There was a different level of energy on display when Auburn traveled to Firstbank Stadium to take on No. 16 Vanderbilt for the first game of the post-Hugh Freeze era.
But, the Tigers fell 45-38, but the DJ Durkin-led unit took a Vanderbilt squad with College Football Playoff aspirations to overtime. Auburn delivered the first blow, scoring on every drive in the first half to seize a 10-point lead at the break, but the Tigers’ defense was no match for Diego Pavia as the Commodores scored on five of their final seven drives, totaling 391 yards on just 28 plays.
Auburn fell to 4-6 on the season and must win its final two games (Mercer and Alabama) to earn a bid for postseason play.
Here are a few stats and tidbits from the Tigers’ loss:
Miscellaneous
– Auburn fell to 4-6 on the season. It’s the fifth consecutive season in which the Tigers have had six or more losses, which is the longest such stretch in program history.
– All six losses this season have come by 10 points or less.
– The Tigers are 4-15 in their last 19 matchups against Power Four opponents.
– Auburn has not beaten a ranked foe on the road since 2019 (Texas A&M).
– Vanderbilt now owns the all-time series advantage with a 23-22-1 record against Auburn. The Tigers have lost four of the last six meetings in the series.
– Auburn fell to 4-10-1 under interim head coaches with the loss: Boozer Pitts 1927 (0-4-2), Bill Oliver 1998 (2-3), Kevin Steele 2020 (0-1), Cadillac Williams 2022 (2-2) and Durkin (0-1).
Game Specifics
– Saturday marked Auburn’s second overtime game of the season and the 21st in program history
– Auburn totaled 563 yards of offense, making it the most in an SEC game since 2019 vs. Mississippi State (578). It was the most against a ranked opponent since 2016 vs. No. 17 Arkansas (632).
– Auburn ran 82 plays from scrimmage, its most since 83 vs. South Carolina in 2020. It owned a 29-minute time of possession – two minutes under Vanderbilt – but ran 13 more plays.
– The Tigers’ 20 first-half points and 38 total points were their most in SEC play this season. Under first-time playcaller – at least at Auburn – Derrick Nix.
– Auburn opened up the game with a 13-play, 89-yard touchdown drive. It was the longest scoring drive in SEC play for the Tigers.
– Auburn had 18 first-half first downs. It was the most in any half since Auburn had 18 in the first half against Ole Miss in 2021.
– The Tigers had 12 first downs in the second quarter alone. It was the most in any quarter since recording 12 in the second quarter against Georgia in 2013. The last quarter with more than 12 was 16 vs. Oregon (2nd quarter) in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game.
– Auburn had a 300-yard passer (Ashton Daniels), 100-yard rusher (Jeremiah Cobb) and two 100-yard receivers (Cam Coleman, Eric Singleton) on Saturday. It was the first time since 2004 in the SEC Championship game against Tennessee that Auburn had a 300-yard passer (Jason Campbell 374 passing), a 100-yard rusher (Carnell Williams 100 rushing) and a 100-yard receiver (Courtney Taylor 111 receiving).
– Singleton (11) and Coleman (10) were the first-ever pair of wide receivers for Auburn to have more than 10 catches in a game.
– With 11 receptions, Singleton is the first Auburn receiver with 10 or more receptions since Anthony Schwartz vs. Arkansas in 2020; it was also the most by an Auburn player against Vanderbilt
– Coleman had 10 catches for 143 yards, both career-highs.
– Singleton has a catch in every game of his collegiate career (34 straight). The streak is tied for the seventh-longest active streak in FBS and the third-longest among players in the SEC.
– Cobb’s 115-yard rushing performance was his fifth 100-yard game of the season, the first Auburn player with five 100-yard games since Tank Bigsby in 2021.
– Ashton Daniels tossed it for 353 yards and ran for 89 yards. It was a career-high 442 yards of total offense for him. His previous high was 343 vs. San Jose State last year (252 pass/91 rush).
– Izavion Miller collected his first start of the season at right tackle. Mason Murphy recorded the start at center for the first time in his career.
– Xavier Atkins led Auburn in tackles again on Saturday against Vanderbilt with nine total and 1.5 tackles for loss. He now has 15.5 TFLs on the year, which moved him into fourth place in Auburn single-season history, passing Deshaun Davis for fourth.
– Jay Crawford recorded the first tackle-for-loss of his Auburn career
– Jahquez Robinson had a career-high seven tackles
– Bryce Deas, in his first Auburn start, had a career-high three tackles, including his second TFL of the season
– Alex McPherson now has 185 career points kicking, moving him into 10th all-time at Auburn
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