It was ugly at times, but a win is a win.
Despite having 12 penalties for over 100 yards, the No. 9 Auburn Tigers upset No. 6 Washington 21-16 inside Mercedes Benz Stadium Saturday afternoon to claim the 2018 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game crown.
QUARTERBACKS
Returning starter Jarrett Stidham played like a veteran, finishing without mistakes in the season opener. The junior made all the right decisions despite a below-average showing from an inexperienced offensive line Saturday, completing 26-of-36 for 273 yards and one touchdown. Stidham looked much more comfortable in Malzhan’s offense with a year under his belt, pulling the ball to run when it was needed and, as was the case last year, being incredibly accurate.
GRADE: B
RUNNING BACKS
Neither Auburn running back looked dominant, or really capable of being able to carry the load as a workhorse down the road in SEC play. Both Kam Martin and “Boobee” Whitlow had average days on the ground, the lone exception being Whitlow’s 10-yard touchdown run to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Martin had 22 carries for 80 yards and five receptions for 32 yards, while Whitlow carried the ball eight times for 28 yards and one touchdown. Part of the lack of production on the ground can be attributed to the offensive line, which needs a lot of work.
GRADE: C
WIDE RECEIVERS
The wide receiving corps is arguably the best thing on the offensive side of the ball for the Tigers at the moment. The skill and experience showed on Saturday. Auburn’s receivers, led by returning starters Darius Slayton, Nate Craig-Myers, and Ryan Davis, racked up 273 yards through the air. Although there wasn’t much of a downfield threat, there were no key drops and Sal Cannella was a pleasant surprise, scoring his first touchdown as a Tiger on the 10-yard fade.
GRADE: B
O-LINE
There was a reason the o-line was one of the biggest question marks coming into the season. The young and inexperienced offensive line was shaky throughout Saturday’s contest, and was the main reason Auburn’s offense was stagnant for much of the second and third quarters. It isn’t the end of the world however, Washington’s defensive line is one of the best in the Pac 12 and the Tigers will have a tune-up game against Alabama State at home before entering SEC play against a very talented LSU defense.
GRADE: C-
D-LINE/LINEBACKERS
No surprises here. This Auburn defense has a chance to be even better than last year, which is scary considering last year’s front was ranked at the top nationally in almost every category. The Tigers were in the backfield all afternoon, wreaking havoc on Jake Browning, forcing two turnovers and compiling five sacks. Holding any offense to under 20 points is a success, let alone a high-octane Pac 12 offense led by Browning and running back Myles Gaskin.
GRADE: A
SECONDARY
Auburn’s secondary looked better than they should have, due in large part to the defensive line’s dominating performance. When Browning was given time to throw, the Tiger cornerbacks were picked apart, especially down the sidelines. Washington does have a talented group of receivers, but the Auburn secondary needs to improve when being attacked on back shoulder throws. Too many times were Jamel Dean and Javaris Davis caught out of position, not even turning around to play the ball.
GRADE: C
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ryan Davis was phenomenal in punt return and Anders Carlson showed he can be just as consistent as his older brother. Carlson did miss two field goals, but he was 3-of-5, including a 53-yard kick. Aidan Marshall showed why he should not be the starter with his first punt of the year traveling only 30 yards, which made way for Australian Arryn Siposs, who averaged 43.5 yards per punt.
GRADE: B-
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