311: That’s how many rushing yards Auburn raked in against New Mexico State. Running backs Onterio McCalebb and Tre Mason combined for 265 yards on the ground. Mason had 152 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, while McCalebb had 113 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. With a freshman quarterback, the Tigers will need to continue to establish the run if they are going to have any chance of success. Auburn has had more than 200 yards rushing only twice this season, and it is no surprise that both times the Tigers have won their games. Auburn had 255 yards against Louisiana Monroe.
6: Auburn’s team scored more times than it had all season, with five offensive touchdowns and one defensive score. Before playing New Mexico State, the most points Auburn had scored was 31 against Louisiana Monroe. The common factor is that Auburn has defeated both teams. The Tigers scored their first defensive touchdown of the season when Daren Bates returned a fumble 62 yards in the third quarter. Auburn also racked up five more touchdowns on offense. Four of the touchdowns were scored by runningbacks Ontario McCalebb, Tre Mason and fullback Jay Prosch. The final offensive touchdown was a 40-yard passing connection from freshman quarterback Jonathan Wallace to Trovon Reed.
1: Auburn’s defense gave up only one touchdown last week against New Mexico State. The 2-yard rushing touchdown was scored late, and the game was well in the Tigers’ hands by the time the Aggies found paydirt. Auburn’s defense allowed New Mexico State 83 yards on the ground. This is the fewest rushing yards Auburn has allowed all season. Actually, the next best game the Tigers had in rush defense was against Arkansas where they allowed 116. Looking forward to the last three games of the season, Auburn will need to have similarly good run defense against stronger football teams such as Georgia and Alabama. More importantly, the Tigers will need to stop the offenses of these teams from finding the end zone.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
