The Auburn Tigers outplayed the New Mexico Lobos in Jordan-Hare Stadium, as they came away victorious in a 45-19 win on Saturday night. The team started this game with a new quarterback and set themselves up for a much better SEC game.
Auburn has a new chapter.
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze needed a lifeline following a pretty tough game against Cal, in which Payton Thorne had four interceptions. So Freeze decided he’d start freshman quarterback Hank Brown. Brown was pretty much perfect, completing 17 of 25 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns on his Auburn debut. His performance secured the win and will give him the lead going into next week’s game against Arkansas.
Game Recap
Opening Quarter: A Dramatic Start
The game opened with New Mexico building an early lead. Their opening drive went 60 yards, and Culter ended it with a 33-yard field goal from Luke Drzewiecki as the Lobos took a 3-0 lead, but Auburn responded in kind quickly. Jeremiah Cobb electrified the crowd on the kickoff return for 68 yards. Auburn’s offence moved the ball down the field, and Hank Brown had a smooth drive for the Tigers to tie the game at 7-3.
New Mexico lead briefly as it scored a touchdown to make it 10-7, but Auburn’s Jarquez Hunter scored on a two-yard run to bring the Tigers back on top 14-10 before the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter: Auburn Takes Control
The second quarter was one in which Auburn would extend its lead. Brown’s connection with Sam Jackson V set up a scoring drive that saw Damari Alston punch it in from the two-yard line. Auburn led 17-10. However, New Mexico would close the gap to 17-13, but Auburn’s defense was good enough to stand strong.
The rain started pouring during the game, and Auburn’s offence kept on marching. Brown’s strong leadership example and Hunter’s good running game kept the momentum going. The final possession of the first half without any additional points ended, but Auburn was narrowly ahead.
Third Quarter: Auburn takes the lead and runs with it.
The third quarter will be important for this team. Auburn takes the lead and runs with it, forming a large lead that they can maintain.
The offence erupted in the second half of play. Brown organized a drive, culminating in a touchdown pass to Micah Riley for the Auburn lead at 24-13. The defense chipped into the fray with an interception for Antonio Kite, giving Auburn another chance at a touchdown passes from Brown to Hunter, increasing Auburn’s led to 31-13.
New Mexico scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, which trimmed their lead to 31-19. Auburn’s offence was burning at this point, and Brown connected with Rivaldo Fairweather on a 26-yard touchdown. It was Damari Alston who would put the frosting on the cake for the Tigers as he sealed the win with a final rush of 22 yards, 45-19. Auburn’s offense explodes.
Auburn’s offense in the game was quite impressive, with 503 yards. Brown got through four touchdown passes, and Jarquez Hunter, by the way, rushed for 152 yards. That was his first 100-yard game of the season.
While Auburn’s defense certainly surrendered 448 yards, crucial stops and capitalizing on turnovers were what made the difference in this contest. Two takeaways and plenty of quarterback pressure kept things in the Tigers’ favor.
Going Forward
With Auburn scheduled to host Arkansas in their Southeastern Conference opener, the win over New Mexico is just what the prescription was to gain confidence. The Tigers will have to continue on this roll, especially looking to shore up their defense as outlined by Coach Freeze. The Razorbacks, who are coming off a win against UAB, will provide more of a challenge than that game for the homecoming crowd of Auburn.
While this game against New Mexico may boost confidence, Auburn’s focus is undoubtedly on the upcoming challenges. Aside from that, the new quarterback leading them on has given Auburn an invigorated start to the season ahead.
