Oct. 2, 2016
By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. - Good-bye Jordan-Hare Stadium, at least for a while.
Auburn, which opened the season with five straight home games, will finally hit the road for this first time this season when it plays at Mississippi State at 11 a.m. Saturday. Tray Matthews says he's ready.
"We're ready to work the all-white uniforms now," the defensive back said Saturday after Auburn beat Louisiana-Monroe 58-7 on homecoming.
Matthews said he was happy the defense followed up a strong game against LSU with one against the Warhawks.
"We needed something to keep the momentum going from the LSU game," he said.
Auburn has allowed two touchdowns over the last two games. Auburn, with a trip to Starkville this coming week and then an open date, returns to Jordan-Hare on Oct. 22 to play Arkansas.
'We're all rooting for each other'
John Franklin III takes us in Auburn's quarterback room. Video, earlier story https://t.co/7wmOqDrGi4 pic.twitter.com/S9b4YqWeYm- Auburn Gold Mine (@AUGoldMine) October 2, 2016
With that, here are some notes prepared by Auburn after Saturday's win:
- Auburn has held four of its five opponents in 2016, and five of its last six opponents overall, to fewer than 20 points.
- Auburn's 688 yards of total offense were the fourth-most in school history. Two of the top four totals in team history have come in 2016. Auburn had 706 yards on Sept. 10 against Arkansas State. The team record is 712 yards against Western Carolina in 2013.
- John Walker's safety in the fourth quarter was Auburn's first since the 2012 Alabama A&M game.
- Auburn had nine plays cover more than 20 yards.
- The Tigers had 36 first downs, the most since 2002 against Western Carolina.
- Sean White finished 14-of-17 passing for 239 yards and two touchdowns. He completed his last 12 pass attempts.
White is 33-of-43 for 473 yards the last two weeks. John Franklin III was 1-of-1 Saturday for those 39 yards and a score. White ran for 10. Franklin ran for 82.
- Tony Stevens finished with a career-best 109 yards receiving.
- Kyle Davis caught his first career touchdown in the first quarter, a 48-yard pass from Sean White.
- John Franklin III's 80-yard rushing TD was the longest play of the season for Auburn, and the second-longest run by an Auburn quarterback. Phil Gargis went 82 yards in 1976.
- Eli Stove had two catches for 20 yards and had a career-long 19-yard run.
- Damian Lewis made his first career appearance, rushing five times for 21 yards in the fourth quarter.
- Carl Lawson had his ninth career sack - and fourth of the year - in the first quarter.
- Gary Walker Jr. tackled ULM's quarterback for a safety late in the fourth quarter. It was his first career tackle.
Charles Goldberg is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @AUGoldMine