Even after carrying the load for Auburn’s offense for the majority of an overcast afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium, running back Peyton Barber wasn’t tired.
After two years of sitting behind former All-SEC running backs Tre Mason and Cameron Artis-Payne, Barber is taking full advantage of his opportunity to be the feature running back this season.
“To be honest, this is something that I’ve been waiting on,” Barber said after Auburn’s 35-21 win over San Jose State. “When I feel myself getting tired, I just tell myself ‘Keep moving forward, this is something that you’ve been waiting on, so now’s your time.’”
Barber has been waiting for a performance like Saturday’s, when he rushed for 147 yards and all five of Auburn’s touchdowns on 28 carries.
“We knew he had a chance to be a very good running back,” said Auburn coach Gus Malzahn. “The thing that stands out to me about Peyton is it’s very important to him … He’s showed great toughness. He’s ran the ball extremely well and hard, and for the most part he’s had good ball security … He’s really been the leader of our offense so far.”
Two of Barber’s five scores were set up by the defense, which forced four turnovers for the first time since the Mississippi State game last season.
The turnovers overshadowed another game in which Auburn (3-2, 0-2 SEC) gave up over 400 yards of offense, which has happened in 11 of the Tigers’ last 13 games.
“If you get four turnovers, I don’t care how many yards you give up, you still have a good chance of winning,” Malzahn said. “We were very opportunistic.”
Barber ran for three touchdowns in the first half, giving Auburn a 21-7 lead at the break.
San Jose State (2-3, 1-1 MWC) came out of halftime and drove 75 yards on 14 plays to make it a one-possession game, but Auburn responded.
The Spartans attempted a squib kick, but Johnathan Ford scooped up the ball and returned it 58 yards to set up Barber’s fourth score.
Auburn’s special teams played a key role in the victory, as Ford and Blake Countess returned three kickoffs for a combined 160 yards. The returns, combined with the four turnovers, gave Auburn an average starting field position of its own 47-yard line.
San Jose State once again pulled to within a touchdown with 5:38 left in the game on a 2-yard run by running back Tyler Ervin, who led the Spartans with 160 rushing yards.
After Auburn recovered the ensuing onside kick, Barber stuck the dagger in the Spartans with a 36-yard touchdown, his longest run of the night.
“As the game goes on, I feel like I continue to get stronger,” Barber said. “It’s a great feeling.”
Freshman cornerback Carlton Davis intercepted the first pass of his career on San Jose State’s last-gasp drive to seal the victory for Auburn.
Quarterback Sean White, making his second start of his career, only attempted 10 passes in the game, mostly due to the success of the running game.
“We do what we have to do to win,” Malzahn said. “That was just the way it was today. I was excited about the running game. We didn’t have to throw it that much.”
The Tigers are off next week before traveling to Kentucky for a critical Thursday night tilt with the Wildcats.
“I feel like we just need to work on us,” said senior linebacker Cassanova McKinzy. “We need some time to work on us as a team.”
The win over the Spartans gives Auburn some much-needed confidence going into a bye week and looking ahead to a game which will help determine Auburn’s standing in the SEC.
“It was definitely a critical win that we needed,” Barber said. “This is something that’s going to help us going into next week. I feel like a win like this definitely boosts our spirits.”
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