The Auburn Tigers beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs 27-13 on Saturday to end a four-game losing streak and get the first SEC win under Hugh Freeze. The result now puts both teams at 4-4 and looking for two more wins to become bowl-eligible. For Auburn, it was a change in offensive success. Especially through the air, and in the first half. Quarterback Payton Thorne saw most of the snaps and was in rhythm throughout the game. Thorne was 20 of 26 for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Jarquez Hunter added some explosive plays rushing for 144 yards on 17 carries. The defense continued their bend but not break style, but struggled with the run giving up 184 yards. Defensively, Auburn was led by Eugene Asante with ten tackles. The defensive front did put pressure on Mississippi State quarterback Mike Wright but did not collect a sack.
Auburn Tigers Beat Mississippi State 27-13
Auburn Airs it Out
The Auburn Tigers came out in the first possession throwing and utilizing tempo. These are two things the Tigers have not shown for most of the season. The change was a good one. Thorne led an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Shane Hooks. Thorne was good on possession, going four of five for 53 yards. Mississippi State answered back with a long drive of 11 plays that covered 65 yards, but the Bulldogs had to settle for a Kyle Ferrie 29-yard field goal. That kick made it 7-3 with 6:20 in the first.
The Auburn Air Show continued their second drive with Throne connecting with Ja’Varrius Johnson on a 45-yard touchdown pass. That was on the fifth play of the drive, and after that pass, Thorne was eight of nine for 120 yards and two touchdowns. This is the same Auburn team that was struggling in prior games to just pass for 100 yards in an entire game.
Tigers Take Big Lead
The teams would go on to exchange punts, but Auburn did get the run game going in their third possession. Hunter broke loose on a 32-yard run to open the quarter. He had 45 yards before the drive stalled due to an offensive pass interference penalty. The Auburn defense shut down the Mississippi State offense again and forced a Keelan Crimmins punt. The drive started at the Tigers’ 48, and with some help from some Bulldogs, penalties moved the ball. The Tigers were unable to capitalize with six points but did get three with an Alex McPherson field goal of 39 yards. That kick gave Auburn a 17-3 lead with 7:18 until halftime.
With 4:02 until halftime, the Bulldogs had a great opportunity to get the ball near midfield after an Oscar Chapman punt. Mississippi State got to the Auburn 30 but faced a fourth and one. Wright attempted to run for the first down but lost his footing a fell short of the first down.
Auburn went aggressive and looked for more points. Thorne connected with Johnson and Rivaldo Fairweather to get them into Bulldogs territory. On a second-and-ten play, Hunter caught a pass and went 21 yards with it to get the Tigers to the 16. After a Thorne run of nine yards, the quarterback found running back Jeremiah Cobb for his third touchdown pass of the game. That put the Tigers up 24-3 at halftime, and Thorne was 15 of 20 with 192 yards as the teams headed into the locker rooms.
Auburn Extends
The Bulldogs opened the second half by moving the football. The drive did not look promising with some early penalties that put them in a first and 27. A holding penalty on Auburn gave Mississippi State a first down at their own 27. On a third and four at the 46, running back Seth Davis went 37 yards to get to the Auburn 18. The Tigers defense once again stood up and held them out of the endzone. The Bulldogs were held to a 40-yard field goal by Ferrie to make it 24-6 with 9:10 in the third.
Auburn responded with a field goal of their own. To close out a 12-play, 44-yard drive McPherson would hit a 49-yard field goal to put the Tigers up 27-6 with 3:14 left in the third. Auburn continued with the success through the air, and a 14-yard reception by Jay Fair helped put them in range for the kick. That catch advanced them from their own 49 to the Bulldog 37.
Auburn Defense Holds
Mississippi State would continue with the ground success as they got the ball back towards the end of the third. Wright had runs of 11 and 13 as the quarter ended, and the Bulldogs had advanced to the Auburn 27. The drive started with a 19-yard pass play from Wright to Zavion Thomas. They got into Auburn territory two plays later on a 22-yard run by Jeffrey Pittman. Wright and Thomas connected to start the fourth despite great coverage by Keion Scott for a 14-yard touchdown. That score made it 27-13 in favor of the Tigers.
After both teams traded punts, Mississippi State had an opportunity to get within one score. The Bulldogs faced a third and 12 with 9:35 left, and Wright found Antonio Harmon for 21 yards to get them to the Tigers 46. Two plays later the Tigers’ defense made a play when Wright went deep and was intercepted by Zion Puckett. That was his second in two weeks.
Auburn was unable to do anything with the turnover and gave it back to Mississippi State. The Tigers defense had to hold once again. The Bulldogs did move the ball to the Tigers 15, but three straight incompletions for Wright resulted in a turnover on downs with 2:55 remaining. Then for Auburn, Hunter took over. He took the first play for 17 yards and the following for 50 more. That got the Tigers to the 20 but proceeded to go backward. On third and 25 with 1:18 left, Thorne went deep and was aided by a pass interference call on the Bulldogs’ defensive back Decamerion Richardson. The victory formation followed and Auburn beat Mississippi State 27-13.
