AUBURN, Ala. – After his on-field postgame interview and before he went to the locker room to sing the fight song for the first time, Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin took a detour to the student section.
He had several thousand Auburn students to thank for their role in making Harsin's debut a smashing success.
You never forget the first #WarEagle | @CoachHarsin pic.twitter.com/VcqHnl8pt1
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 5, 2021
"Appreciate the students, they stayed the entire time, great energy through the game and at the end of the game," said Harsin after Auburn's 60-10 victory vs. Akron. "Got a chance to go over there and recognize them. It was awesome."
Harsin's 60-point debut is easily the highest-scoring introduction of any Auburn coach, more than three touchdowns better than the 37 points Auburn scored in 2009 vs. Louisiana Tech in Gene Chizik's first game.
MOULTRY MAGIC
Heading into his super senior season with 49 games played, T.D. Moultry ranked as the most experienced Tiger on the roster. Against Akron, for the first time in his career, Moultry joined the starting lineup, validating that decision with a career-high seven tackles and a team-best three tackles for loss, including a sack.
"The most important thing is doing my job," Moultry said. "Before we started the game, I told guys like Derick Hall and Colby Wooden, who are our best defensive linemen right now, they're going to keep eyes on them. When they keep eyes on them, they're going to free me."
Capitalizing on an additional season of NCAA eligibility because of the pandemic, Moultry remains on pace to break Mario Fannin and Tre Smith's program record of 54 career games played.
"Talking about consistency, he does that in practice," Harsin said. "He does that in the weight room. He's got that motor that we saw tonight. He's into it. He loves football. I think his motor, his effort, is something that separates him, and why he had the kind of game he did tonight. I know he'll continue that too because that's just who he is."
TROXELL'S TENACITY
For Austin Troxell, the pattern became annoyingly unwelcome. Knee surgery, rehabilitate, return, repeat.
In his fifth season on the Plains, after three surgeries on his right knee – two in high school and one in the spring before his third season at Auburn, the player teammates call "Trox" earned Auburn's starting left tackle position.
"It was big," Troxell said. "I've been working for this for a long time. Finally my time has arrived. It's a blessing to be out there with my teammates and my brothers. You can't beat that feeling. It was a good night."
Troxell and his fellow O-line mates helped Auburn rush for 315 yards, averaging 10.2 yards per carry, while preventing quarterback Bo Nix from being sacked.
100-YARD CLUB
Picking up where he left off last season when he was the SEC's offensive freshman of the year, Tank Bigsby tallied his fifth career 100-yard game and scored a pair of touchdowns.
"We've got a lot of improving to do. Today was good but we've got a lot to get better at," said Bigsby, who rushed for 119 yards on 13 carries, averaging 9.2 yards per rush and added a 19-yard reception.
There goes that man 💨 💨#WarEagle | @tank_bigsby pic.twitter.com/2WoRxpGKdR
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 4, 2021
Like Bigsby, Shaun Shivers scored a pair touchdowns against the Zips. In his Auburn debut, true freshman Jarquez Hunter rushed for 110 yards on only nine carries, a gaudy 12.2-yards-per-carry average.
"He's a great running back, has good vision and he's quick," Bigsby said. "I knew he was going to do what he had to do. I like how he runs."
Hunter became the first Auburn freshman to rush for 100 or more yards in a season opener since Onterio McCalebb gained 148 against Louisiana Tech in 2009. Prior to that, Bo Jackson was the last Auburn freshman to produce a 100-yard outing in the first game.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer