Deuce dazzles: Knight leads Auburn to 62-17 win over Mercer

AUBURN, Ala. – Deuce got loose and stayed loose. 

In an epic first start, freshman quarterback Deuce Knight rushed for four touchdowns and passed for two more to lead Auburn to a 62-17 victory over Mercer Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. 

“A complete game in all three phases in the second half,” interim head coach DJ Durkin said. “The game Deuce had, moving the ball with the throws and the runs, he showed everyone what we’ve been seeing at practice.”

Knight completed 15 of 20 passes for 239 yards and rushed nine times for 162 yards, accounting for 401 of Auburn’s 547 yards of total offense. 

“The coaches had a great game plan that suited me,” Knight said. “We’ve got a lot of great players. It’s easy when you have that talent around you. You just have to do your part when everybody does theirs.”

On the game’s first play, Knight worked through his progressions and when his receivers were covered, he took off to his right, turned upfield and raced 75 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. 

“That was unbelievable,” Durkin said. “It was a great way to start the game and his career.”

Bound for the FCS playoffs, Mercer showcased its high-powered offense with long touchdown drives on its first two possessions to take a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter. 

“We did make a few adjustments,” Durkin said, “but it was more challenging our guys to play to the standard. We have great leadership and our guys responded.”

Knight tied the game with his second rushing touchdown, a 51-yarder where he again sprinted down the right sideline when he did not have an open receiver.

Knight gave Auburn a 21-14 lead midway through the second quarter with a 9-yard designed run, needing only a quarter and a half to produce a hat trick. 

After Mercer kicked a field goal, Knight scored his fourth touchdown on another designed run, a 20-yarder with 1:15 remaining in the first half. 

Kaleb Harris’ first career interception and 16-yard return gave Auburn possession at Mercer’s 33-yard line with 28 seconds left. 

Three short completions advanced the ball to the 10-yard with six seconds left, enough time for Knight to throw his first career touchdown pass, to Cam Coleman.

Leading 35-17 at the half, Auburn added to its lead on the first possession of the third quarter when Elijah Melendez returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown to go ahead 42-17.

“Any time you create those plays, you create some doubt and affect the quarterback,” Durkin said. “That’s what I thought we did a great job of, to increase some uncertainty in him.”

After a Mercer punt pinned Auburn at its 9-yard line, the Tigers scored in one play again when Knight threw deep to Malcolm Simmons, who got past a defender, then outraced him to the goal line for a 91-yard touchdown and a 49-17 Auburn lead midway through the third quarter. 

Alex McPherson’s 11th consecutive field goal, a 47-yarder, put Auburn on top 52-17 early in the fourth quarter.  

After Jay Hardy recovered Chris Murray’s strip sack, McPherson made his 12th consecutive field goal attempt, a 49-yarder. 

Jackson Arnold joined the party with a 56-yard rushing touchdown, Auburn’s fifth quarterback scoring run of the game. 

Robert Woodyard led Auburn with eight tackles. Murray recorded two sacks while Amaris Williams, Keyron Crawford, JJ Faulk and Coleman Granberry each added tackles for loss. 

Auburn (5-6, 1-6) remains at Jordan-Hare Stadium next Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT to host No. 10 Alabama in the Iron Bowl. 

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer

GAME NOTES

>> Captains: Keldric Faulk, Brandon Frazier, Bobby Jamison-Travis, Izavion Miller
>> Coin Toss: Mercer won the toss and elected to defer; Auburn received 
>> Eagle Flight: Aurea flew from section 12  

