Auburn, Ala. - The Auburn Tigers (1-0) throttled the UMass Minutemen (1-1) 59-14 on Saturday afternoon to begin the Hugh Freeze era.
From the very first whistle, the Tigers offense rolled. With a balanced attack, the Tigers imposed their will on the Minutemen. Auburn's defense would also come to play. They forced two turnovers, five three-and-outs, and three turnover on downs.
The Tigers first drive was 11 plays, but just over three minutes in time. Hugh Freeze and Offensive Coordinator Phillip Montgomery made it known from the start that tempo offense was back on the plains. With starting running back Jarquez Hunter out for the game, sophomore running back Damari Alston capped off the drive with a rushing touchdown. Alston finished the game with eight carries for 43 yards and a touchdown. Alston's run would be the first of many touchdowns in this game for the Tigers and the first of the Hugh Freeze era on the Plains.
While the offense was wide open to start the game, the defense needed a shot in the arm. After the kickoff pinned the Minutemen deep in their own territory, they responded with an 89-yard touchdown drive to tie the game. The Minutemen had the Tigers on their heels, and they were seemingly confused by their offensive scheme. UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh would rush for 50 yards and a touchdown on the drive. So what did the defense do to adjust?
"We know what we need to do as a defense," Auburn linebacker Eugene Asante said. "We know the standard that we've set as a defense. So I think the biggest thing was just settling in and being comfortable in our own skin."
"I think it was just more so getting that first drive out (of) the way," added Auburn defensive tackle Jayson Jones.There's a lot of misfits (and) a lot of errors on our part. And there's no one else to blame but us but we quickly figured that out."
Auburn's offense would respond, though. The Tigers drive stalled after a holding penalty and a negative run, but kicker Alex McPherson hit a 37-yard field goal to give them the lead. From then on, Auburn would not look back. After allowing 76 yards rushing on the first drive, Auburn's defense would only allow 64 more the rest of the game. They would force back-to-back three-and-outs while the offense would score back-to-back touchdowns, putting the Tigers up 24-10 with a little over 10 minutes left in the half. The player responsible for those touchdowns was backup quarterback Robby Ashford. While Ashford may not have won the starting quarterback job, he played an important role on Saturday. His legs were crucial for the Tigers, especially in the red zone.
"I've said Robby Ashford is vital to us winning football games, and I don't know how else to say it," Freeze said. "He is vital to us winning football games."
All in all, Ashford carried the ball nine times for 51 yards and three touchdowns.
It wasn't just Ashford who showed out in the opener, however. Veteran defensive back Donovan Kaufman wrecked havoc all day for the Minutemen. Kaufman finished the day with two tackles for loss and one sack, but his biggest play of the day came with just over seven minutes left in the first half. Kaufman blitzed UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh and forced a fumble that would be recovered by safety Jaylin Simpson. The turnover would put the Tigers in prime position to score where Michigan State transfer quarterback Payton Thorne would find receiver Ja'Varrius Johnson for a 33-yard gain inside the five-yard line. Ashford would then once again punch it in for the touchdown to put Auburn up 31-7 at halftime. All in all, Ashford carried the ball nine times for 51 yards and three touchdowns.
If there was concern about a letdown in the second half, fears were quickly erased after a Jaylin Simpson pick-six on the second play of the half. The defense would continue to stifle the Minutemen, not allowing them to score again until their second-to-last drive, when the defense was riddled with backups.
"I mean, we really had a lot of young guys in there," Freeze said. "It was good to see them get a lot of reps."
The offense did not want the defense to steal its thunder, though. On the first offensive play of the half, quarterback Payton Thorne would throw his first touchdown pass of his Auburn career to sophomore receiver Jay Fair. After this possession, the Tigers would begin to slow things down offensively and play more backups. Despite the large number of backups in the game, though, the Tigers would still score two more touchdowns, including a 42-yard rushing touchdown by true freshman running back Jeremiah Cobb.
For Auburn fans, a high-scoring beatdown was a sight for sore eyes, albeit against an inferior opponent. Last season, the most points scored by Auburn was 42 in the season opener against Mercer. The Tigers surpassed that total two minutes into the third quarter. What does this mean for the rest of the season? Probably not much, but it does give Auburn fans reason for optimism once again. A new era has arrived on the plains.
Next Saturday, the Tigers will travel across the country for a showdown against California. For now, Hugh Freeze and Auburn will celebrate their first win of the season.
"I've got, I think, 34 uncles here, and then all our parents, and we'll have sandwiches at my house here shortly," Freeze said. "So it'll be fun to celebrate with family."
