Auburn football notebook: 'Establish the run'

AUBURN, Ala. – When Jeremiah Cobb scored from the 2-yard line Saturday in Auburn’s 31-15 Homecoming win over South Alabama, it gave the Tigers 10 rushing touchdowns in three games, only three fewer than Auburn scored in 12 games last season.

Jackson Arnold rushed for two touchdowns Saturday, giving him four for the season to tie Cobb for the team lead.

“He keeps showing the O-line that he’s physical and he’s ready to show what we’ve got,” offensive lineman Jeremiah Wright said of the Tigers’ dual-threat quarterback. “It starts up front. We’ve got to execute, make our calls and let our backs do what they do. That’s what we want to do: establish the run, and that’s what we’re doing. We’re going to continue to do that and let our backs be the freaks that they are.”

On Arnold’s second TD run, he made one Jaguar miss at the 5-yard line, then encountered three more before reaching the goal line, powering into the end zone with help from linemen Xavier Chaplin, Dillon Wade, Connor Lew, Wright and tight end Brandon Frazier.

“That shocked me today because I was right there beside him on that quarterback run,” Wright said. “He lowered his shoulder and laid the boom on the defender. I was pumped up, juiced because we don’t get to see that side of the quarterbacks when we’re at practice because we try take care of those guys.”

FRESHMEN FLASH

Auburn’s leading tackler on Homecoming with eight solo stop, sophomore safety Kaleb Harris took pride in seeing his younger teammates get their chance to shine.

“They show maturity,” Harris said. “Eric (Winters) is one of the most mature people you’ll see on the team. Newboy (Anquon Fegans), he’s still learning but you saw him today. They don’t play like true freshmen to me. They’ve been here long enough, they’re basically sophomores.”

Freshman safety Eric Winters made five solo tackles while freshman linebacker Elijah Melendez made three tackles and freshman linebacker Jared Smith made two tackles for loss, including a strip sack recovered by Xavier Atkins. Fegans added two tackles in the fourth quarter.

“They came in in January with the right mindset,” safeties coach TJ Rushing said. “Ready to learn from the older guys who have been here. Now they’re putting themselves in position to get on the football field. The better they practice, the more reps they get during the game. It’s been a steady improvement by those guys, that’s why you’re seeing them more. Hopefully that continues to trend in that direction.”

“They’re going to be good players,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said, noting that the Tigers played seven true freshmen simultaneously during a second-half possession. “They have a lot of growth to take place. There’s nothing like that kind of experience for freshmen to develop and get better.”

Veterans also contributed to the Homecoming win, with Keyron Crawford matching Smith with two tackles for loss while making his first career interception.

“Doing my job and being where the ball was,” Crawford said. “Once I saw it come out, I thought let me just get on the ball, let me take it down. I feel like I made my coach proud and was making a statement for our defense.”

IT JUST MEANS MORE

Moving up two spots Sunday in the Associated Press poll, No. 22 Auburn (3-0) kicks off Southeastern Conference play Saturday at No. 11 Oklahoma (3-0) at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC, the first of four straight ranked opponents, a gauntlet that also includes at No. 10 Texas A&M, home against No. 5 Georgia and home against No. 23 Missouri.

“You’ve got to go on the road in this league and it’s never easy,” Freeze said. “It will test our maturity. It will test how we respond to adversity because it’s going to happen.”

Eleven of the SEC’s 16 teams are ranked in the AP top 25.

“Here’s the bottom line: how do we prepare all week long and get ready to go play in the best conference in America where everybody’s ranked, and everybody should be ranked,” Freeze said. “It is what it is but that’s why we signed up for this deal.

“Let’s go watch the film and get better next week to go on the road and try to find a way to get a road win. Those go a long way in this league. We’ve got to hold serve at home and go steal a few of those on the road and that puts you in a really good spot.”

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer