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Don’t look now, but Auburn has won three straight games. The Tigers snapped their two-game skid against Mississippi State on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium, which might just push them back into the AP Top 25 Poll this week.
As a result, AU is 4-2 as it enters its bye week before hosting Arkansas on Oct. 22.
Here’s an analysis of Auburn’s 38-14 victory.
5 TAKEAWAYS
• Kamryn Pettway has a career day: The sophomore finished with career-highs in carries (39), rushing yards (169) and touchdowns (3). Auburn turned to him after Kerryon Johnson injured his right ankle in the first quarter and missed the rest of the game. Pettway, who sat out last week’s win over Louisiana-Monroe, certainly looked like a man refreshed.
• Auburn is a legitimate player in the SEC West race: With the victory, the Tigers improved to 2-1 in the division and hold the tiebreaker over LSU, which has the same SEC West mark. After its matchup with the Razorbacks, AU travels to Ole Miss on Oct. 29 and caps its division slate with the Iron Bowl on Nov. 26. Those might be the only two games remaining on the schedule that Auburn loses. How many people expected an 8-4 finish – not including a bowl game – before the season?
• AU’s run defense continues to thrive: A week after holding Louisiana-Monroe to 112 yards on 32 carries, Auburn yielded 103 on 33 attempts. The Tigers, who are the SEC’s top rushing team, are becoming one of its best at stopping the run.
• Sean White remains on target: The redshirt sophomore entered the game leading the SEC in completion percentage at 68.4. He was even better against the Bulldogs, completing 14 of 18 passes (77.8 percent). He is becoming nearly as accurate as place-kicker Daniel Carlson has been in terms of making field goals.
• The Tigers are finishing drives with TDs: Speaking of Carlson, he hasn’t made any field goals since drilling six in Auburn’s 18-13 victory over LSU on Sept. 24. AU, which is refusing to settle for 3 points, has scored 96 points over the last two weeks on 7 TDs, a safety and a field goal.
REPORT CARD
Offense: A – The bad news is that Auburn produced just 3 second-half points. The great news is that the Tigers scored 35 over the game’s first 30 minutes. The passing game was very efficient; the running game was very methodical. Despite averaging only 4.1 yards per carry, AU rushed for more than 200 yards for the fourth time in five games.
Defense: A – It’s always a good thing when you go on the road and don’t let your opponent score in the first half. In addition to shutting down Mississippi State’s running game, Auburn held Nick Fitzgerald to just 181 passing yards.
Special teams: B – Carlson made one field goal. Kevin Phillips averaged only 36.8 yards on his four punts.
Coaching: A – Auburn hasn’t won three straight since starting the 2014 season 5-0. Knowing his Tigers are the top rushing team in the SEC, Gus Malzahn has recognized his team’s strength and is sticking with it. Plus, his decision to go with White as his starting QB has proven to be the right one.
Overall: A – Beating a post-Dak Prescott-era Mississippi State team – albeit on the road – wasn’t surprising. However, how easily Auburn won was. As hot as they are, the Tigers are probably wishing they could play next week. But at least Johnson and others can get some extra rest and recovery time.
GAME PLAN
Auburn ran the ball 76 percent of the time, which led to a 33:22-26:38 time of possession edge. Plus, when the Tigers did throw the ball, White misfired on only four passes. AU ran 74 plays after executing 84 a week ago.
GAME BALLS
WR Tony Stevens: White’s favorite target and Auburn’s leading receiver topped the Tigers in catches (3) and receiving yards (64).
DE Carl Lawson: Despite making just three total tackles, he forced the fumble that led to a scoop and score by Montravius Adams.
DE Marlon Davidson: Like Lawson, Davidson forced a fumble and added five tackles and a sack.
Stan Chrapowicki is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Alabama and Auburn.
