Social Slant: What they're saying about Auburn's win over San Jose State
It wasn’t a thing of beauty. Far from it.
But it was a win.
And after beating San Jose State 24-16 on Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn now is 2-0 heading into next week’s much-anticipated home game vs. Penn State.
The Tigers struggled a bit on both sides Saturday. Okay, more than a little bit.
The offense, slowed by two interceptions — one each from T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford — was stuck in neutral for the first half. At the break, Auburn actually trailed 10-7 and had been outgunned and outgained by the Spartans.
The Tigers, however, were the better team in the final two quarters and that was the difference.
Finley got hot, made some crucial throws and key conversions. He finished 13 of 20 for 167 yards. He added a rushing touchdown.
On the ground, Auburn somewhat found its groove over the final 30 minutes of game time thanks to some solid runs by Tank Bigsby and Ashford. They combined for 112 yards on 20 carries.
Unbeaten is unbeaten and 2-0 is 2-0.
That said, the closer-than-expected result had Twitter buzzing.
Now, for a look back at some key moments from the game …
***Ashford came out as Auburn’s quarterback to begin series No. 2, and looked sharp running the ball. But on his second pass attempt of the game he threw an ugly interception to San Jose State. It was his first and only pick of the season. However, he has only attempted 10 passes through two games.
***Auburn’s quarterback troubles continued in the first half, and Finley was intercepted by the Spartans on the final play of the first quarter. That gave Tiger quarterbacks two picks in only seven attempts.
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***Needing a spark in the second quarter, Auburn got one with just over 10 minutes left in the half from running back Damari Alston, who gained 35 yards on an electrifying run through the heart of the San Jose State defense. He finished with two attempts for 38 yards.
***Alston’s run not only helped Auburn double its offensive output for the game, it kickstarted the Tigers’ first scoring drive. Finley later escaped pressure on 4th-and-4 and found tight end John Samuel Shenker for a first down. He hit Shenker again two plays later and then running back Jarquez Hunter scored from the 7 to give Auburn a 7-3 lead in the second quarter.
***After trailing 10-7 at the half, Auburn went right down the field to begin the third quarter and quickly moved ahead 14-10. Bigsby was the drive’s star both running and receiving. Auburn also benefitted from another crucial fourth-down completion. This time, Finley, after dropping the ball briefly, hit Bigsby on a short pass in the flat to convert. Soon after, Auburn was in front for good after Bigsby ran it in from the 1.
***Auburn went ahead 24-13 on a 4-yard touchdown run from Finley with 12:35 left. That capped a four-play, 74-yard drive that included a 30-yard run by Ashford and a 24-yard completion from Finley to Ja’Varrius Johnson. It arguably was Auburn’s best drive of the night.
