In what could’ve been a trap game in the final tune up before SEC play, Auburn football won by multiple scores on Saturday, beating South Alabama 31-15.
The win improves the Tigers to 3-0 on the season, putting them in a confident spot before next week’s trip to Norman. Auburn’s performance wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to win and move on, making for a happy homecoming weekend.
Here are three takeaways from the game, as Auburn shifts its focus toward the SEC gauntlet.
Run game led the way
Auburn’s offense won the game on multiple fronts, but the running game was the difference.
The Tigers rushed for 195 yards and threw for 142. Similar to the Baylor win in Week 1, Jackson Arnold’s legs seemed to be a catalyst for the offensive success. He rushed for 50 yards and two touchdowns, which kept the South Alabama defense guessing.
Those rushing yards came with 142 passing yards from Arnold, including a nice deep ball touchdown to Cam Coleman in the first half. Most notably in the passing game, Auburn protected better than it did last week.
It was an all-around solid performance from the Auburn offensive line, with the group opening up lanes for the running backs all game. Jeremiah Cobb averaged 6.3 yards per carry, and the Tigers went a combined 10-for-16 on third and fourth downs.
The offensive production tailed off in the second half, though, but some of that had to do with getting fewer opportunities. Auburn only had three possessions in the second half, and none of them resulted in touchdowns.
It made for a second half that lacked entertainment for Auburn fans, but fortunately for the Tigers, most of the offensive heavy lifting was done in the second quarter.
Defensive problems
Auburn’s offense drew few complaints from Hugh Freeze and the Auburn coaching staff through two quarters, but the same couldn’t be said about the defense.
After the Tigers allowed nine first-half points and a second-quarter touchdown, Freeze didn’t mince words when talking to the SEC Network broadcast before heading to the locker room.
“Defensively, we look like we’re sleepwalking to me. It’s frustrating,” Freeze said. “We’d rather talk too much than line up and play. We have to get some things corrected.”
Even after getting time to make adjustments at halftime, Auburn’s defense allowed the Jaguars to march right down the field to start the second half. South Alabama scored its third-quarter touchdown on an 11-play, 75-yard drive, keeping the game competitive.
The Jaguars also controlled time of possession in the second half, holding onto the ball for just over 17 minutes. They finished with 310 yards of total offense, and outgained Auburn significantly in the second half.
On paper, giving up 15 points and forcing two turnovers seems like a good day, but Auburn’s defense will likely leave Saturday’s game feeling like it could have been better.
Took care of business
South Alabama is a much better team than Ball State, meaning it was going to be hard for Auburn to walk right through its opponent for a second consecutive week.
Saturday’s performance wasn’t as dominant as Auburn’s win in Week 2, but the Tigers did what was needed. Were there problems? Yes, but they never became serious enough to put the result in question.
That’s what’s most important, especially in games like these. After the first quarter, Auburn held onto a multiple-touchdown lead for the rest of the game.
That kept things comfortable, despite the Tigers working through some issues on both sides of the ball. It makes it easier to move on, something Auburn needs to do quickly with the gauntlet of an SEC schedule awaiting the Tigers.
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m
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