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saturdaydownsouth.com 3 takeaways from Auburn’s Week 3 win over Samford Ethan Stone | 7 hours ago 2–3 minutes Auburn downed Samford 45-13 Saturday afternoon to improve to 3-0 on the season. Briefly put, it was a football game. The Tigers put up almost 350 more yards and didn’t allow a score until the 3rd quarter when the game was already out of hand. Here are 3 takeaways from Auburn’s win over Samford. Tigers dominate L.O.S. Samford was not able to do anything rushing the ball on Saturday. Auburn was. The Tigers rushed for 224 yards compared to Samford’s 74 yards, not exactly an unexpected result but also a pretty dominant performance from Hugh Freeze’s squad. Payton Thorne had all day to let go of the rock, too. Thorne was able to do some damage with his legs and threw for 282 yards and a touchdown while adding 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Defensively, the Tigers did a good job of forcing turnovers against the Bulldogs, picking off QB Michael Hiers twice and forcing a fumble. Jarquez Hunter scores first TD of season Jarquez Hunter scored his first touchdown of the season Saturday after missing Weeks 1 and 2. It wasn’t the sexiest of runs, but it puts 6 points on the board nonetheless. Offense is finding their rhythm ?@jarquezhunter https://t.co/ovcfK0aJIZ pic.twitter.com/g8eZtNDobL — Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 17, 2023 Hunter finished Saturday’s game with 11 carries for 37 yards and 1 touchdown, averaging 3.4 yards per carry. Undefeated heading into Week 4 vs. Texas A&M Auburn didn’t exactly face a gauntlet to start out this season, but it is 3-0 heading into its first SEC test of the season against Texas A&M. Not many SEC programs can say that. The Tigers will travel to College Station to take on Fisher’s Aggies, which sit at 2-1 on the season after a pair of wins over a few cupcakes and a bad loss to Miami in Week 2. Payton Thorne looked good against Samford, but he had some turnovers issues as well by throwing a pair of interceptions. Texas A&M has struggled to take the ball away this season. Next week’s game starts at Noon ET and will be aired on ESPN.

si.com Quick Takeaways: Auburn Tigers improve to 3-0 after win against Samford Zac Blackerby 3–4 minutes The Auburn Tigers are 3-0 after taking down Samford. In this story: Auburn Tigers It took the Auburn offense a little while to get going but it would eventually start clicking thanks to Tigers' quarterback Payton Thorne getting into a groove. Auburn won 45-13 despite a slow start. The Auburn defense gave the offense time to get going and get the offense rolling as the Tigers open SEC play on the road against Texas A&M next weekend. Payton Thorne looked better Eric Starling/Auburn Daily Two picks are never good to have on your stat line. But as a whole, he was Auburn leader in the passing game as well as on the ground. After inconsistent moments against Cal last week, Thorne operated within the offense the best during his short time with the Auburn Tigers. His 123 yards and two touchdowns on the ground were dynamic and will probably impact how Texas A&M decides to defend Auburn next weekend. His 282 yards threw the air gave him over 400 yards of total offense on the evening. Jay Fair continues to shine as a wide receiver Eric Starling/Auburn Daily Jay Fair continues to be a primary read for Thorne in this Auburn offense. The shifty slot receiver led the Tigers in catches (six) and receiving yards (80). He was on the receiving end of several passing decisions from Thorne on RPOs. Fair was even targetted on a corner route in the red zone that was overthrown. The main issue from Fair on Saturday night was a muffed punt in the second half that Samford recovered. The Bulldogs would eventually score a few plays later. The defense continues to be solid Eric Starling/Auburn Daily Auburn's defense gave Samford trouble on offense at every level. Despite a few chunk plays, the defensive pass rush was consistent as well as elite plays made by Auburn's defensive backs. The defense had two sacks (One from Lawrence Johnson and another from Cam Riley.) Auburn recorded seven tackles for a loss against Samford. J.D. Rhym and Jaylin Simpson both earned interceptions. This is a game they should have dominated and they lived up to it. Next week's test on the road against Texas A&M will be one of their most important ones of the season. This game was all about Auburn Eric Starling/Auburn Daily Throughout the week, the talk about this game was focused on Auburn using these 60 minutes to get better for their showdown with Texas A&M in seven days. This game seemed more about the reps than the score. The turnovers were bad but running all over Samford doesn't make Auburn better for SEC play. The plays will be picked apart by the coaching staff and they will use that information to craft a plan to attack Texas A&M on Saturday. The Tigers seem much closer to putting it all together than a week ago against Cal. The offense is like a cake baking in the oven. Maybe the timer will go off before the plane ride to College Station. Engage with Auburn Daily on Socials!

