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Cam Coleman made the most of his opportunities in win over ULM

Coleman set several personal records on Saturday, leading Auburn to a 48-14 win over ULM.

Freshman wide receiver [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] signed with Auburn in hopes of becoming the top target for Tiger quarterbacks. However, he has been unable to produce top target-caliber numbers.

That changed Saturday in Auburn’s 48-14 win over ULM at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Coleman shattered his personal records in the game by hauling in eight catches for 100 yards and three scores. Before Saturday’s game, Coleman had not caught more than four passes for over 82 yards and had scored just twice.

After the game, Coleman told the media that he was thankful to be in position to make several plays in the win.

“It felt good because every opportunity I get, I’m going to make the best of it,” Coleman said postgame. “So, every opportunity that came my way, I was just making the best of it because there’s no telling when the ball is going to come back to you. You’ve got to make the best of every opportunity.”

Coleman’s production impressed several of his teammates as well, including quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag]. Three of Thorne’s five touchdown passes went to Coleman, which has built confidence between the two. Thorne complemented Coleman’s big day, and expects even greater feats from him in the future.

“He did a really good job today. He only needed one hand (to score his final touchdown), so that was sweet,” Thorne said. “He is a great athlete, and it’s fun playing with him. These young guys have a long career ahead of them. I’m sure he will keep working. That is all he does, so more and more of those plays will show up for him.”

After the performance, Coleman has now reeled in 23 passes for 392 yards and five scores. He is third on the team in yards behind [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] (761) and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] (412), and trails just Lambert-Smith (8) in touchdown receptions.

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In photos: Auburn tops ULM to earn fourth win of season

Take a look at the best photos from Auburn’s memorable win over ULM on Saturday.

Auburn football earned its fourth win of the season on Saturday, taking down ULM 48-14 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.

Auburn played an efficient game by gaining 507 yards and committing zero penalties. The Tigers also converted 26 first downs while going 12-of-17 on third-down opportunities.

The win will end on a historic game as several players have reached personal records. Running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] became the first player since [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] in 2021 to get the 1,000-yard mark in rushing after earning 102 yards on 14 carries. He now has 1,015 yards on the season.

Wide receiver [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] had the best game of his young career by making eight catches for 100 yards and three scores, all personal highs. Quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] also logged five touchdown passes, the highest of his career.

Saturday’s win was impressive. Here is a look back at the best images from Auburn’s 48-14 win over ULM on Saturday.

Instant analysis: Cam Coleman, Auburn dominates ULM to return to win column

The freshman receiver logs 100 yards and three touchdowns in Auburn’s record-setting win over ULM.

Auburn football fans have waited all season for a breakout game from freshman wide receiver [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag]. On Saturday, it finally occurred.

Coleman broke several season highs on Saturday by logging eight catches for 100 yards and three touchdowns in Auburn’s 48-14 win over ULM on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.

Ahead of Saturday’s game, Coleman’s best game was a three-catch, 82-yard game vs. Oklahoma in September. He reeled in four catches in Auburn’s win over Kentucky on Oct. 26 and had recorded just two touchdown receptions. He blew past those numbers on Saturday to headline a record-breaking day for several Tigers.

In addition to Coleman’s epic day, Auburn running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time in his career after rushing for 102 yards on 14 carries. Quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] also tossed five touchdown passes, which ties a single-game program record.

Auburn dominated ULM in several categories in the first half, including yards, first downs, red zone opportunities, and tackles for loss. The Tigers out-gained ULM 292-70 through the first 30 minutes, which included a 188-yard passing effort from Thorne. Thorne completed 16-of-24 passes with just under 50% of his completions to Coleman, who logged seven catches for 78 yards and two scores.

Auburn ended the day with 507 total yards, including 304 yards through the air. On the otherside, Auburn’s defense allowed ULM to gain just 218 yards and held them to 2-of-12 on third down opportunities.

The Tigers took control of the scoreboard early in the 1st quarter when Thorne connected with Coleman for a 20-yard touchdown reception with 10:57 remaining. Following a field goal from Birmingham Southern transfer [autotag]Ian Vachon[/autotag] with 5:21 in the 1st quarter to extend Auburn’s lead to 10-0, the pair teamed up again for a three-yard touchdown pass at the 7:44 mark in the 2nd quarter to put Auburn ahead, 17-0.

