Auburn started the 2014 football season off on the right foot, beating SEC West foe Arkansas 45-21, in a game that included an hour and 28 minute delay due to inclement weather with 9:55 to go in the fourth quarter.
For Auburn, halftime adjustments were a thing of beauty on Saturday.
Heading into the locker room at the break on Saturday, Auburn's defense was getting gashed by the Arkansas running game. In second half, the Tigers looked like a different team.
After playing to a 21-21 tie in the first half, the Auburn defense shut out the Razorbacks in the third quarter, while scoring two touchdowns of their own, one on defense, a 33-yard interception return from safety Jermain Whitehead. That gave Auburn a 35-21 lead that they never relinquished, shutting the Razorbacks out again the fourth, outscoring them by a total of 24-0 in the second half.
In the first two quarters, Arkansas rushed for 151 yards and threw for 116 more. In the second half, they were held to just 61 total yards of offense.
"We made our adjustments in the second half," said senior defensive lineman Gabe Wright. "And for the most part, we were able to execute."
Offensively, Auburn looked sharp all game long.
Starting in place of suspended Nick Marshall, sophomore quarterback Jeremy Johnson was nearly perfect in the first half, completing 12 of 16 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first Auburn QB to throw for more than 200 yards in the first half since Cam Newton in 2010.
"I just took advantage of all my time that I had," Johnson said. "I just had to show the world what I was capable of doing and what I can do against anybody."
The one-two punch from running backs also saw success. Carmeron Artis-Payne ran for 177 yards, with Corey Grant adding 87 of his own.
"It was fun," Grant said. "Anytime you're just running up the score and putting away the game, securing the game, it's a good feeling.
In the second half, head coach Gus Malzahn lifted Mashall's suspension and sat Johnson. Marshall returned with a band, leading Auburn right down the field on the first possession of the third quarter, capping off the 9 play, 78-yard drive with a 19-yard scamper into the end zone.
Newcomer D'haquille Williams lived up to the hype that surrounded him all offseason, racking up 154 yards on 9 catches and a score, including a quick slant that turned into a 62-yard gain right up the middle of the field.
"Coach just kept giving me the chances, and I just made the best of it," Williams said. "It just felt good to be out there and playing in the SEC."
The rest of the receiving corps looked strong as well. Junior Melvin Ray was on the receiving end of Auburn's first touchdown, a 49 yard pass from Jeremy Johnson.
"He (Ray) had one of the best fall camps out of everyone," Malzahn said "Hard work paid off for him."
Redshirt freshman Daniel Carlson, another fresh face on the field, impressed as well. Though he did hit the upright on a field goal opportunity at the end of the first half, his first career punt was a tight spiral that went for 62 yards, the longest Auburn punt since 2006.
Auburn finished the game with 595 yards of total offense, while Arkansas finished with 328, 267 of them coming in the first half.
"I'm very proud of our guys," Malzahn said. "Very proud of the way our guys responded in the second half."
Auburn's next game is next Saturday, Sept. 6 against San Jose State at 6:00 p.m. in Jordan Hare Stadium.
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