarter to put the Tigers up, 7-0.

After a Mississippi State field goal on their first possession, Thorne again led Auburn on a 75-yard drive that ended with a 45-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag] to extend the Auburn lead to 14-3. [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] was the Tigers’ leading rusher with 61 yards on six carries.

Auburn added 10 points to their total in the second quarter to take a 24-10 lead into the locker room for halftime. Kicker [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] jumped into the box score by connecting on a 39-yard field goal with 7:18 remaining in the 2nd quarter. The Tigers ended the half on a touchdown connection between Thorne and freshman running back [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] for a seven-yard touchdown pass to extend the Auburn lead to 24-10 with 0:09 remaining.

Auburn’s first half ended with 301 total yards, compared to Mississippi State’s 122-yard output. Thorne ended the half with 192 passing yards and three scores with a completion percentage of 75%. He completed a pass to 11 different receivers in the first half, with [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] hauling in three passes for 22 yards. Defensively, Keionte Scott and [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] recorded five tackles each. Asante and [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] had a tackle for loss.

The third quarter was rather quiet, as both teams traded field goals. Mississippi State’s Kyle Ferrie nailed his second field goal of the day from 40 yards with 9:10 to go in the quarter. McPherson answered with 3:14 to go in the 3rd quarter to extend Auburn’s lead to 27-6. Thorne added 32 yards to his passing total in the quarter to break the 200-yard mark for the second time this season.

State opened the 4th quarter by scoring their first touchdown of the game. Wright found Zavion Thomas from 14 yards away on the first play of the quarter to trim Auburn’s lead to 27-13. Mississippi State had a chance to cut the lead even more, but a fourth down attempt from the Auburn 13-yard line did not work in their favor, allowing Auburn to run out the clock.

Auburn outgained Mississippi State, 416-345. Thorne completed 20 passes to 11 different receivers, with Rivaldo Fairweather making four catches for 31 yards. Yardage-wise, Ja’Varrius Johnson led the team with 59 yards on two catches. Hunter’s day ended with 144 yards, which goes down as his first 100-yard game of the season.

Defensively, [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] led the team in tackles with nine, while [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] recorded two tackles for loss. [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] recorded his second interception in as many games in the 4th quarter.

Auburn will go for their second SEC win of the season next week on the road at Vanderbilt. The Tigers and Commodores will face off at FirstBank Stadium next Saturday at 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

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Instant Analysis: Auburn has no answer for Jayden Daniels, LSU offense

Auburn could not keep up with LSU’s high-octane offense in their 48-18 loss on Saturday night.

The final game between Auburn and No. 20 LSU for the foreseeable future could not have gone more horribly for the orange-and-blue-clad Tigers.

Auburn struggled to keep up with LSU’s high-octane offense as they were outgained 563-293 in their 48-14 loss to the Bayou Bengals at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Auburn had to pluck many thorns out of its side on Saturday night, but the biggest of all was LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who accounted for 418 total yards and three touchdowns. He connected with eight different receivers, with his top targets being Malik Nabors and Kyren Lacy. Nabors hauled in six passes for 89 yards, while Lacy reeled in 111 receiving yards on four catches.

Auburn struggled in the passing game on Saturday, as [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] was able to connect on just 55% of his passes. [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] completed three of four passes for 52 yards. All three of Ashford’s completions were to tight end [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag]. The visiting Tigers gained 139 yards of rushing, with neither of Auburn’s five rushers gaining more than 69 yards a piece.

Defensively, [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] led the team in tackles with 12.

LSU struck first on a Daniels touchdown pass to Nabors with 13:21 remaining in the first quarter. The scoring drive ended quickly, as it needed just four plays and 75 yards to complete.

After an Auburn punt, LSU used an 11-play drive to extend their lead to 10-0. Damian Ramos’ 30-yard field goal capped a 66-yard drive with 6:39 remaining in the opening quarter.

The final score of the first quarter came with 2:15 remaining when LSU running back John Emery Jr. scored from two yards away to extend the Bayou Bengals’ lead to 17-0. LSU outgained Auburn, 216-45 in the first quarter, and split their passing and rushing output in half, gaining 109 yards in both categories.