The final score of the first half occurred with 0:06 to go in the 2nd quarter when Thorne found [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] for a 30-yard touchdown reception to push Auburn to a 24-0 halftime lead.

ULM started the 3rd quarter by finding the scoreboard on a one-yard rush by running back Ahmad Hardy at the 8:09 mark. However, their momentum was quickly taken away as the Tigers scored twice to close out the quarter. Thorne connected with Coleman for the third time with 4:37 to go in the 3rd quarter and later found fellow freshman receiver [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] for a 40-yard score to give Auburn a 38-7 entering the 4th quarter.

Auburn added two more scores to cap their scoring. Damari Alston rushed for a score from seven-yards out to give Auburn the 45-7 lead with 11:48 to go in the quarter. Vachon connected on his second field goal of the day to give Auburn the 48-7 lead with 1:48 to go in the game. ULM capped scoring with less than 10 seconds remaining when Warhawks QB General Booty found Jonathan Bibbs for a 65-yard touchdown pass to cut into Auburn’s lead, 48-14.

Auburn will host No. 14 Texas A&M next Saturday to close out its home schedule for the 2024 season. The official game time and network will be announced following the conclusion of Saturday’s college football action.

Hugh Freeze shares update on Payton Thorne’s status ahead of ULM game

Will Thorne lead the offense on Saturday when the Tigers battle the ULM Warhawks?

Will Auburn be without its signal-caller for its game with ULM on Saturday?

During this week’s preview press conference on Monday, Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] shared that quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] was limited during bye week practices due to shoulder issues stemming from the Tigers’ loss to Vanderbilt on Nov. 2.

Freeze was hopeful earlier this week that Thorne would be ready to play, but his tune changed Wednesday during the SEC teleconference saying that Thorne was “not as far along as I’d hoped.” However, a report from Auburn Undercover revealed that Thorne will get the nod for Auburn’s game against ULM on Saturday.

Freeze said Auburn’s backup quarterbacks got plenty of reps during bye-week practices in place of Thorne, giving Freeze several options to fill the void should Thorne’s shoulder issues blend into the ULM game.

“The second open week we actually got the other guys quite a bit of reps in the three practices we had. Then we had a little scrimmage to close it out,” Freeze said. “Offense versus defense, other guys that don’t typically get reps, and offense won that scrimmage on a pass play from Walker (White) to one of the young receivers. It was good to see them get reps. We got Holden (Geriner) and Hank (Brown) quite a few also.”

Thorne ranks No. 8 among SEC quarterbacks with 1,825 yards and is tied for 6th with 13 touchdowns. Two other quarterbacks have seen action this season, [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag]. Brown started two games for the Tigers this season while Geriner has seen action in two games.

Auburn faces ULM at 11:45 a.m. CT on Saturday and will be broadcast on SEC Network.

Will Hugh Freeze make a change at quarterback?

Auburn needs to win its final three games in order to qualify for a bowl game. Will a change be made?

Auburn football’s season and year two under head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is not going as many people thought it would, and if many questions were not already raised about this program, even more are coming up now.

The Tigers are currently 3-6 on the year and 1-5 in SEC play. As if that is not enough, Freeze is sitting at 9-13 in his Auburn tenure, similar to where Bryan Harsin was in his second season on the Plains.

One of the main questions that has surrounded the team, though, is the quarterback play on the field. While [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] has shown flashes of talent at moments this season, his play throughout his career with the Tigers has had many shaking their heads.

In two years, Thorne has recorded a 62% pass completion percentage, throwing 29 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He was benched in the team’s week two loss to Cal after throwing four interceptions for backup [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], before returning to the starting job against Oklahoma.

Despite this season being Thorne’s final one of eligibility, Freeze said his staff is considering a change at the position during Wednesday’s SEC coaches teleconference.

“Payton’s played pretty solid, but at the same time you start thinking big picture and well, that’s a tough that’s a tough quandary for you as a coach,” Freeze said. “When you start thinking big picture, as opposed to one of your players that really hasn’t done anything wrong, but we certainly aren’t winning. And so we’re debating all of that this week and we’ll continue into next week, debating that.”

