Instant analysis: Auburn shows its growth and changes in win over Kentucky

When backup quarterback Grant Loy entered the game to throw the ball to tight end John Samuel Shenker for the two-point conversion, it was clear that this was not your typical Auburn football game.

In its season opener against Kentucky, Auburn showed off some of the offensive changes it made as it scored its first touchdown of 2020. The two-point conversion put the Tigers up 8-7 early, following a rushing touchdown from Kentucky’s Kavosiey Smoke.

Although neither team scored again that half, the strangeness of the game continued. Auburn’s defense gave up 120 rushing yards and 8-10 of Kentucky’s third down attempts, a change from the defense that was known for its ability to stop the run last season. Its offense, now led by offensive coordinator Chad Morris, ran plays that looked very different from Gus Malzahn’s offense.

Then the half ended with a goal line stand, a 100-yard pick six and a targeting call. Both Kentucky and Auburn had plays that looked like touchdowns, but the score remained 8-7.

In the third quarter, Auburn started to find its groove. It went ahead on a Bo Nix to Seth Williams connection for a 11-yard touchdown. Although Kentucky responded, Auburn was able to stop its two-point conversion and preserve a small lead.

In the fourth, as exhaustion started to set in, Auburn forged on. A fumble recovery by safety Jamien Sherwood turned the tide and sparked another Williams touchdown followed by another from Eli Stove.

After three quarters of a one-score game, Auburn carried it from there. Even when Kentucky entered the red zone in the final minutes of the game, it held strong and pulled out the 29-13 win.

Here are some takeaways from Auburn’s first win of 2020:

Bo Nix is no longer a freshman

Malzahn can no longer excuse a poor performance by saying that Nix is a freshman, but he also no longer needs that excuse based on Nix’s performance against Kentucky. In his first game of 2020, Nix came out with a new level of calm and confidence. A year ago, when he played his first game against Oregon, Nix was remarkably collected, but this looked different.

Nix showed off both his legs and his arms early on. He ran 12 yards for a first down on his first drive and connected with Williams for 26 yards on the second drive. He even punted the ball twice. His chemistry with his receivers looked stronger than ever. He placed the ball perfectly in Williams hands twice despite the traffic around the receiver. He also connected with Stove and Anthony Schwartz a number of times, putting them where they could succeed.

While Nix showed he has areas to improve on, he didn’t make any freshman mistakes. Under Morris’ new system, Nix looked like he understood what he was doing on the field, and his stats backed that up. Nix finished with 34 rushing yards and went 16-27 for 233 passing yards with three touchdowns.

Is that Auburn’s offense out there?

Auburn players spent the offseason talking up the new offense they were putting in. The different offensive players spoke with excitement about the different opportunities Morris’ system would provide them, while the defensive players commented daily about how impressed they were.

It wasn’t just talk. Just a few plays into the game, Auburn showed off its new look offense. Wide receivers ran different routes, like when Williams caught a ball up the middle for 26 yards. Tight ends were way more visible with J.J. Pegues throwing a huge block for Anthony Schwartz’s touchdown and John Samuel Shenker catching the two-point conversion.

Auburn’s game still relied heavily on the run, with 30 runs and 16 pass attempts. But the routes looked very different. Morris also had Auburn run more mid-range plays. Rather than trying to run the Wildcats into the ground or beat them deep, the Tigers mixed it up with some shorter routes that kept the Wildcats guessing.

Defensive depth tested

Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said he likes to have more than 11 starters and instead looks at around 18 players as starters. That depth was put to the test when Auburn had to play without defensive leader Big Kat Bryant in the first half of its first game. With the lineman out, Auburn went with three defensive tackles – Colby Wooden, Daquan Newkirk and returning starter Tyrone Truesdell. As the Auburn line faced an experienced Kentucky offensive line, it looked a little shaky at first. The Wildcats picked up 83 rushing yards on 13 carries, averaging 6.3. yards per carry. Auburn made its adjustments, though, and held Kentucky to an average of 3.2 yards per carry in the second quarter. Newkirk stepped up, recording six tackles and two tackles for loss in that first half.

Auburn was further tested after starting buck Derick Hall was called for targeting in the final seconds of th first half. After the half, Bryant went back out to see how he could help with the onslaught in the trenches. The Wildcats production on the ground continued to drop even without Hall. They rushed for just 12 yards on six carries in the third and 14 yards on nine carries in the fourth. By the end of the game, 19 players had contributed on defense. The Tigers showed that they have people they can rely on if big players go out.

Key play of the game:

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, as Kentucky faced third and fourth, quarterback Terry Wilson fumbled the ball. In an instant, Auburn safety Sherwood was there. He flew threw the air and secured the ball at the Kentucky 32 and carrying it to the 23. The play set up an easy drive for the Tigers that ended with a contested catch by Williams. The fumble helped push the momentum, which had been swinging back and forth all game, in Auburn’s favor. The ensuing scoring drive gave the Tigers the biggest lead of the game and put them up by two scores.

Key player of the game: Seth Williams

When Nix let the ball loose, it looked like it would go flying out the back because he placed it so high in the air. But Nix knew his receiver and what he was capable of. Sure enough, Williams launched himself up, easily clearing the hands of his defenders and snagged the ball for a clear touchdown. The next time Auburn was ready to attack the end zone, Nix once again looked to Williams. Once again, Williams was covered well, and once again, Williams made the play anyways. In addition to his two impressive touchdown catches, Williams also had four other catches. He finished the game with six catches for 112 yards.

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.