Auburn’s luck quickly changed, as they were the first team to score in the second quarter. Auburn completed an eight-play, 75-yard drive that began in the 1st quarter with a two-yard rush by [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag]. Auburn cut into LSU’s lead, 17-7, with 14:22 remaining in the first half.

LSU scored on its fourth possession with 10:21 remaining in the half thanks to Ramos’ second field goal of the game. He connected on a 35-yard field goal to extend LSU’s lead to 20-7. That score would hold as both teams entered the locker room at halftime.

Auburn’s first drive of the second half had promise but fizzled out at the LSU 20-yard line. Auburn drove 55 yards in seven plays, but Ashford was sacked on third down, which forced them to kick a field goal. [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] connected on a 38-yard field goal to trim LSU’s lead to 20-10 with 11:35 to go in the 3rd quarter.

As LSU has repeatedly done, they responded to Auburn’s score with one of their own. Following Auburn’s field goal, Daniels tossed his second touchdown pass of the game with 8:00 remaining in the 3rd quarter. His connection with Kyren Lacy pushed LSU ahead, 27-10.

It would not take long for LSU to extend their lead. Five minutes after linking with Lacy, Daniels threw his third touchdown pass of the night to Josh Williams to push the LSU lead to 34-10 late in the 3rd quarter.

Auburn’s 4th quarter started similarly to its 2nd quarter, with a quick touchdown. Ashford connected with Frazier for the third time with 14:56 remaining in the game, but the first for a score. The three-yard score cut into LSU’s lead, 34-18.

LSU’s next score came with 8:51 remaining in the game. Running back Logan Diggs scored his first touchdown of the game from five yards out to extend the Tigers’ lead to 41-18. Diggs ended the game with 97 yards on 18 carries. The final blow would come with 2:28 remaining in the game when Josh Daniels ran one yard to push the lead to 48-18.

Auburn’s hunt for its first SEC win of the season will continue next week at Jordan-Hare Stadium when the Tigers host No. 13 Ole Miss. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be televised by ESPN.

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Instant Analysis: Late score plagues Auburn in loss to No. 1 Georgia

Georgia put the final nail in the coffin with 2:52 remaining in the game to sneak out of Jordan-Hare with a rivalry win.

For three quarters, the Auburn Tigers matched the pace of the nation’s top team.

It took No. 1 Georgia nearly the entire game to put the nail in the coffin but did so with 2:52 remaining in the game. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck connected with tight end Brock Bowers for a 40-yard touchdown pass to secure the 27-20 victory on Saturday afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn.

Georgia (5-0, 2-0 SEC) outgained Auburn (3-2, 0-2 SEC) 275-134 in the second half, and outscored the Tigers 17-10 to pull away for the win. Bowers was a key component in Georgia’s second-half surge. He caught eight passes for 157 yards and a score in the win after securing just two catches for nine yards in the first half.

Entering Saturday’s game, Auburn had failed to score in the first quarter in three straight games. That all changed when the Tigers dropped 10 points on Georgia in Saturday’s opening quarter.

Auburn’s first score would come off the legs of [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag], who ended an eight-play, 84-yard drive with a 27-yard field goal to put Auburn ahead, 3-0 at the 6:04 mark. Auburn struck again with 2:00 remaining in the quarter when [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] rushed from five yards out to extend the Tigers’ lead to 10-0.  The touchdown drive was set up by [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag]’s fourth interception of the season.

It would not take long for Georgia to strike back. With 11:50 remaining in the 2nd quarter, Georgia’s Dijuan Edwards scampered into the end zone from two yards out to cut into Auburn’s lead, 10-7. The drive was Georgia’s longest at that point, covering 56 yards on 11 plays.

Auburn’s defense allowed Georgia to gain 61 yards on their next drive but ended with a win as they forced the Bulldogs to kick a field goal. Peyton Woodring’s 37-yard attempt tied the game at 10-10 with 5:57 remaining in the first half.

Auburn’s strong first-half start continued into the second half, as they forced a turnover on the first play of the 3rd quarter. [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] fell on the football at the Georgia 32-yard line to put the ball back into his team’s hands.