TEAM NOTES
>> First-time starters (collegiate or at Auburn): Deuce Knight, Elijah Melendez
>> Collegiate debuts: Alvin Henderson, Keaton McNutt, Antwon Fegans, Jacoby Matthews
>> Auburn has five linemen on either side of the ball who have started in 23 or more straight games: Xavier Chaplin (36), Dillon Wade (33), Keldric Faulk (31), Mason Murphy (23) and Jeremiah Wright (23).
>> Saturday marked the 21st consecutive sellout at Jordan-Hare Stadium, dating back to the start of the 2023 season
>> Auburn has scored in a school-record 165 consecutive games, dating back to the first game of 2013. 
>> With Saturday’s win, the Tigers improved their all-time record vs. Mercer to 14-0, including a 9-0 mark at home.
>> Auburn has an 809-484-47 record in 133 seasons of football, the 14th most wins among FBS programs.
>> In the 86th season of football at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn is 353-102-7 all-time at home.
>> Auburn is 5-1 this season and 15-5 in the last three seasons when scoring 20+ points.
>> Auburn’s 62 points were a season-high and the most since scoring 73 vs. Alabama A&M in the 2024 season opener.
>> DJ Durkin recorded his first win as interim head coach at Auburn and his first win as a head coach since Maryland defeated Indiana 42-39 on Oct. 28, 2017.
>> Auburn’s interim head coaches hold an all-time 5-7 (Bill Oliver, Kevin Steele, Carnell Williams, DJ Durkin). 
>> Saturday marked just the fourth time since at least 1996 that Auburn scored a touchdown on its first play from scrimmage (2019 vs. Mississippi State, 2016 vs. Arkansas, 2003 vs. Alabama). 
>> For the first time since at least 1995, Auburn has had three different quarterbacks rush for two or more touchdowns in a single game in a season. 
>> With Deuce Knight’s 100+-yard rushing performance, Auburn has had two quarterbacks (Knight and Jackson Arnold) rush for 100 or more yards in a game in the same season for the first time since at least 1996. 
>> Auburn’s nine different players with an interception are the most since 10 different players recorded a pick in 2018.
>> Auburn’s 218 rushing yards in the first half were the most since Auburn rushed for 219 in the first half versus Georgia State on Sept. 25, 2021. 
>> With 547 yards total offense, Auburn has had 500+ yards of offense in back-to-back games for the first time since the first two games of the 2021 season.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES - OFFENSE
>> Deuce Knight became the fifth known left-handed starting quarterback in Auburn history, joining Lloyd Nix (1956-58), Charles Thomas (1978-81), Ken Hobby (1981) and Brandon Cox (2004-07).
>> On Auburn’s first play of scrimmage, Knight scored a 75-yard rushing touchdown, the first score of his career.
>> Knight’s touchdown tied Carnell “Cadillac” Williams (vs. Alabama, 2003) for the fastest touchdown in Auburn history at 15 seconds. 
>> Knight was responsible for six touchdowns (4 rushing, 2 passing) in today’s game, tying the program record (Cam Newton, 2010 SEC Championship vs. South Carolina; Carnell Williams vs. Mississippi State, 2003).
>> The 75-yard run tied for the 27th longest run in Auburn history and the longest since Jarquez Hunter went 94 yards against Alabama State on Sept. 11, 2021. It also tied Tristan Davis (Nov. 5, 2005 at Kentucky) for the fifth longest run by a freshman in Auburn history. 
>> Knight’s 75-yard rush was the sixth longest run by an Auburn quarterback in program history and the longest since John Franklin III had an 80-yard rush vs. ULM in 2016.
>> Knight added a 51-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter to become the third Auburn quarterback with multiple rushing touchdowns in a game this season.
>> Knight joined Phil Gargis (1974), Cam Newton (2010) and Jackson Arnold (2025) as Tiger quarterbacks to rush for 100+ yards in their starting debut. 
>> With a nine-yard and 20-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, Knight became the first Auburn quarterback with four rushing touchdowns in a game since Cam Newton versus Kentucky on Oct. 9, 2010. His four rushing touchdowns are the most by an Auburn Tiger since Kerryon Johnson had five vs. Missouri on Sept. 23, 2017. 
>> Knight’s four rushing touchdowns were:

• The most by an Auburn quarterback in a starting debut since at least 1969.
• Tied for the fourth-most by an Auburn player in program history.
• Tied for the third-most by an SEC quarterback in a single game since 1995. 