Outside of Brown, [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] has been working with the scout team for most of the year but is also in the running to earn some playing time here at the end of the season.

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Instant Analysis: Auburn drops low-scoring affair to Vanderbilt

Auburn outplayed Vanderbilt in several categories, but could not pull off the victory on Saturday.

The momentum Auburn built following its win over Kentucky last week was quickly stolen on Saturday by the visiting Vanderbilt Commodores.

Despite outplaying Vanderbilt in multiple categories, Auburn failed to find the win column, dropping a 17-7 decision to Vanderbilt on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn.

Auburn (3-6, 1-5 SEC) outgained Vanderbilt (6-3, 3-2 SEC) by 100 yards (327-227) and completed 30% more of its passes than the Commodores. However, several glaring stats ultimately led to the Tigers’ defeat.

Auburn struggled at converting third-down opportunities, advancing on 2-of-13 chances. The Tigers were also held out of the red zone, while Vanderbilt scored on both opportunities. Vanderbilt’s ability to break into Auburn’s backfield was another factor. The Commodores recorded seven tackles for loss, including three sacks on Saturday for a loss of 22 yards.

Auburn also struggled with building long possessions. Auburn’s lone scoring drive lasted 11 plays, covering 80 yards and 5:30. Following that touchdown drive in the 2nd quarter, Auburn failed to put together a drive that covered eight plays and last more than four minutes.

Vanderbilt broke a 7-7 halftime tie with 1:05 in the 3rd quarter with a 31-yard field goal from kicker Brock Taylor to move Vanderbilt ahead, 10-7. The Commodores delivered the dagger with 4:18 remaining in the game with a four-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Diego Pavia to Eli Stowers to push the Vanderbilt lead to 17-7.

Vanderbilt’s 4th quarter touchdown drive was set up by a penalty on a previous play. Auburn’s defense held Vanderbilt to 4th down and 6, which set up another field goal opportunity. Taylor’s kick attempt was successful, but a penalty on Auburn’s Keldric Faulk for jumping on the block attempt resulted in a fresh set of downs for Vanderbilt. The Commodores scored the game-clinching touchdown two plays later.

Each team traded punts in the first half before the game’s first score was recorded. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia connected with receiver AJ Newberry for a 28-yard touchdown pass with 0:50 remaining in the opening quarter to push the Commodores ahead, 7-0.

Auburn answered three possessions later with a touchdown pass of their own. [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] hauled in a 30-yard pass from [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] with 6:45 remaining in the first half to tie the game at 7-7, a score that remained heading into the locker room. Auburn outgained Vanderbilt 214-132 in the first half and held the football nearly five minutes longer than the Commodores. However, Auburn failed to convert all seven of their third-down opportunities and scored on just one of their seven first-half possessions, which limited their ability to find the end zone.

Auburn will step away from play next weekend to prepare for their season’s final three games. The Tigers will face ULM on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 11:45 a.m. CT at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

What did we learn from Auburn’s victory over Kentucky?

Auburn ended October on a high note by taking down Kentucky on the road.

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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Izavion Miller takes home SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors

The Memphis, Tennessee native continues to be a key contributor for the Tigers since his commitment in 2022.

Auburn lineman Izavion “Too Tall” Miller earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors following the Tigers’ outstanding performance on the ground in week nine.

The senior played every snap of [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag]’s record-breaking rushing night at the right tackle position, consistently providing key blocks in front of Hunter, [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag], and [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag].

While Hunter received most of the accolades following his career-high 278 rushing yard night, most of those second-level yards would not have been possible without Miller and the rest of the Auburn offensive line. Miller’s position of right tackle is often considered the “anchor” of a team’s run game, and the senior was undoubtedly just that on Saturday night. One three of Jarquez Hunter’s four longest rushes, Miller provided the key lead block to spring his running back through the hole. According to Pro Football Focus, Miller allowed just one pressure in 78 snaps on Saturday.

