Winners and losers from Auburn’s win over Western Kentucky
Auburn put a scare into its fan base and created a sense of false hope for its opponents late in the second quarter.
Western Kentucky’s Joshua Simon caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Austin Reed with six seconds remaining in the first half to tie Auburn at halftime, 17-17.
Auburn adjusted and would go on to post 24 unanswered points to pull away and earn the 41-17 win over Western Kentucky on Saturday afternoon.
There were plenty of positives in Saturday’s win, most of which came in the second half. While Auburn had the chance to improve in weak areas, there is still a few aspects that could see improvement heading into next week’s Iron Bowl.
Here is a look at the winners and losers from Auburn’s win over Western Kentucky.
Winner: Second half adjustments
Todd Van Emst / AU Athletics
This is an aspect of Auburn’s game that has improved drastically under interim head coach Cadillac Williams.
Western Kentucky erased a 17-3 deficit in the first half to tie the game as the second quarter clock expired to tie the Tigers, 17-17. Auburn was held to 164 total yards, compared to the 290 yards that the Hilltoppers were able to gain in the half.
Auburn would then rattle off 24 unanswered points in the second half to pull away from Western Kentucky.
Loser: Yardage allowed
John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
As expected, Western Kentucky earned most of its yardage through the air.
Hilltopper quarterback Austin Reed threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns, and Western Kentucky’s offense outgained Auburn 396-374 in the overall yardage department.
Defensively, there were a few things that went well, but there is still room to improve ahead of next Saturday’s game at Alabama.
Winners: Jarquez Hunter
Michael Chang/Getty Images
Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter once again had a successful day, doing so almost quietly.
Hunter ended with 109 yards rushing on 13 attempts for an average of 8.4 yards per carry. For the second straight week, he led all Auburn rushers in yards per carry.
He also threw Auburn’s only touchdown pass of the game, when he connected with Koy Moore on a halfback pass in the first half, channeling his inner Cadillac Williams:
This play looks familiar 😏 pic.twitter.com/y41r2aQtZs
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) November 19, 2022
Loser: Tackles for loss
John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
There were very few aspects of Auburn’s offensive game that could qualify as a “loser”, but there was one area that could improve.
Western Kentucky recorded six tackles behind the line of scrimmage for a total of 22 yards. Auburn will need to find ways to develop plays quicker in order to have an edge in the Iron Bowl.
Winner: Alex McPherson
The Montgomery Advertiser
True freshman Alex McPherson got to truly showcase his talents in Saturday’s win. He went 2-for-2 with a long of 51 yards and succeeded on all five extra-point attempts.