>> Knight became the first Auburn quarterback to rush for 150+ yards since Nick Marshall vs. Tennessee in 2013. He is the first Auburn freshman to rush for 100 yards since Robby Ashford (121 yards, 17 carries, two TD) at No. 8 Alabama on Nov. 26, 2022. 
>> Knight’s 173 first-half rushing yards were the third-most in a half by an Auburn player since 1980; Tre Mason had 195 vs. Missouri in the first half of the 2013 SEC Championship game.
>> Knight’s 162 rushing yards were tied for the ninth-most in a game by an Auburn freshman (Tristan Davis vs. Kentucky, 2005) and ninth-most by an Auburn quarterback in program history. His 162 rushing yards also the most by an Auburn quarterback since Nick Marshall had 214 vs. Tennessee on Nov. 9, 2013.
>> Knight’s 162 rushing yards were the seventh-most by an SEC freshman quarterback since 1995.
>> Knight finished with 401 yards of total offense (162 rushing, 239 passing), the 10th most by an Auburn player since 1996.  
>> Knight connected with Cam Coleman for a 10-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter to record his first passing touchdown of his career. 
>> Knight connected with Malcolm Simmons for a 91-yard touchdown reception the third quarter, tying for the third longest touchdown pass in school history (Bo Nix to Anthony Schwartz vs. LSU in 2020).
>> Jackson Arnold’s 56-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was the longest of his career and his 8thTD rush of the season.
>> Arnold’s 8th rushing touchdowns this season are tied for sixth-most by a quarterback in Auburn history (Dameyune Craig 1996, Bobby Freeman 1954) and the most since Nick Marshall had 11 in 2014.
>> Eric Singleton Jr. has recorded a catch in every game of his collegiate career (35 straight). The streak is tied for the seventh longest active streak in FBS and the third-longest among SEC players. 
>> With four receptions Saturday, Singleton Jr. brought his season reception total to 55, which ties Terry Beasley (1971) for the eight most in a single season at Auburn.
>> Cam Coleman’s 10-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter was his fifth of the season and the 13th of his career.
>> Malcolm Simmons’ 91-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter was the first of the season for Simmons and was the longest catch of his career. 
>> Simmons set a career high with 149 receiving yards, tying for 24th-most in a single game in Auburn history. It was the most receiving yards by a Tiger since KeAndre Lambert-Smith had 156 yards versus Arkansas on Sept. 21, 2024. 
>> Brandon Frazier played in his 54th career game at Auburn, moving him into a tie for ninth in program history with Tre Smith (2002-06). 

INDIVIDUAL NOTES - DEFENSE
>> Zykeivous Walker played in his 55th career game at Auburn, moving him into a tie for seventh in program history with James Joseph (1986-90). 
>> Kayin Lee set a career high with six total tackles. 
>> Kaleb Harris recorded this first interception of his career with his second-quarter pick.
>> Elijah Melendez recorded the second interception of his career, returning it 41-yards for a touchdown for Auburn’s second defensive score of the season (Rayshawn Pleasant at Arkansas). 
>> With two sacks today, Chris Murray brought his season sack total to 3.5 while upping his career total to 10.0.
>> With three tackles, Atkins brought his season total to 81, which ties Dorian Mausi (2024) for the 23rd most tackles in a season by a Tiger since 2005. – Deshaun Davis (82, 2017), 21st – Neiko Thorpe (84, 2009), 19th– Eugene Asante (86, 2023) and Jermaine Whitehead (86, 2012). 
>> Caleb Wheatland and Jourdin Crawford recorded their first tackles at Auburn.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES - SPECIAL TEAMS
>> Alex McPherson now has 198 career kicking points, surpassing Jorge Portela (188, 1977-1979) for ninth in Auburn program history. 
>> McPherson has made 84 career PATs, passing Matt Hawkins (1994-95) for 10th in Auburn program history.
>> McPherson made his 37th and 38th field goals of his career today, tying Jorge Portela for 9th in program history.
>> McPherson made his 17th and 18th field goals of the season, tying him for 7th with Daniel Carlson (2014) and Anders Carlson (2019) in a single season.
>> LS Keaton McNutt saw his first collegiate action, snapping for an extra point in the fourth quarter.
>> McPherson’s three field goals moved him into 10th in Auburn history with 36 made. He moved past Scott Etheredge (1992-93)
>> McPherson has made 10 consecutive field goal tries