The Tigers needed just two plays to make Georgia pay for the turnover. Robby Ashford rushed nine yards to paydirt to extend Auburn’s lead to 17-10 with 13:31 in the quarter. Ashford rushed for 27 yards in Auburn’s 32-yard drive.

Auburn’s defense held strong until the waning minutes of the 3rd quarter. Georgia pieced together a 10-play, 98-yard drive to tie the game at 17-17 with 1:03 to go in the quarter. The headlining play was a 29-yard pass from Beck to Brock Bowers, which set up a 13-yard touchdown rush by Edwards on the very next play.

Georgia grabbed their first lead of the game with 10:57 remaining in the game on a 38-yard field goal by Woodring. McPherson answered with 6:21 remaining to set the score at 20-20 by nailing a 42-yarder.

The final nail in the coffin was driven in by Bowers with 2:52 remaining in the game. He hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Beck to push Georgia ahead for good, 27-20.

Auburn enters the bye week with a 3-2 record, and 0-2 in SEC play. On the other side of the bye week is SEC West rival, No. 12 LSU. Kickoff and broadcast information will be announced Monday morning.

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Instant Analysis: Auburn falls victim to Texas A&M’s second half explosion, drops SEC opener

A tight first half defensive battle turned into an Texas A&M offensive clinic on Saturday.

Auburn’s SEC opener against Texas A&M began as a defensive battle before ultimately turning into a second-half offensive clinic by the Aggies.

Texas A&M outgained Auburn 281-81 in the second half to pull away and earn a 20-10 win over Auburn at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.

Leading 6-3 at halftime, Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) owned a small advantage in the yards department, 121-112. Auburn (3-1, 0-1 SEC) held the advantage in rushing with 66 yards while Texas A&M passed for 70 yards.

In the second half, Aggies quarterback Max Johnson stepped up for the injured Conner Weigman and threw for two quick touchdowns in the third quarter to create separation in the second half.

Texas A&M scored on their first drive, but it was a win for Auburn. The Aggies only gained 46 yards on the initial drive with [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] recording a tackle for loss. The Aggies jumped out to a 3-0 lead with 9:23 to go in the first quarter.

The Aggies’ next drive provided trouble for Auburn, but the defense turned up intensity within the red zone, thus forcing Texas A&M to kick another field goal. Texas A&M extended their lead to 6-0 with 5:31 remaining in the 1st quarter on a 32-yard field goal by Randy Bond. The key play of the drive was a 36-yard rush by Texas A&M running back Le’Veon Moss to set them up at the Auburn 23-yard line.

An otherwise successful drive turned into a near disaster for Auburn on their second possession. Running backs [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] and [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] combined to rush for 45 yards on the drive before a supposed fumble was recovered by Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper and turned into a 63-yard touchdown. However, after video review, it was determined that [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] attempted a forward pass to Alston, which fell incomplete. The drive ended with an Auburn punt.

Auburn’s only points of the half came in the final seconds when [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] nailed a 53-yard field goal to cut into Texas A&M’s lead, 6-3.

The third quarter got off to a great start for Texas A&M. Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman was ruled out for the second half due to an injury he suffered late in the first half. Max Johnson stepped in and ended his first drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to his brother, Jake, to push Texas A&M to a 13-3 lead with 9:42 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Johnson would connect on all three passes in his first drive for 44 yards.

Johnson extended the Aggies’ lead again with his second passing score of the game with 6:22 remaining in the quarter. He connected with wide receiver Evan Stewart from 37 yards out to advance Texas A&M’s score to 20-3.

Auburn’s first touchdown of the game would occur with 12:16 remaining in the contest. [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] forced Aggies running back Reuben Owens to fumble, with the ball ultimately landing in the hands of [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag]. Asante would return the turnover 67 yards to cut Texas A&M’s lead to 20-10.

The final blow from Texas A&M came with 3:59 remaining in the game when Le’Veon Moss scored from four yards away to push Texas A&M to a 27-10 lead.

Auburn looks to bounce back next Saturday against No. 1 Georgia. The next edition of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry will commence at 2:30 p.m. CT and will be televised live on CBS.

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