Auburn football finally threw down a commanding performance, absolutely manhandling Mississippi State in a 41-9 blowout on Saturday, November 14, at Davis Wade Stadium. This wasn’t just another win, folks. This was the one, the bowl-clinching victory they needed, and they got it done against the final team on their schedule sitting below them in the SEC standings. Remember those earlier struggles against “lesser league foes” like Arkansas and Vanderbilt, where they barely squeaked by with one-score contests? Yeah, this wasn’t that. Not even close.
Brown Showed Up, The Offense Went Off
QB Byrum Brown was lights out, taking 60 snaps and delivering big time. When he was kept clean, the dude completed 73.9% of his passes, going 17-23 for 210 yards and two touchdowns at a blistering 9.1 yards per attempt. Even more telling? When he wasn’t blitzed, Brown was absolutely surgical, connecting on 19 of 25 throws (76%), racking up 232 yards, 9.3 yards per attempt, and a shocking three touchdowns. Sure, he had one interception in there, but when that kid wasn’t seeing heat, he was owning it. Even under pressure, Brown still found a way to deliver a touchdown, though his completion percentage dipped to 40% (2-5 for 22 yards). And yeah, the blitz gave him fits (0-3), but his overall performance was a huge step up.
It wasn’t just Brown, either. RB Jeremiah Cobb, who took 39 snaps, rumbled for 50 rushing yards, with 33 of those coming after contact, and forced a missed tackle. He even snagged two receptions on two targets. Omar Mabson II, with 25 snaps, showed burst with 26 yards after contact on his 18 rushing yards and grabbed all four of his targets. And can we talk about WR Keshaun Singleton? The man was a target magnet, hauling in 7 receptions on 8 targets, not a single drop, in his 52 snaps. Bryson Washington even made his 11 snaps count, rushing for 22 yards and forcing a missed tackle. This offense finally clicked, proving they can dominate when it matters.
Defense Clamped Down, O-Line Needs a Look
On the defensive side, it was a group effort shutting down Mississippi State. Linebacker Shadarius Toodle was a beast, playing a whopping 72 snaps, delivering three QB pressures and four solo stops. Edge rusher Da’Shawn Womack logged five solo stops and a QB pressure in his 37 snaps, while Nate Johnson, also at 37 snaps, chipped in with two QB pressures and four solo stops. Safety Eric Winters was right there with four solo stops of his own in 58 snaps. The defensive line got after it too, with Darrion Smith, Jared Smith, and Walter Mathis Jr. each logging two QB pressures. That kind of pressure package is what you need to disrupt an offense and force those ugly 9-point performances from the other side.
However, we gotta keep it real. While the offense hummed, the offensive line had a few bumps. Center Cole Best and left guard Kenneth McManus IV each allowed two pressures, with Best also giving up a sack. McManus IV was also credited with two hurries allowed. Jacobe’ Ward at right guard and Kail Ellis, who saw 15 snaps at center, each allowed one pressure, with Ellis giving up a sack as well. They got the job done this time, but that’s an area that needs to tighten up as the season rolls on.
This 41-9 victory wasn’t just a win, it was a statement. It was a bowl-clinching moment where the team finally put it all together. What’s next? The season keeps rolling, and with this kind of dominant performance now under their belt, the challenge is to keep that momentum building. The future looks a whole lot brighter after a game like that.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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