Heading into Saturday's showdown with Mississippi State, Auburn carried not only the burden of playing its first road game of the season, but also a history of sluggish morning performances. The program's recent history suggested the 11 a.m. kickoff would lead to a sleepy performance by the Tigers.
That thought process proved 50 percent correct. Auburn was sluggish for 30 minutes of the contest. Fortunately for Gus Malzahn, those 30 minutes came after his team had built a 35-0 lead and sent Bulldog supporters to the exits in droves.
Auburn was dominant in all phases of this game. How does their report card look?
Coaching: A
- Malzahn's decision to hand the keys to his offense to Rhett Lashlee is continuing to pay off. The offense faced early adversity after Sean White's interception, but the unit rebounded with three consecutive touchdown drives. The offense gained 335 yards and 17 first downs in the first half alone.
- With a road game now under the defense's belt, there's no doubt that Kevin Steele's unit is legitimate. Auburn's defense was suffocating in the first half, holding Mississippi State to 5 first downs, 91 yards and, most importantly, zero points. At the midway point of the season, this defense has only allowed 10 touchdowns.
- The only reason this isn't an A+ is the conservative second-half approach. The outcome was never in doubt, but Auburn was outscored 14-3 after halftime.
Quarterback: A
- White's early interception wasn't his fault, but it's still impressive how he was able to bounce back and lead the Tigers to a huge first half. He showed great touch on some of his deep passes, though he did miss a couple of deep shots where the receivers had sprung open. He threw for 185 yards before halftime and showed great poise, considering how he performed against Mississippi State last season.
Running Back: A
- Stepping in for injured Kerryon Johnson, Kamryn Pettway had a huge day. He ran for 169 yards and three scores on 39 carries, the fourth-most in school history. The Bulldogs had no answer for him in the first half.
- Pettway's third-quarter fumble was his lone mistake on the day and the only reason this isn't an A+.
- Kam Martin's 42-yard catch in the second quarter was a big play that got the Tigers out of the shadow of their own end zone.
Wide Receiver: A-
- Tony Stevens' early drop led to an interception, but from then on, the Tigers wide receivers stepped up. Stevens hauled in a 37-yard pass on Auburn's second drive, while freshman Ryan Davis earned the first touchdown catch of his career. This unit also did a good job blocking on running plays, allowing Auburn to spring some wide plays, including a 29-yard run by Pettway just before halftime.
Offensive Line: A+
- Auburn's offensive line was reshuffled in this game, with Austin Golson moving to center and Darius James starting at left tackle. This unit still looked as strong and cohesive as ever, as they overwhelmed the Bulldogs front seven in the first half. They paved the way for 228 rushing yards and Pettway's three scores.
- In the past three games, Pettway and Johnson have had one negative carry. Pettway suffered a two-yard loss against Mississippi State. If that's not the sign of a dominant offensive line, I'm not sure what is.
Defensive Line: A+
- The defensive line was every bit as dominant as its offensive counterpart. Auburn held Mississippi State to 103 rushing yards and earned three sacks. Carl Lawson had two sacks, one of which resulted in a fumble that Montravius Adams would return for a touchdown. Adams recovered a fumble earlier in the game, as well, when Marlon Davidson earned a sack. This unit's looking every bit as strong as it could have hoped for.
Linebackers: A
- This was yet another solid outing by the Tigers linebackers. Tre Williams led the team with eight tackles and served as the anchor for Auburn's defense. Jeff Holland, Deshaun Davis, Montavious Atkinson, Darrell Williams and TJ Neal also had solid days, combining for 14 tackles.
Defensive Backs: A
- In the first half, Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald struggled mightily, failing to find holes in Auburn's coverage and establish a consistent passing attack. The secondary wasn't quite as stingy after halftime, giving up two touchdown passes, but Carlton Davis, Javaris Davis, Johnathan Ford and Tray Matthews all left their respective marks on the game at some point. Stephen Roberts' diving interception in the fourth quarter denied the Bulldogs their third score and resulted in a Daniel Carlson field goal.
Special Teams: B+
- This grade would be higher, but the Tigers couldn't create any big returns on kickoffs and punts and also muffed a punt in the second quarter. Outside of those things, it was business as usual. Daniel Carlson made his lone field goal try and made all of his extra points. Kevin Phillips wasn't called upon much before halftime, but his leg helped Auburn win the field position battle for much of the first half.
- Mississippi State's Westin Graves missed a short field goal on the Bulldogs first possession. That marks three consecutive games that Auburn's forced a missed field goal.
Overall: A
Auburn went on the road in the SEC West to face a program that had beaten them the last two seasons and took a 35-0 lead in the first half. It's hard to script a much better start. The halftime lead was Auburn's largest in a game away from home since the 2010 SEC Championship Game, when Auburn beat South Carolina 56-17. The offense looked great. The defense looked great. Special teams did their job. Despite an intentionally underwhelming second half, this was Auburn's most complete performance in some time. This Auburn team could be getting hot at just the right time.
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