AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn (1-0) defeated Alabama A&M (0-1) 73-3 Saturday night to open up the season. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze's first season on the plains was ripe with poor offensive production, but Auburn looked to quickly turn the page this season with an impressive offensive showing in the season opener.
If Auburn wanted to improve offensively, Freeze knew various things needed to change. Perhaps the biggest improvement that needed to be made was at wide receiver. Freeze decided to overhaul the receiver room before the 2024 season completely. Auburn returned only two receivers from the 2023 team, junior Camden Brown and redshirt sophomore Caleb Burton. Freeze signed four receivers out of high school, including one of the top receivers in the nation Cam Coleman, and added three receivers out of the transfer portal. It had to be satisfying to see his new receivers shine.
"It was really satisfying," Freeze said. "They're just young kids, man, and they just are enjoying playing and going through the experience."
One game against an inferior opponent is a small sample size but the early returns show promise. Nine different players had a reception Saturday night. Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith scored the first reception touchdown of the season on a 67-yard pass from Payton Thorne and added another touchdown on the fourth drive. Lambert-Smith finished the night with three receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
"I feel like we came out here and executed the game plan," Lambert-Smith said.
On the third drive of the game, star freshman Cam Coleman made an appearance with a 44-yard touchdown reception. Coleman finished the game with two receptions for 62 yards in his debut. Speaking of freshmen, Perry Thompson added a 70-yard touchdown reception of his own and finished the night with two receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Another freshman Malcolm Simmons had the first reception of the game for Auburn and made his presence known throughout the game. He finished the night with three receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. Simmons also recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown.
"We are still young, but our guys and coaches to believe in us, to put us out there, I mean we gonna go out there and do our job," Simmons said.
Georgia State transfer Robert Lewis had one reception for eight yards, and California transfer Sam Jackson IV had one reception for 37 yards and a touchdown.
"I thought Dre set a good tone for that room, and Robert, and those two are really good leaders," Freeze said.
Auburn's remade receiver room seems leaps and bounds better than last year's room, but will the success continue? That's the question only Hugh Freeze and his players can answer. Auburn will be back in action next Saturday for a matchup with California. Will the receivers shine again?
"Learn from what we didn't do well tonight and take confidence in what we did do well and let's grow from that, but we certainly haven't arrive yet," Freeze said.
