First half highlights: Top plays from a dominating first half

Wow, what a first half from the Auburn Tigers.

Auburn entered Saturday’s game at Arkansas needing just one win in order to secure a bowl bid, and are in prime position to do so after one half of play as they lead, 27-3.

The Tigers ended the first half with 216 yards, compared to Arkansas’ 110 yards. There were plenty of players that contributed to Auburn’s high first-half output.

Starting with quarterback Payton Thorne. Thorne ends the first half with 205 yards and two total scores. He rushed for a 12-yard touchdown to put Auburn on the board early in the game, and connected with Rivaldo Fairweather for another in the 1st quarter.

Defensively, Auburn was led by Eugene Asante with six total tackles. The Tigers recorded four total sacks and five tackles for loss. Marcus Harris recorded the lone turnover by falling on a fumble with 0:21 to go in the first half.

Alex McPherson connected on both of his field goal attempts in the 2nd quarter of 39 and 31 respectively.

It was a half to remember. Here are the plays that defined the first half of Auburn’s 27-3 lead over Arkansas.

The Thorne-Burton connection sets the tone

Auburn performs better when they set the tone early. That is exactly what happened during the Tigers’ first possession when quarterback Payton Thorne connected with Caleb Burton for a 45-yard pass on the game’s second play.

That man has a family!

The 45-yard pass from Thorne to Burton set up a favorable ending for the Tigers on their first drive. Thorne capped the drive by running through Arkansas’ Lorando Johnson on his way to a 12-yard touchdown rush. The score pushed Auburn ahead, 7-0 with 12:37 remaining in the 1st quarter.

Keionte Scott joins the party

The Tigers’ defense stood strong after the offense’s successful drive by forcing Arkansas to go three-and-out on their first drive. On the punt, returner Keionte Scott ran virtually untouched for a 74-yard score. Auburn extended their lead to 14-0 with 10:44 to go in the 1st quarter.

Just call him 'teflon'

The first quarter was action-packed, and Rivaldo Fairweather wanted to jump into the party. He hauled in an 11-yard pass from Thorne to extend Auburn’s lead to 21-0 with 6:28 to go in the 1st quarter.

The freshman has a great first half

The pass rush needed to have a great day in order to slow down KJ Jefferson, and they have delivered so far. The Auburn defense has held Arkansas to XXX yards, with XX sacks and XX tackles for loss to this point in the game. Freshman Keldric Faulk ended the first half with XX tackles.

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire