What did we learn from Auburn’s loss to Arkansas?

Auburn Wire’s Tyler Raley breaks down Auburn’s loss to Arkansas from his point of view.

The Auburn Tigers have put themselves in a very tough position heading into the rest of the season with a lot of concern being voiced by their fanbase.

The Tigers saw the turnover bug become a huge problem in their 24-14 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, making them 0-1 in conference action.

Much like the loss to California, the shining moments that Auburn had in this contest were few and far between. Now, both the offense and defense have major questions to answer if better performance is going to come.

Here is what we learned about the Tigers after the loss.

The most obvious component of this game was the large amount of turnovers from around the offense, but especially the quarterback play. [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] made his second start of the season after a brilliant outing against New Mexico and threw three interceptions in the midst of the team’s five turnovers, with the other two coming from a [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] interception and a [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] fumble that cost the team a touchdown.

Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] expressed his frustrations in the loss, discussing how they need to give themselves more of a chance with wide open receivers running all over the field instead of turning it over.

The rushing attack gave itself a chance and seems to be getting more comfortable as the season progresses. However, the receiving corps seems to be on the opposite end, dropping many passes that need to be caught in order for Auburn to have success.

[autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] is turning out to be an amazing pickup in the portal, tallying five catches for 156 yards and both touchdowns in the game.

The defense is about as confusing as anyone could make it out to be. It has four interceptions over the last few games, meaning the aggressiveness is increasing.

The other side to this is that the Tigers are giving up way too many third down conversions to opponents. While they have only allowed 37.3% (25 of 67) of third downs this season, they gave up nine on Saturday, including a 58-yard heave in the third quarter to give Arkansas the lead.

With that in mind, the defense must get off the field on third down in order to possibly give the offense some momentum and string together quality plays.

Auburn looks to bounce back next week as it finishes off a five-game home stand with a matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners.

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Gallery: Arkansas topples Auburn, 24-14

Here are the best images from Auburn’s tough loss to Arkansas on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn football welcomed Arkansas to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the 2024 SEC opener on Saturday and walked out disappointed.

The Tigers committed five turnovers, including four interceptions in its 24-14 loss to Arkansas.

After a successful first career start last Saturday vs. New Mexico, quarterback [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] was benched following his first-half performance, which saw him complete 7-of-12 passes for 72 yards and three interceptions. [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] provided a shot in the arm to the Auburn offense by passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns with one interception during the second half. Thorne completed touchdown passes of 10 yards and 67 yards to [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] in the game.

Defensively, [autotag]Jerrin Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Dorian Mausi[/autotag] led the team in tackles with eight while [autotag]Sylvester Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] each picked off passes from Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green.

Overall, Saturday was disappointing for the Tigers. However, there were plenty of great photos taken of the action. Here are the best photos from Auburn’s 24-14 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday.

Instant analysis: Auburn falls to Arkansas in a turnover-ridden affair

Auburn turned the ball over five times in its 24-14 loss to Arkansas on Saturday.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] had high hopes of leading his team to an SEC-opening win over Arkansas on Saturday, with quarterback Hank Brown playing a major role in the outcome.

However, it was proven that Brown may not be ready for the bright lights of SEC competition.

Brown struggled in his first start against an SEC opponent by completing just 7-of-13 passes for 72 yards and three interceptions in the first half. The turnovers did not stop with Brown as [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], who took over the offense in the 2nd half, also threw an interception in the contest.

In all, Auburn committed five turnovers on Saturday, leading to a 24-14 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.

Auburn (2-2, 0-1 SEC) picked up momentum in the second half after trailing Arkansas (3-1, 1-0 SEC) 7-0 at halftime.  Thorne put Auburn on the board with 5:44 remaining in the 3rd quarter when he connected with [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] on a 10-yard pass to tie the game at 7-7. Thorne capped the 77-yard drive by connecting with Lambert-Smith on two passes for 64 yards, with the first connection going for 54 yards. Arkansas regained momentum on the next drive when quarterback Taylen Green found Isaiah Satenga from 58 yards out to score a Hail Mary-style touchdown to regain the lead, 14-7, with 2:03 to go in the quarter.

The team’s traded scores again in the 4th quarter. Arkansas kicker Kyle Ramsey nailed a 43-yard field goal to open the final stanza and to put the Razorbacks up, 17-7 with 12:04 to go. Auburn responded by converting a 4th down and 2 with a 67-yard connection between Thorne and Lambert-Smith trimmed Arkansas’ lead to 17-14 with less than 10 minutes remaining.

