Auburn's Sean White, John Franklin share big plays in victory

Auburn's Sean White, John Franklin share big plays in victoryAuburn's Sean White, John Franklin share big plays in victory

Oct. 1, 2016


John Franklin III out runs everybody on the way to his 80-yard touchdown

By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com

AUBURN, Ala. - Don't you even start, sports fans.

The quarterback duo of Sean White and John Franklin III shared a happy coexistence in Auburn's 58-7 homecoming win over Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday, each throwing long touchdown passes, each scoring via the run, each helping the Tigers to 688 yards.

White did the heavy lifting, pushing Auburn to a 42-7 lead. Franklin then ran 80 yards in a blink of an eye for a touchdown - "That was pretty sick," White said - and threw a 39-yard touchdown pass, too.

"He makes fast people look not fast," White said.

Franklin smiled talking about his touchdown run and of his fellow quarterbacks, White and Jeremy Johnson.

"If you look at my touchdown today and you look at the sideline, you see Jeremy Johnson running down the field faster than me," Franklin said. "That just goes to show you right there that our relationship is tight no matter what's going on on or off the field,"

"The quarterbacks, we are probably tighter than most of y'all want to believe or think, but Sean and I go back from high school. When I got up here, Jeremy, it was no beef, what you would think it is with a guy coming in. There wasn't none of that. They took me in, they brought me in and they've been helping me. We've been right along with each other.

"Jeremy just wants to win, and to have somebody like that in your corner, especially in our quarterback room, it's good for us because we push each other and we're all rooting for each other."

White hit 14-of-17 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns, and is 33-of-43 for 473 yards the last two weeks. Franklin was 1-of-1 Saturday for those 39 yards and a score. White ran for 10. Franklin ran for 82.

Auburn stressed all week improving in the red zone, and did. But the Tigers improved everywhere on offense, rushing for five touchdowns, completing two touchdown passes of 48 yards and throwing another for 39.

Auburn, the running team, threw it deep.

"I think it's definitely something you have to do. You have to make the defense respect that. We did a pretty good job of it today," White said.

Franklin wowed the crowd with his long run, cutting up the middle and leaving the Warhawks grasping for air.

"All day I felt like I was going to have a big run today," Franklin said. "I kind of called it before it happened with the strength coaches, and then when it happened it felt good just to see it happen and unfold."

His touchdown pass to Nate Craig-Myers was down the sidelines. It was caught the ball in the end zone.

"Any touchdown is a pretty touchdown to me, so yeah, it was definitely a nice pass to Nate," Franklin said. "He got open and made it easier for me to drop it in. The thing going through my head was 'don't miss this touchdown; it's too easy right now,' so that was the only thing."

Franklin said that was his best play.

"The pass, for sure. The run, that can happen any play with me, honestly, so I like to pass better. You don't get those too often, so when it's there I like to take advantage of it."



Franklin has waited his turn, seeing mostly spot duty. He played the final quarter-and-a-half Saturday.

"I love playing this game and I felt like I have the abilities to go a long way in this game and it just felt good to go out there and showcase it and put a couple points on the board and help the team win," Franklin said.

"I'm just going with the flow right now. I'm not stressing.

"Playing is the best motivator for me. I love playing in front of people and I love to perform, and I feel like the more and more opportunities I get, the more and more I'm going to do with more positive things with it."

Now, as Auburn heads to Mississippi State?

"Whatever helps us win the game, that's my No. 1 goal. I love winning; everybody loves winning. If that means I play one snap and we still win, then good. Like last week, we won. I don't care. If that means I play the whole game and we win, then good. I played the whole game and I won. At the end of the day, I want a 'W.'"

Charles Goldberg is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @AUGoldMine