After four conference losses prior to Saturday, including two that were decided by seven points, head coach Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers finally claimed their first SEC win of the season. Quarterback Payton Thorne starred with 268 total yards and three touchdowns as the Tigers defeated Mississippi State at home 27-13.
“Man, it was obviously a great day to win our first SEC game here at home at Jordan-Hare… just really excited,” Freeze said. “Our kids and our staff, I thought just we continued to work, and I think we saw some signs today of us getting better at some things, and it’s just really exciting to see.”
A first-half explosion from Auburn, which saw the Tigers score 24 of their 27 points, led Auburn to victory. Auburn recorded 301 yards in the first half, 192 of which were from Thorne through the air. Prior to Saturday’s game, Auburn had recorded 300 yards or more against a Power Five opponent just once this season.
Auburn wasted no time getting on the board as the Tigers scored a touchdown on their first two drives – both of which came from the arm of Thorne. Wide receiver Shane Hooks, who had not recorded a catch since the Tigers’ game against Texas A&M, was responsible for the first score –shielding off his defender in a one-on-one battle before making the catch and dragging him into the end zone.
One drive later, it was another receiver who hasn’t had name called in a while make a play. Senior Ja’Varrius Johnson went flying down the sideline and found himself wide open before Thorne laid the football perfectly into his hands for a 45-yard touchdown. The catch was Johnson’s first since Auburn’s game against California in week two. Johnson finished the game with two catches, 59 yards receiving and one touchdown.
“Our receivers did a good job today,” Thorne said. “They were open and did a great job working coverage and knew what they were seeing and just executed. For me, just keep my eyes in the right spot and trust my preparation, and then getting the ball where it needs to be.”
The defensive side of the ball was equally impressive in the first half, holding Mississippi State to just three points and 122 total yards. Following Auburn’s first touchdown drive, Mississippi State used three big plays to move into the red zone, but Auburn’s defense settled in and stopped the Bulldogs on third down to force a field goal.
Auburn’s initial third-down stop was a sign of how it would play throughout the game as the Auburn defense held Mississippi State to a 17% third down conversion percentage.
Thorne continued to spread the football around in the first half and capped it by orchestrating a two-minute drill to give Auburn its third touchdown of the game. Hitting Johnson, Rivaldo Fairweather, Camden Brown and Jarquez Hunter, Thorne connected with one more player on Auburn’s final offensive play of the first half. True freshman running back Jeremiah Cobb ran a wheel route out of the backfield, and Thorne found him in the end zone for a touchdown. Cobb’s reception marked the 11th Auburn player to catch a pass, which was the first time 11 Auburn players have recorded a catch in a game since 2019 against Samford.
Freeze and his offense slowed down in the second half by scoring just three points and recording 115 yards, but Auburn’s defense protected the lead. The Tigers allowed a field goal on the first drive of the second half, and Mississippi State scored a touchdown on its second drive. But with the offense stalling, the Auburn defense forced Mississippi State into a three-and-out, an interception and a turnover on downs on the final three Bulldog drives of the game.
“I know how much the guys are hungry for this win,” said linebacker Eugene Asante. “I know how much we put into this game and know guys really do care about going out there and performing, so I’m just grateful to God that we got it done today.”
Safety Zion Puckett recorded the interception as the Bulldogs were driving to make it a one-possession game, and Asante led the Tigers in tackles with nine. As a team, Auburn leads the SEC in interceptions at 10.
Auburn’s special teams unit played a key role in the game as well as punter Oscar Chapman had five punts for an average of 47.2 yards and had a punt downed inside the 5-yard line. Redshirt freshman Alex McPherson was 2-for-2 on field goals to remain perfect on the season. McPherson has now made 14 consecutive field goals.
With the first conference win of the season under its belt, Auburn now goes on the road to face Vanderbilt in another SEC matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CST, and the game will be televised on SEC Network as Auburn looks to end the season on a winning streak.
“The ball rolling now,” said jack linebacker Jalen McLeod. “We’ll keep that ball rolling. We got a chance to go to a bowl game… 8-4 is better than 6-6, so we’re going for 8-4.”
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Jacob Waters is a senior majoring in journalism. From Leeds, Alabama, he started with The Plainsman in August, 2021.
Twitter: @JacobWaters_