The dagger was delivered by the Razorbacks with 3:42 remaining in the game when running back Ja’Quinden Jackson scored from one yard away to extend Arkansas’ lead to 24-14.

The first half featured less-than-expected fireworks as the Razorbacks carried a 7-0 lead into the locker room. The Tigers held an advantage in the yards department, out-gaining the Razorbacks 173-164, but four turnovers plagued the Tigers’ chances of scoring in the first half.

After a scoreless first quarter, Arkansas struck first on the first play of the 2nd quarter when running back Ja’Quinden Jackson rushed from one yard out to push Arkansas ahead, 7-0, completing a 15-play, 81-yard drive that took 7:05 off the clock.

Auburn had several chances to score late in the 2nd quarter, but a fumble by Damari Alston was recovered in the end zone, thus erasing a 36-yard run and a potential Auburn score with 1:58 remaining in the quarter. Brown then completed a 25-yard pass to [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] to give Auburn a 1st down at the Razorbacks’ 27-yard line but threw an interception on the next play to kill the threat.

Next up for Auburn is a contest with the No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners for the final installment in a stretch of five home games. Kickoff is scheduled for next Saturday, Sept. 28 at either 2:30 or 3:15 p.m. CT

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Brian’s Column: Auburn’s program needs a direction and it starts with a change at quarterback.

Auburn has an opportunity to discover a quarterback on the current roster that can lead what should be a much more talented team next season and beyond

“Every Rose Has Its Thorne.”

The 1988 song by Poison still rings true in many aspects of life today. Unfortunately for the Auburn Tigers, the sentiment of the metaphor has become much more literal than [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and his coaching staff would have liked. Auburn’s head coach has spent his first year-plus on the Plains recruiting, and bringing in, flashy weapons that inherently should give his offense the ability to blossom in a very competitive SEC.

That has not happened. Much like a rose needs a strong stem to become an ascetically pleasing product, an offense needs a strong quarterback. Payton Thorne has the talent and experience to be the stem that supports players like [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], and [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] but for whatever reason, it has not happened.

Auburn’s “QB1” was given a long leash in 2023. It was the first year for not only him, but for Hugh Freeze and his contingent of transfer portal plug-ins and coaching staff hold overs as well. Freeze is now in year two. Many of the Tigers playing every Saturday were brought in by him, or kept by him. Excuses are running thin.

This football team should not be losing as near-two-touchdown favorites at home in the second game of the season. The talent is there. While fingers can be pointed, small problems can be “duct-taped”, and low expectations can be used to justify poor performance, at some point, Auburn’s football program needs to be moving in an upward trajectory. One can argue it’s been almost five years since the figurative graph describing the Tiger program has pointed skyward.

Hugh Freeze’s recruiting prowess cannot be discarded. Auburn has a top seven class coming to the Loveliest Village next season and a top three on the way in 2026. There is no denying the realizable significant impact those classes could have on this football team. The issue is, as it continues to be with Hugh Freeze, none of the 30+ high schoolers currently committed to wear orange and blue during their college years play the quarterback position.

The Tigers do have an affluence of highly-touted signal-callers on the current roster however, and while Auburn’s leading man has continuously clamored that none have out performed his transfer portal senior in practice, at some point games have to matter. Redshirt freshmen Hank Brown, true freshman Walker White, and sophomore Holden Geriner have years of eligibility left and the ability to learn this Auburn offense through game action as soon as this week against New Mexico.

All three members of the trio may not be a better option than Payton Thorne, at least in the immediate future, but they have youth and upside on their side which the current starting quarterback simply does not have. Auburn’s coaching staff knows what Payton Thorne is and what he is going to be. The 23-year-old is a solid quarterback that is plagued by inconsistency reading a defense and below-average pocket presence.

It’s very possible Hank Brown could end up being the same player, or a worse player, than Payton Thorne. Now is the time to find out. Continuously trotting out a senior in an already somewhat lost season doesn’t do anything for the Auburn program but keep it in limbo.

Auburn has an opportunity to discover a quarterback on the current roster who can lead what should be a much more talented team next season and beyond. Payton Thorne will not be a Tiger in 2025. It’s time to find out what you have in Brown, White, and Geriner before this same situation arises a year from now.

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Instant Analysis: Turnovers plague Auburn in loss to California

Five Auburn turnovers led to 14 California points in the Bears’ 21-14 win over Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The confidence that Auburn built in its season-opening win over Alabama A&M last week quickly dissipated on Saturday as it dropped its first game of the 2024 season in a turnover-ridden affair.

