No. 9 Auburn wins its sixth in a row
NO. 9 AUBURN 55, TENNESSEE 23
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Auburn doesn’t have to worry about passing to remain in the running for a SEC title.
Nick Marshall rushed for 214 of Auburn’s 444 yards Saturday as the ninth-ranked Tigers needed just nine pass attempts to roll to a 55-23 victory over Tennessee. Auburn also scored on a kickoff return and a punt return - the first time the Tigers have ever done both in the same game — and set an NCAA single-game record by averaging 44.85 yards on seven combined kickoff and punt returns.
“I still believe we can throw the football,” Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn said. “There’s no doubt in my mind we can, but when you don’t have to, you don’t.”
Auburn had attempted just nine passes last week in a 35-17 victory at Arkansas. Marshall’s third and final pass completion Saturday was a 25-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Uzomah with 6:36 remaining in the first quarter as the Tigers (9-1, 5-1 SEC) earned their sixth consecutive victory to remain in control of their destiny in the SEC Western Division race.
Marshall ran for two touchdowns on just 14 carries and threw for a third score. Tre Mason rushed for 117 yards and three touchdowns as Auburn averaged 8.4 yards per carry and had the most yards rushing by a Tennessee opponent since Alabama ran for 457 in a 56-28 victory over the Volunteers in 1986.
“They couldn’t really stop the run, so we just kept our foot on their throat and just ran it down their throat,” Marshall said.
Chris Davis put Auburn ahead for good and broke a 13-all tie in the second quarter with an 85yard punt return, Auburn’s longest since 1970 and the third-longest in school history. Corey Grant returned the second-half kickoff 90 yards for another Auburn touchdown.
According to Auburn’s sports information department, the Tigers’ average of 44.85 yards on seven combined kickoff and punt returns set an NCAA single-game record, breaking the previous mark of 41.8 per return set by Florida State in a 56-21 loss to Virginia Tech in 1974.
“We’ve got one of the best kickers in college football, one of the best punters in college football,” Malzahn said. “Now we’re starting to get the return game right.”