It was a beautiful day for football and the 2024 Auburn A-Day Game that saw the offense defeat the defense 28-27. It was the first chance for the fans of the Tigers to see their beloved team. The format for this year’s edition was offense versus defense, and the defense would be spotted 27 points to start the game. The game was four 10-minute quarters with mostly a running clock. The Tigers’ offense put up a total of 411 yards with 365 coming through the air.
2024 Auburn A-Day Game
Cam Coleman Shines
There were a few highlights on the afternoon, but one that should have social media and football fans buzzing was freshman wide receiver Cam Coleman. The five-star recruit had a big day with four catches for 92 yards and one touchdown. The quarterbacks targeted Coleman seven times.
His first big catch of the game came in the first quarter when Hank Brown got his first possession at quarterback. It was the third drive of the game, and the two connected for a 50-yard pass to the 16-yard line. The offense was unable to capitalize and kick one of many field goals of the afternoon.
The second big catch from Coleman came around 8:45 left in the game when quarterback Payton Thorne found Coleman in one-on-one coverage. Coleman out-maneuvered the defensive back and caught a 34-yard touchdown pass for the only touchdown in the 2024 Auburn A-Day Game. In both plays he showed his speed and athleticism, and why head coach Hugh Freeze has said multiple times he makes them different.
Towns McGough Perfect
Coleman had the big plays, but most of the scoring came from the leg of freshman kicker Towns McGough. He is not a stranger to Auburn though. McGough played high school for the Auburn High Tigers and felt right at home. He was perfect on all seven field goal attempts, including a 58-yard field goal to win the game 28-27 as time expired. He also had kicks of 43 and 49 yards in the game as well. The Tigers will have some great kicking talent with McGough and the returning Alex McPherson who went 13 for 13 in 2023. He did not play on Saturday due to injury.
Quarterback?
One of the big questions during the spring was the quarterback position. A lot of Auburn fans questioned Freeze for not being more aggressive in the transfer portal for a better solution at the most important position.
Thorne got the start for the 2024 Auburn A-Day Game and looks like he does have a slight advantage to be the starter in the fall. He was 9 of 13 for 133 yards and one touchdown. He did look to use his running ability like last season and rushed for 20 yards. That number might have been higher in a normal game. Brown had some nice throws including the one to Coleman, but showed some inconsistency. He completed five of his 12 passes for 103 yards, and freshman Walker White was similar. White was five for 13 with 83 yards, but showed the arm talent that has people excited for his future.
Holden Geriner was a solid seven of 10 for 46 yards. The most important stat for all of the quarterbacks was they threw zero interceptions. Thorne threw 10 passes to the other team last season and needs to bring that number down. Among Brown, White, and Geriner one has to wonder if one will enter the transfer portal.
Other Takeaways
Coleman was not the only receiver who made positive plays on Saturday. Georgia State transfer Robert Lewis led the way with five catches for 73 yards. He also had a long of 40 yards. Geriner had a good connection with Camden Brown. The two connected twice on a drive in the second quarter for first downs. Brown had three catches for 45 yards and was targeted four times.
The Tigers featured more of the passing game on Saturday, so the running game did not get going much. Overall, they rushed for 46 yards between nine different players. Damari Alson led the way for 21 yards on six carries.
Defensively, the line did a good job of applying pressure on the quarterbacks. They had four sacks on the day and 12 tackles for loss. Players that saw their name called on that side were Jaylen McCloud and Eugene Asante. McCloud more than others, and after the game Freeze seemed very pleased with the effort of the defensive line.