A second-quarter interception by [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and a stripped ball in the fourth quarter led to 14 California points in the Golden Bears 21-14 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.

Each team traded scores in the first quarter. Cal (2-0, 0-0 ACC) gained momentum in the second quarter thanks to Nohl Williams’ interception of Thorne with 12:15 in the first half. Cal capitalized with a three-play drive to score the go-ahead touchdown. Cal’s Fernando Mendoza connected with Nyziah Hunter to move the Bears ahead of Auburn (1-1, 0-0 SEC), 14-7. Cal took advantage of a stripped ball in the early stages of the fourth quarter by turning it into seven points to extend its lead to 21-7.

Thorne scampered into the end zone with 6:06 to go in the game to help Auburn cut into Cal’s lead, 21-14. However, the Tigers did not find the end zone past that point.

Auburn avoided disaster in its first possession. On the game’s second play, Thorne threw a pass intended for running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] that was initially ruled an interception and returned for a touchdown by the Cal defense. However, after review, it was determined that the pass hit the ground before bouncing into the hands of a Bear defender.

The review worked in Auburn’s favor as the drive ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Thorne to [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] to push Auburn ahead, 7-0, with 11:42 to go in the first period.

Cal responded by scoring touchdowns on two of its next three drives to take a 14-7 lead into halftime. The Bears held onto the ball for over 10 minutes longer than Auburn in the first half and outgained the Tigers, 222-178.

The third quarter saw both teams alternate five possessions with punts, with Cal capping the quarter with an interception of Thorne, their second of the day. Luckily for Auburn, Cal kicker Ryan Coe missed his 55-yard field goal attempt wide right on the ensuing possession to keep the score 14-7 with 12:55 remaining in the game.

The first play following the missed field goal, Cal’s Teddye Buchanan stripped the football away from Hunter to regain possession. Two plays later, Jaivian Thomas rushed 32 yards to the end zone to extend the Bears’ lead to 21-7 with 11:27 remaining in the contest.

In all, Auburn committed five turnovers in the loss, with Thorne tossing four interceptions. California outgained Auburn, 332-286 and limited Auburn’s pass-driven offense to 153 yards. Freshman [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] led all receivers by hauling in two passes for 53 yards. Auburn’s defense allowed Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza to complete 25 passes to nine different receivers for 223 yards.

Next up for Auburn is a home tilt with New Mexico on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.

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Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs. Cal

Will a deeper dive into the tale of the tape show Cal has a higher chance of stalling Auburn’s momentum on the Plains than the experts believe?

The Auburn Tigers (1-0) take on ACC opponent California (1-0) on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn comes into the matchup fresh off a 73-3 beatdown of FCS in-state “rival” Alabama A&M, while the Golden Bears took care of business in their opener as well, taking down UC Davis 31-13.

Hugh Freeze’s Tigers played about the most efficient game they could in week one. The new-look and heavily improved offense managed 9 touchdowns and a field goal, taking 6 plays or less on every single scoring drive. While the output was heavily impressive, Cal’s defense is sure to provide more resistance than the Bulldogs did a week ago.

Still, sports books like Auburn’s chances of improving to 2-0 on the young season, as the Tigers are favored by 12.5 points on BetMGM.

ESPN FPI likes the Tigers chances of staying undefeated as well, as the system gives Hugh Freeze’s squad an 81.4% chance to play well enough for the Auburn faithful to roll Toomers Corner after the dust has settled.

Will a deeper dive into the tale of the tape show Cal has a higher chance of stalling Auburn’s momentum on the Plains than the experts believe? As we always, we’ll start by looking at the quarterbacks.

Auburn senior Payton Thorne played arguably his best game as a Tiger in week one. The former Michigan State Spartan threw for 322 yards and 4 touchdowns in the win over Alabama A&M, despite completing just 13 passes. The Naperville, IL native showed how well he can perform with solid playmakers around him during his time with Kenneth Walker II in East Lansing, and Tiger fans got a peak at his ceiling in last week’s victory.

On the other side, Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza comes into 2024 fresh off of a solid second-half performance to end last season. The redshirt sophomore did not play in last season’s Cal-Auburn matchup in Berkeley, but he took over the starting quarterback job shortly after and has been given the keys to the offense ever since. The former Miami Hurricane wasn’t fantastic in week one, but he was good enough to help the Golden Bears earn the win. In total, Mendoza completed 15 of 22 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown.

With the experience and the dual-threat ability on the side of Payton Thorne, Auburn earns the clear edge in the quarterback battle heading into this matchup on the Plains. As for the skill position battle, the talent gap is closer, but still leans in the direction of the Tigers.