Auburn running backs struggle to find footing against Samford The Tigers' four tailbacks totaled just 86 yards VIDEO: No-Huddle: Tennessee falls to Florida in The Swamp — again Auburn went into Saturday’s FCS matchup with Samford hoping to iron out the passing-game issues from its win over Cal. The Tigers likely didn’t expect to adjust to their running backs being stymied. Auburn eventually handled business for a 45-13 win on homecoming, but its run-blocking left plenty to be desired. Samford routinely made contact near or behind the line of scrimmage, as the Tigers’ four running backs — Damari Alston, Jarquez Hunter, Brian Battle and Jeremiah Cobb — totaled just 86 yards rushing and only 3.2 yards per handoff. The longest run of the day by an Auburn running back was 9 yards — against a Samford team that gave up 284 rushing yards to Western Carolina last weekend. “I thought we left some yards out there in the rushing game — particularly in the first half with what they were doing,” Hugh Freeze said postgame. “I think our backs didn’t press it quite long enough to let it develop.” Auburn’s rushing total was ballooned by quarterback Payton Thorne’s career-high 123 yards on the ground — plus two touchdowns — but the running backs couldn’t gain much traction, and had to do a lot of their work after contact. Hunter led with 37 yards on 11 carries but was “dinged up” with an ankle injury in the second half, Freeze said. Alston went for just 4 yards on his first four carries and finished with 25 yards. Battie boasted the best average, at 21 yards on five carries, while the true freshman Cobb had a nice 11-yard reception on a swing pass but had 3 yards on four carries. The run-blocking issues were best exemplified when Alston was stuffed on fourth-and-inches, ending an Auburn drive in the second quarter at Samford’s 19-yard line. “I’d say just being dialed in with making the correct calls,” offensive guard Jeremiah Wright said of the run-blocking issues. "We had calls, but we had some guys going the wrong way or the wrong blocks. Sometimes we didn’t get off a block. Just comes with preparation and being locked in on the field.” Samford head coach Chris Hatcher said this week that his team would be “a lot more focused on stopping the run and tackling as opposed to who their quarterback is,” and his game plan reflected that. Freeze said the Tigers were given plenty of opportunities in the passing game — where Thorne threw for 282 yards on 8.8 yards per attempt — because Samford was bringing safeties down to the box and making Auburn prove it could open up the passing game. “They really wanted to stop the run,” Freeze said. “... They were really active in the box — thus we got some explosive passes.” Freeze said this week that having the deepest running back room of his career, as he called it, is obviously a nice commodity, but it does present a big challenge in terms of sharing carries efficiently and effectively. And heading into next weekend’s SEC opener at Texas A&M, it’s still an area Freeze and his staff know they need to tighten up. *** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more ***

Auburn safety Jaylin Simpson did it again on Saturday against Samford. AUBURN, Alabama—Throughout the preseason, safety Jaylin Simpson was the guy that his coaches and teammates singled out for making plays on defense. Creating turnovers just about every day as Auburn prepared for the season, the senior has continued that trend in the regular season by picking up his third interception in as many games in Auburn’s 45-13 win over the Samford Bulldogs on homecoming Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. “I think that my confidence is very high,” Simpson said. “Before I step on the field, I just make sure I am the most confident person. I think that's the most dangerous player… a confident player is really dangerous. I mean, my confidence is just there. I go out there and just play the call… do my job.” Someone that has been around Simpson and played on the same defense with him for the last four years, linebacker Wesley Steiner isn’t surprised to see the former cornerback stepping up in his role as one of the leaders on Auburn’s defense this season. “I have never not seen him prepared,” Simpson said. “He’s really good at communicating. I think it was a seamless transition for him. Obviously you’re changing how you do things, but the nature of a defensive back is you’re either pressed up or you’re making sure everyone else is lined up. He knows his stuff. It’s not too hard for him to make these adjustments and make sure everyone else is on the same page. I’m glad he’s at safety. It goes to show that when you know your scheme it’s easy to move around to different spots.” Simpson has been one of the keys in Ron Roberts’ system at Auburn that wants the Tigers to be aggressive and take the ball away from the opposition. After creating just 13 turnovers in 12 games a season ago, Auburn’s defense has already intercepted five passes and recovered a pair of fumbles. Simpson said that’s a priority for this defense and something they focus on every day. “We just make the ball a priority,” Simpson said. “The game can’t be played without a ball. We try to get our hands on the ball the most. The D-Line and us, we got a little competition. Who can get the most sacks and picks in a game. And I feel like, most people wouldn’t agree, but I think sacks are easier to get. “We’re keeping up with them right now. We make the ball a priority back in fall camp. The vets, well really everybody, we just told everybody we gotta make this ball a priority. The jug machines? They’re not just for receivers. We can use them too. During fall camp after practice every day, we out there catching balls every day. I think just small things like that just give you a knack for that ball. Make sure when it comes your way, you catch it.”

