Sept. 11, 2016
By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn found its offense and a lot of players found playing time Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The Tigers beat Arkansas State 51-14, ran up 706 yards in doing so, and played lots of players in the process.
Sixty-six players played for the Tigers.
"It was great to get young guys quality experience and that will help us in the future with our depth," said coach Gus Malzahn. "Overall, that was a big factor and it will definitely help us moving down the road."
Auburn will be looking for lots of offense, and rotating players, too, when it opens SEC play against Texas A&M at 6 p.m. this Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
It was a noteworthy game, or at least a game that produced notes such as...
- Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway each rushed for more than 100 yards for the first time in their careers. The last time two Auburn players had their first career 100-yard rushing nights in the same game was Sept. 11, 1982 against Wake Forest when Bo Jackson and Lionel James did it.
A story on the big night from Johnson and Pettway is here.
Kerryon Johnson, Kamryn Pettway give Auburn a 1-2 rushing punch heading to SEC play. Story: https://t.co/7nT86BY3ow pic.twitter.com/XtKKUX5Nua
- Auburn Gold Mine (@AUGoldMine) September 11, 2016
Here are some more notes from Auburn...
- Senior kicker Daniel Carlson scored his first career touchdown on a fake field goal in the second quarter. The fake field goal touchdown in the second quarter was the first by an Auburn team since the 2000 Vanderbilt game when Damon Duval threw a pass to Lorenzo Diamond).
A story on Daniel Carlson's trickery is here.
- Carlson scored 21 points (1 TD, 3 FG, 6 PAT) to set a new Auburn record for points scored in a game by a kicker (previous: 18, twice; 1982, Al Del Greco vs. Kentucky; 2014; Carlson at Alabama).
- Kerryon Johnson's 47-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was a career-long rush.
- Freshman WR Kyle Davis' first two career catches each went for more than 40 yards: a 43-yard reception vs. Clemson last week and a 42-yard catch in the first quarter against Arkansas State. Davis is the first Auburn freshman with a 40-yard reception since 2002 when Devin Aromashadu, Ben Obomanu and Anthony Mix.
- Senior WR Tony Stevens had the first 2-touchdown game of his career. He had two touchdowns in his career entering tonight's game.
- Senior DB Johnathan Ford had 10 tackles, giving him 232 for his career. That passes Karlos Dansby (2001-03) and Travis Williams (2001-05) for ninth in Auburn history. Next on the list is Josh Bynes (240, 2007-10).
- Ford's 10 tackles mark his ninth career game with double-digit stops.
- Ford was Auburn's leading tackler for the 10th time in his career.
- Auburn's 706 yards of total offense were the second-most in school history. Auburn had 712 yards against Western Carolina in 2013.
- Auburn's 462 rushing yards were the fourth-most in school history and the most since rushing for 545 yards in the 2013 SEC Championship game against Missouri.
- Auburn's 452 yards of offense in the first half were the most for the Tigers in a first half since racking up 484 in 2010 against Chattanooga.
- Auburn's defense has now held its opponent to 10 points or less in each of the last six halves, dating back to the 2015 Birmingham Bowl against Memphis.
- Auburn did not punt in the game.
Charles Goldberg is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @AUGoldMine