Cal running back Jaydn Ott is an electric 6-foot, 200-pound playmaker with 4.46 40-speed and a nose for the end zone. The junior managed 70 yards and a touchdown when these programs matched up a year ago, but took 20 carries to get there. The problem, at least for the Golden Bears, is the talent on the offensive side is almost completely funneled through Ott. Last season’s leading receiver, Jeremiah Hunter, is now playing his football for Washington. Cal does return junior Trond Grizzell and sophomore Jack Endries, who combined for almost 900 receiving yards in 2023, but the room is fairly barren after that.

On the other side, Auburn features running back Jarquez Hunter, who is not far behind Cal tail back Jaydn Ott in terms of sheer talent. After Hunter, Auburn’s pass catchers simply have more talent and big-play ability than their Golden Bear counterparts. [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith,[/autotag] [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], and Malcolm Simmons combined for 6 touchdowns and 315 receiving yards in week one. That output is almost double that of Cal’s entire passing attack as it currently stands.

With Robert Lewis and Rivaldo Fairweather in the fold as well, Auburn’s skill position players have a major edge over Cal’s in this game.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Tigers have the edge as well. Although Cal’s defense is solid, Auburn features possibly the best linebacker tandem in the SEC with Eugene Asante and Jalen McLeod. The Tigers were on the field for nearly 80% of the week one win and managed to hold Alabama A&M out of the end zone. Cal on the other hand let up 13 points to UC Davis. The Golden Bears best defensive player from a season ago, safety Patrick McMorris, now plays in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins. Their best linebacker from 2023, Kaleb Elarms-Orr, now plays his college football at TCU.

Auburn lost some pieces as well, but the Tigers were able to re-tool much better in 2024 than their counterparts from the west coast.

After taking a look at the tale of the tape, it’s clear Auburn has the edge in this rematch of Power 5 programs. While Cal nearly beat the Tigers a season ago, the home-field advantage and changes in personnel on both sides give Auburn the clear edge in the rematch on Saturday.

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Auburn stays put at No. 12 in SEC Power Poll after opening night victory

Despite the emphatic statement victory, most experts still believe the Tigers are a long way from contending for an SEC title.

The Auburn Tigers collected one of the best wins in the college football world on Saturday night, as the offense hummed their way to 73 points in a 70-point shellacking on in-state opponent Alabama A&M. Despite the emphatic statement victory, most experts still believe the Tigers are well on the outside looking in when it comes to competing for an SEC Championship.

This sentiment held true for Tuscaloosa News’s SEC writer Chase Goodbread, who ranked the Tigers at the No. 12 spot in his SEC power poll after week one. Even after the Auburn’s new-look offense had their way with an inferior opponent, the Tigers rank ahead of only South Carolina (16), Mississippi State (15), Arkansas (14), and Vanderbilt (13) on the list.

After telling fans he needed to see explosive sparks from Auburn’s new offense last week, he warns that the Tigers could be on upset alert this week against ACC opponent Cal, making it fairly clear he was not convinced after [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], and [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] tore up an inferior Alabama A&M defense in week one.

It is important to remember Alabama A&M was a 45-point underdog in Jordan-Hare a week ago. 315 combined receiving yards from the quartet of Simmons, Lambert-Smith, Coleman, and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] was a fantastic first step, but experts will need to see success against better competition before claiming the Tigers offense as top notch.

Payton Thorne and company have the opportunity to prove week one wasn’t a fluke as soon as this Saturday when Auburn hosts Power four opponent Cal from Jordan-Hare stadium. Another assertive win could push [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s squad closer to the top of Goodbread’s poll.

Currently, the top five consists of Georgia (1), Texas (2), Alabama (3), Ole Miss (4), and Tennessee (5). While a win this week is unlikely to leapfrog Auburn near the top, it could help them fly by Florida (11) and Texas A&M (10), who both lost in week one.

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What did we learn from Auburn’s victory over Alabama A&M?

Auburn fans have plenty to be optimistic about this season after a stellar showing against Alabama A&M on Saturday night.

Auburn football had a lot of questions to answer heading into the 2024 season, but many fans got an early feeling of how they would be answered on Saturday night.

The Tigers posted a dominant week one 73-3 victory over the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, tying the most points Auburn has scored since 2003.

There were many loud moments in this game, many of which came in the first half from the new receiving corps.

After all the action was said and done in Jordan-Hare Stadium, here is what we learned about this Tigers squad after the victory.

