AUBURN, Ala. – Revving up the running game, No. 8 Auburn rushed for 467 yards and six touchdowns in a 55-16 Homecoming win over Kent State Saturday in the Tigers' tune-up for SEC play.
"It was a big victory for us," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "Our goal was to improve each game and we did that. I thought our offensive line did an excellent job. They played their best game tonight."
JaTarvious Whitlow gained 135 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns. Shaun Shivers and Joey Gatewood each rushed for 102 yards. It's the first time since 1983 a trio of Auburn rushers has topped the 100-yard mark.
Kam Martin added 71 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Quarterbacks Bo Nix (one) and Gatewood (two) added rushing touchdowns. The Tigers averaged 7.5 yards on 62 carries.
SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week Marlon Davidson recorded 2.5 of Auburn's five sacks. Tyrone Truesdell had 1.5 sacks with Big Kat Bryant getting one.
After Kent State kicked a field goal on the game's opening drive, Auburn answered with Whitlow rushing for a 3-yard TD with 5:47 left in the first quarter to give the Tigers a 7-3 lead.
Martin made it 14-3 on a 35-yard scoring run with 11 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
"It felt good to get everybody in," Martin said. "Everybody made plays. I'm just ready for next week."
After a Kent State 53-yard touchdown pass, Nix hit Sal Cannella on a 27-yard pass to set up Nix's 1-yard TD run.
Anders Carlson kicked a 45-yard field goal at the end of the half to give Auburn a 24-10 halftime lead.
Whitlow scored his second rushing touchdown on the opening drive of the second half putting the Tigers on top 31-10.
Nix hit Eli Stove on a 49-yard flea-flicker for a 38-10 Auburn lead. Nix was 12 of 16 for 161 yards and a touchdown.
"We found our identity early in running the ball," Nix said. "We really moved them up front. We got in a rhythm running the ball. That really opened up certain outside throws."
"I see him growing each game," Malzahn said. "It's really good for him to go through the different experiences and the different looks. The first three games, we've seen just about everything. You expect that out of a defense if they're playing a true freshman quarterback. That will help him as we move forward."
Shivers' 27-yard run set up Carlson's second field goal, a 37-yarder on the opening play of the fourth quarter to make it 41-10.
After Kent State's second touchdown, Malcolm Askew intercepted the Golden Flashes' pass to negate a two-point attempt.
Gatwood scored on a pair of 2-yard runs in the fourth quarter.
"It was fun for me to be in that environment with my teammates and the home crowd," Gatewood said. "The offensive line, the majority of the credit should always go to them. It all starts up front with them. It makes it easy when you have an O-line like them."
A Homecoming crowd of 84,542 saw the Tigers improve to 26-6 in non-conference games in the Malzahn era.
"I just want to thank our crowd," Malzahn said. "They were loud and outstanding on Homecoming."
Auburn (3-0) plays its SEC opener next Saturday at Texas A&M at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.
"We've played some good teams so far," Martin said. "We know this road is not going to be easy. We have to take it one game at a time and have everybody locked in."
"We have a very important game next week against a very, very good team." Malzahn said.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
4️⃣6️⃣4️⃣ yards rushing and 6️⃣ rushing TD's 🏃♂️💨#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/TpwuILnUOl
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 15, 2019
Gallery: (9/14/2019) Auburn 55, Kent State 16
Auburn vs. Kent State Notes
- Captains: Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson, Jeremiah Dinson, Daniel Thomas
- Coin Toss: Auburn wins the toss and defers. Kent State will receive
- Attendance: 84,542
- Eagle flight: Aurea from above Section 46
- Miss Homecoming: Mary Stewart, communications major, Selma, Ala.
TEAM NOTES
- First-time starters for Auburn: Bailey Sharp
- Auburn has scored in 83 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in school history
- Auburn now holds an 81-8-4 all-time Homecoming record and has won 28 consecutive Homecoming games
- Auburn had two 100-yard rushers for the first time since last season's Alabama State game, when Whitlow and Shivers each surpassed 100 yards rushing
- Auburn totaled 633 yards of total offense, marking the 21st time in program history to record more than 600 yards in a game. The 633 yards of offense are the most since recording 688 yards vs. UL Monroe on Oct. 1, 2016. It is 10th most in program history.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES/OFFENSE
- JaTarvious Whitlow has passed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for his career, the 47th 1,000-yard rusher in Auburn history. The sophomore now has 1,128 career rushing yards, and has surpassed Corey Grant (1,040 from 2012-13), Charlie Hataway (1,055 from 1951-53), Peyton Barber (1,071 from 2014-15), Bobby Hoppe (1,078 from 1955-57), Tucker Frederickson (1,079 from 1962-64) and George Peoples (1,085 from 1978-81) on the Auburn career rushing list.
- Whitlow scored his second and third rushing touchdowns of the season, on a 3-yard run in the first quarter and a 16-yard third-quarter score. He has nine career rushing touchdowns and 11 overall scores.
- Whitlow records his second 100-yard rushing game of the season and fifth of his career.
- Kam Martin is now 37th all-time at Auburn with 1,330 career rushing yards, passing Ed Dyas (1,298 from 1958-60)
- Martin's 35-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter was his first score of the season and eighth career rushing touchdown.
- Bo Nix scores the first rushing touchdown of his career on a 1-yard run in the second quarter.
- Sal Cannella's 27-yard reception from Bo Nix in the second quarter was a career long reception for the senior.
- Nix' 49-yard touchdown pass to Eli Stove in the third quarter was a career long for Nix. It was Nix' fourth touchdown pass of the season and Stove's second TD reception of the season, and second of his career.
- Joey Gatewood scored his second and third rushing touchdowns of the season with a pair of two-yard rushes in the fourth quarter.
- Shaun Shivers posted the second 100-yard rushing game of his career; the other was 117 yards vs. Alabama State last season.
- Auburn had three players with 100+ rushing yards – Whitlow (135), Gatewood (102) and Shivers (102); it marked the first time the Tigers accomplished the feat since Tommie Aggie (219), Lionel James (115) and Bo Jackson (105) vs. Maryland on Nov. 5, 1983.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES/DEFENSE
- Tyrone Truesdell's 2.0 TFL and 1.5 sacks are career bests.
- Marlon Davidson's 2.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks are also career bests.
- Jeremiah Dinson led the team with 8 tackles; he has led or tied for the team lead in tackles in all three games this season.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES/SPECIAL TEAMS
- Auburn holds the SEC record for consecutive PAT with 286, an SEC record and the longest current streak in the nation. Anders Carlson is now 55-55 on PAT for his career and Sage Ledbetter is 1-1.
- Carlson added a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter and a 37-yarder in the fourth quarter, giving him five FG made for the season.