No. 24 Auburn appears to be headed in the right direction after two weeks of winning football as it prepares for Saturday’s matchup with visiting South Alabama.
While the 38-24 victory over Baylor in Week 1 showcased the Tigers’ physicality, last weekend was about putting the ball in quarterback Jackson Arnold’s hands and seeing what the former Oklahoma Sooner could do.
Arnold acquitted himself well against overmatched Ball State, taking it to the MAC school in a 42-3 romp.
In the first home game for Auburn (2-0), Arnold completed all but four of his 28 passes, totaling 251 yards and three touchdowns as almost everything went right for the home team.
“I thought defensively we were physical and flew around,” said coach Hugh Freeze, whose defense held the Cardinals to minus-3 rushing yards on 33 attempts. “It was the first time since 2001 (versus Florida) that an Auburn team has done that. Fourteen tackles for loss, six sacks … our defense just played hungry and physical.”
However, it was Arnold, a junior, who was in the spotlight at a position longing for a dynamic leader, passer and rusher since Bo Nix left for Oregon after the 2021 season.
Arnold is giving fans on the Plains cause for optimism.
After passing for 108 yards and rushing for 137 and two touchdowns in the Baylor win, Arnold went full-on pass mode against Ball State, nearly establishing a school record for completion percentage.
“We should’ve set it somehow, some way,” Freeze said. “If I’d have stuck with what I knew was there, he probably would’ve been 28 of 28.”
Of the 307 rushing yards on 52 attempts against Baylor, Freeze said, “I really don’t care if we get criticized (about not passing) if we rush for over 300 to win a Power Four game.”
Arnold loves his receiving corps, which features Georgia Tech transfer Eric Singleton Jr.
“At any point at any time, I can look out to my left and my right and be comfortable who I’m throwing to,” Arnold said. “I’ve got dudes all across the field I can spread the ball to.”
A 25 1/2-point underdog and Auburn’s final nonconference foe until November, South Alabama (1-1) nearly rallied to tie Tulane last week but fell 33-31 after a two-point conversion failed with 59 seconds left.
The Sun Belt Conference team did manage 421 yards of offense. Quarterback Bishop Davenport passed for 231 yards, 152 of it to receiver Devin Voisin on eight catches for two touchdowns.
The concerns, however, lie on the defensive side.
The Jaguars allowed 406 yards of offense to Tulane and may be without linebacker Blayne Myrick, chosen as the conference’s preseason Defensive Player of the Year, and safety Ty Goodwill. Both were hurt against the Green Wave.
“They’re just day-to-day right now,” coach Major Applewhite told AL.com. “It’s just still kind of fresh, still trying to get (medical test) results and those type of things. I’m optimistic, but I don’t have a definitive (answer) right now to be able to tell you.”