For starters, the group of new wideouts that head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] brought in will put opposing defenses in a lot of trouble if they are not defended correctly.

All six of Auburn’s receiving touchdowns last night were from players not on the roster last season. Transfer [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] led the crew with two of his own, including a 67-yard bomb early in the first quarter.

Connected to that, quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] was composed throughout the entire game.

While this game was against an FCS opponent, what fans hardly ever saw last year was Thorne throw the ball up with ease and have the confidence to hit a receiver in stride. He finished 13-for-21 with 322 yards and four touchdowns on the night.

Tying the offense together, having the depth from the skill positions helped everyone to stay fresh. Freeze constantly pushed a different rotation of receivers and running backs on the field in order to get players rested and not have fatigue in the heat and humidity of the early season.

As for the defense, the tackling has easily improved from 2023 and [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] is going to lead the front four both vocally and physically.

McLeod posted five tackles on the night, with two being tackles-for-loss and one was a sack. He was one of four players to post four or more tackles on the night.

While no turnovers were forced, the physicality is there. The defensive front constantly forced Bulldogs quarterback Cornelious Brown IV into bad decisions due to the pressure it brought.

All of these things will need to be in full motion next week when the Tigers welcome the California Golden Bears to town after beating them last year in Berkeley, 14-10.

From the look of things though, fans have a lot to be optimistic about after an impressive showing on the Plains.

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The best images from Auburn football’s 73-3 win over Alabama A&M

Auburn football kicked off the 2024 season with a massive win over the Alabama A&M Bulldogs on Saturday

Auburn football kicked off the 2024 campaign with a strong 73-3 win over Alabama A&M at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The Tigers set the tone of the game early thanks to a 34-yard touchdown rush by [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] with 14:13 remaining in the 1st quarter. Auburn would score three more times in the opening stanza, all via the pass from quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag].

Passing was the name of the game for Auburn as Thorne and backup [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] combined to complete 64% of their passes for 451 yards and six touchdowns. A total of 10 different receivers recorded a reception in the win, with freshman [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] leading the charge with three catches for 91 yards and a score. Penn State transfer [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] led the team in receiving touchdowns with two.

There were many memorable moments in Auburn’s season-opening win, take a look back at some of the best by checking out this photo gallery.

Instant analysis: Revamped passing game shines in Auburn’s season-opening win over Alabama A&M

Auburn receivers lived up to expectations in the Tigers 73-3 win over Alabama A&M on Saturday.

Auburn football fans entered the 2024 season hoping to see new life within the passing game.

Through one game, it is safe to say that quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and the Tigers’ receivers lived up to fans’ expectations.

Thorne and backup quarterback [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] combined to complete 18-of-28 passes for 451 yards and six touchdowns in Auburn’s 73-3 victory over Alabama A&M. The duo combined to connect with 10 different receivers.

After [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag]’s 34-yard touchdown run with 14:13 in the 1st quarter, Auburn went on to record four receiving touchdowns over its next six drives. On the Tigers’ ensuing possession, Thorne connected with Penn State transfer [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] on a 67-yard pass to push Auburn ahead, 14-0 with 12:47 remaining in the opening quarter. Thorne and Lambert-Smith hooked up again later in the quarter on a 4-yard touchdown pass. In-between Thorne and Lambert-Smith’s connections, freshman [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] hauled in his first collegiate pass for a 44-yard touchdown to push the Tigers ahead, 21-0.

Thorne’s final passing score of the night came with 10:10 remaining in the first half when he found another true freshman, [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], for a 70-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 38-0. Thorne passed the torch to Brown after calling his own number for a four-yard rush to give Auburn the 45-3 lead with 3:22 in the 2nd quarter.

Brown picked up where Thorne left off by throwing two touchdown passes of over 35 yards. He found freshman [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] for a 57 yard score and later connected with Cal transfer [autotag]Sam Jackson V[/autotag] from 37 yards out. Brown’s home debut concluded after passing for 96 yards and two scores.

[autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] finished the game by leading Auburn’s final drive that lasted five plays, 36 yards. However, it resulted in a lost fumble.

Three Auburn receivers recorded over 80 yards of receptions: Malcolm Simmons (91 yards), Perry Thompson (82), and KeAndre Lambert-Smith (80). Cam Coleman logged 62 yards on two catches with a touchdown in his highly-anticipated debut.

Auburn football kicks off the 2024 season with a 1-0 record. Next week, the Tigers will look to remain unbeaten by hosting Cal at Jordan-Hare Stadium for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff.

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