NCAAF Grading the Game: Auburn’s 59-14 win over UMass
The Auburn Tigers started the Hugh Freeze era with a dominant 59-14 win over UMass Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The Tigers got off to a slow start, allowing the Minutemen to march down the field during their opening possession to score a touchdown and tie the game at 7-7. Auburn’s offense scored on their next four possessions and the defense buckled down, forcing two three-and-outs and a turnover as the Tigers stretched the lead out to 31-7 before halftime.
Despite missing expected starting running back Jarquez Hunter, the Tigers were able to run the ball at will, and backup quarterback Robby Ashford was a major reason why.
He rushed for three touchdowns in the second quarter and showed that he can be a weapon in the red zone as a change of pace to starter Payton Thorne.
He wasn’t the only Tiger to have a great game though, here is a grade for every positional group after their big win over the Minutemen.
Quarterback: A
This is what a two-quarterback system is supposed to look like. Freeze and offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery had a great plan to use both Thorne and Ashford, maximizing both of their strengths and not asking them to do things they shouldn’t.
Ashford’s running ability gives Auburn a numbers advantage in the red zone and forces the defense to prepare for a very different offense. He finished the day with 51 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to go with 2-of-6 passing for three yards.
Thorne missed a couple of receivers and it looked like they were not quite on the same page, which is not unexpected with how little they have played together. He went 10-of-17 for 141 yards and a touchdown as Auburn did not ask him to do much with their success on the ground.
Running back: A
Auburn showcased its impressive depth at running back in this game. They were without Hunter but it didn’t matter as the group rushed for 241 yards and three touchdowns. Damari Alston got the start in place of Hunter and showed the offseason hype was justified, rushing for his first collegiate touchdown to open the scoring. Battie showcased his explosiveness in the return game and has the ability to be a mismatch.
True freshman Jeremiah Cobb even got into the game, picking up the first touchdown of his career to go with an impressive block in pass protection to give Thorne time to make a pass. Sean Jackson reeled off a 45-yard touchdown run in the second half for Auburn’s longest play of the game.
Tight End: C
The tight ends did not register a catch but did help out the offense with some blocking. Rivaldo Fairweather was flagged for holding that helped force Auburn to kick a field goal in their second drive of the game.
Wide Receiver: C
With Auburn’s success on the ground, the Tigers attempted just 25 passes, completing 14 for 205 yards and 1 touchdown. The group helped out the run game with some good blocking on the perimeter. The Jay Fair hype looks justified as he led Auburn with five receptions for 56 yards and the touchdown.
Offensive Line: A
Auburn’s new offensive line passed its first test with flying colors. They allowed zero sacks and gave Auburn’s quarterbacks plenty of time to operate. They were also a major reason for Auburn’s success in the running game, opening up massive holes for them to run through. With four new starters, being flagged just twice was a solid sign of their chemistry.
Defensive Line: B-
The defensive front struggled on the first drive of the game as UMass marched right down the field to tie the game at 7-7. They improved as the game went on, both Marcus Harris and Elijah McAllister registered sacks but questions will persist about their ability to stop the run.
Linebacker: B-
Auburn’s linebackers struggled at the start of the game but improved as the game went on. Eugene Asante led the team with 6 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss and looks to have found his place in his second season with the Tigers. Much like the defensive line, there will be questions about how they will fare against the run after UMass averaged 5.2 yards per carry and it would have been higher if Taisun Phommachanh didn’t get injured early in the game.
Defensive Back: A+
Auburn’s defensive backs did a little bit of everything Saturday. Donovan Kaufman recorded the first turnover of the season with a strip sack that Jaylin Simpson recovered. They started out the second half with a bang, Keionte Scott pressured Phommachanh, forcing a quick throw that Simpson jumped in front of and returned 50 yards for the easy touchdown.
They held UMass receivers to just 14 catches for 161 yards and one touchdown.
Special teams: A
Brian Battie’s first touch as a Tiger was a nice 38-yard return on the opening kickoff. That set the tone for the returners as he had another solid return and Keionte Scott had a great 56-yard punt return to set up Auburn’s second touchdown of the game.
While those two stole the show, the rest of the unit was also good. Oscar Chapman averaged 39 yards on his two punts and Alex McPherson was perfect on the day, making one field goal and eight extra points.
Coaching: A
Auburn’s new coaching staff had a great game plan on both sides of the ball. Montgomery nailed the quarterback rotation and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts did a great job dialing up blitzes to generate pressure and force several negative plays.
For a team that is full of newcomers, Auburn was penalized just three times, two for holding and one offensive facemask. Preventing any procedural penalties is a great sign for such a new team.