auburnwire.usatoday.com Instant Analysis: Slow start leads to homecoming win for Tigers Taylor Jones 4–5 minutes It is not always about how you begin, but it is always about how you finish. The Auburn Tigers and Samford Bulldogs failed to post any points in the first quarter, but it would be the Tigers who would find momentum and cruise with it to a 45-13 victory. Buy Tigers Tickets Auburn (3-0) would outgain Samford (1-2) 444-159 in the yardage department through the final three quarters in the win. The first half began very slowly for Auburn, as the game remained scoreless through one quarter. Quarterback Payton Thorne completed 10-of-14 passes for 93 yards, but could not find the end zone. He had one opportunity to do that in the quarter but threw an interception in the end zone to kill a 3rd-and-goal situation. The action began to pick up in the 2nd quarter as Auburn delivered the first blow with 9:31 remaining in the half. Thorne connected with Shane Hooks for a 32-yard score to push Auburn ahead, 7-0. Thorne found the end zone one other time in the half, this time with his legs. Thorne rushed for five yards with 3:04 to go in the 2nd quarter to extend Auburn’s lead to 14-0. Thorne tossed another end-zone interception in the quarter that stopped what could have been another scoring play. Alex McPherson kicked a 22-yard field goal within the final minute of the half to push Auburn’s lead to 17-0 at halftime. Thorne nearly matched his 2023 season total during the first half. He entered Saturday’s game with 235 yards passing. Through one half against Samford, he passed for 232 yards on 18 completions. jay fair and Rivaldo Fairweather each had over 50 yards of receptions, while Jarquez Hunter rushed for 31 yards in the first half. After not taking a snap in the first half, quarterback Robby Ashford finally played a role in an Auburn score. On the 13th play of Auburn’s first drive of the second half, Ashford scampered across the goal line to increase Auburn’s lead to 24-0 with 8:30 to go in the quarter. It would not take long for Samford to respond, as the Bulldogs found the scoreboard for the first time on the ensuing drive. Samford used a five-play, 75-yard drive in less than two minutes to strike when Michael Hiers connected with Chandler Smith from 36 yards away to cut the Tigers’ lead to 24-7 with 6:35 to go in the 3rd quarter. Like the first two possessions of the 3rd quarter, the next two would also result in scores by both teams. Hunter would find the end zone for the first time this season with 4:29 remaining on a one-yard rush. The next drive for Samford would see Hiers rush from three yards out to end the quarter with Auburn ahead, 31-13. The Tigers would score the final two scores of the game to put the game to rest. Thorne would showcase his wheels again with 9:44 remaining in the game to move Auburn ahead, 38-13, and the final blow came with 5:32 left when Ashford connected with Micah Riley on a 32-yard pass. Thorne ended the game with 405 total yards (282 passing, 123 rushing) and three total touchdowns. His leading receiver, Fair, hauled in seven passes for 93 yards. Defensively, Caleb Wooden led the team in tackles with six, while Jaylin Simpson recorded an interception for the third-straight game. Auburn returns to the road next weekend to open SEC play at Texas A&M. Kickoff from Kyle Field in College Station, Texas is set for 11 a.m. CT next Saturday. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

they shut them down dang it..........

the auburn game is on youtube guys............

bump

i am watching auburn samford on regular youtube. you are welcome!

i barely glanced at norvell which is why i was shocked to find out he was black.

i believe you. you would not say that if it was not true..............

ok. what a thing to say tho. why piss him off? i do not get it.

whataboutism..............lol. the point is she is not screaming family values and i doubt kids are watching her unless parents are not paying attention. this girl loves it. all she was worried about was getting caught. then she turned liar until they showed her footage of he vaping and doing sexual warmups in a family environment. nice try...............

i bet he learns from it. i imagine they are a work in progress. i hope he teaches csu's coach a little about class. there was no call for what was said and i believe it to racist. too many folks in this country are not ready for a black man who will tell you what is what. i plan to try and watch it if i can stay up. but i get up often at four or five and i have no idea why other than it is so peaceful then.

i have one hoodie and it is an auburn one but i do not wear it. most of my friends wear hoodies. i was just never that interested.

what a slut. she is getting felt up and doing her on feeling in his lap. white trash. she did not even try to hide it she just looks around to see if she was busted. she then lies her ass off until the inform her they have it on tape. she even tried the ol"do you know who i am"? this is maga folks.............

i hope sanders wins big tonight. his next two games are killers so it will be no cake walk. but i am all for him. i still cannot understand why someone makes fun of someone who wears shades and a ballcap. it just smells funny to me.