The Memphis, Tennessee native continues to be a key contributor for the Tigers since his commitment in 2022. He and the rest of the Tigers offensive line will continue their quest to help Hunter finish as the SEC’s leading rusher when Auburn returns home to host Vanderbilt on Saturday. If Miller can continue producing solid individual performances like this, he could find himself penciled into NFL mock drafts as the spring approaches.

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Payton Thorne shares message to teammates ahead of final stretch of season

Thorne sees no reason to give up on this season by saying, “this season is far from over.”

Auburn football is 2-5 heading into this weekend’s game at Kentucky, but there is zero reason for the team to give up, as bowl eligibility remains on the table.

That is the message that Auburn quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] is sending to his teammates as they look to finish the season on a high note. Following Auburn’s recent loss to Missouri, Thorne said that he hopes his team has a positive mindset as they enter the final five-game stretch of the season.

“For me, it’s a mindset of ‘If you don’t quit and you keep battling through a season like this’ — the season is far from over. We got at least five (games) guaranteed to us. That’s five opportunities to go play football. I believe it’s never for nothing. If you got these opportunities in front of you, whether you’re a guy that might leave after the year, who knows? If you’re a guy where this is your last year in college football, if you’re a guy — any situation you might be in. You might as well give it all you got because any direction you go, you won’t regret fighting and not quitting.”

Despite the recent losses, Auburn has found ways to be within victory’s grasp. The Tigers held leads of over 10 points in two of their four SEC games this season and trimmed Arkansas’ lead to three points in the 4th quarter. Auburn boasts the No. 9 offense in the SEC with an average of 421.9 yards gained per game and the No. 6 passing offense in the conference with 264.3 yards per contest.

The Tigers need to find ways to score more and close games out to end the season on a high note. The next opportunity for the Tigers to earn a win is Saturday on the road at Kentucky. Auburn and Kentucky battle on Saturday at 6:45 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

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

We learned plenty from Auburn’s most recent loss to Missouri.

The Auburn Tigers came off of their bye week with high expectations of improvement, heading into the back half of their schedule with a losing record and many sour tastes of defeat.

That luck did not change, however, as the Tigers saw yet another second half lead slip away late in the game in Saturday’s 21-17 loss to Missouri on Faurot Field. The loss dropped [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s squad to 2-5 on the season and 0-4 in SEC play.

The trend of this game was the same as that of many others, where the defense gave the team a chance to win all day, but the offense could not execute when it mattered most.

Here is what we learned about Auburn after the loss.

One thing is for sure, the ball needs to get out of hands quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] a lot sooner and more often than it has been.

Thorne went 17 for 29, passing for just 179 yards and one touchdown in Columbia, with that score coming on a 47-yard deep ball to [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag]. Thorne did take three sacks though, not being able to get the ball out in time when under pressure.

His other issue: he committed a turnover for the first time in a while. On a quarterback scramble in the second quarter, Thorne was gaining good yardage before taking contact and fumbling the ball, something that was crucial as the offense was driving down the field. He must protect the ball and give his offense more of a chance as it begins to move the ball.

The rushing game also lacked, only putting up 110 yards on the day as Missouri’s defense came on strong against Auburn’s offensive line throughout the entire game. This has been a struggle at times during the year, but Saturday was one of the more severe instances.

On the receiving end, this team needs to get Coleman the ball when it can, as he is not being targeted very often. In fact, his touchdown catch was his only reception of the day, signifying his lack of production.

It is also no secret that [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag]’ dropped touchdown pass in the third quarter was detrimental to the team, as it ultimately led to another missed field goal by [autotag]Towns McGough[/autotag] and gave the Missouri offense momentum.

The defense played solid for much of the game, racking up five sacks on the day and finding itself in Missouri’s backfield on a consistent basis. One 78-yard pass from Brady Cook was all Missouri needed though, proving to be a large turning point in the game and one that Auburn could have easily prevented on a late-down situation.

The special teams woes continue for McGough as well, as the young freshman kicker missed a field goal in the third quarter from 30 yards out and moved to 5 for 10 on the season.

The Tigers take the road for the final time in the month of October this week with a trip to Lexington and a date with the Kentucky Wildcats. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. CST and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Tyler on X @traley34