Rapid Reaction: Auburn cruises past Georgia Southern, sets up epic clash vs. Clemson

In a battle of “Eagles,” Georgia Southern held its own early on. But after the dust settled, it was no match for War Eagle on Saturday. Auburn pulled away in the second quarter and never looked back, as it won the game 41-7 and opened the season 1-0.

It’s always a good feeling to get a comfortable win against a not-terrible opponent, but there also is plenty to be concerned about moving forward if you’re an Auburn fan. Overall, though, Tigers fans should be happy their team won this game by 34 points.

In Georgia Southern’s last three games against SEC teams it lost 37-27 to Ole Miss (2016) after leading a majority of the first half, took Georgia (2015) to overtime before falling 23-17 and beat Florida 26-20 (2013). This team was no cupcake.

Here are a few takeaways:

Stidham reasonably efficient

Besides one interception, there’s really not too much to criticize new starting QB Jarrett Stidham for. At the same time, he wasn’t overly impressive in the passing game. Stidham was 14-for-24 with 185 passing yards, two touchdowns and the pick. He did appear to be comfortable in the pocket for the most part, though he seemed to hold onto the ball for a while long at times. On a couple occasions, Stidham showed off the strong arm that people have been so excited about seeing. Overall, no hot take here. He looked finely serviceable. He also added a rushing TD.

RB issues: Pettway suspended, Johnson injured

Before the game, starting RB Kamryn Pettway, backup QB Sean White and wide receiver Kyle Davis were suspended. An Auburn spokesman said the three players would miss Saturday night’s game, but didn’t give a reason, according to ESPN. Head coach Gus Malzahn was expected to address the situation after the game. In other news, Kerryon Johnson went down with an apparent right leg injury in the first half. Johnson had already rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries before the injury.

Defense is elite

It’s safe to say. Sure, Auburn didn’t play an offensive juggernaut tonight. But the hype surrounding the defense, which showed flashes of greatness last season, appears  to be warranted. Georgia Southern finished the game with just 78 total yards. Auburn held the run-heavy Eagles to just 70 yards on the ground, and a whopping eight passing yards. Additionally, Georgia Southern was 0-for-15 on third down attempts. That’s as good as it gets for Auburn.

Cody McClure

Cody McClure is an SEC Football Writer for Saturday Down South. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he also co-hosts a midday sports radio show for FOX Sports. Cody previously worked for Athlon Sports.