24 Auburn takes care of South Alabama to set up anticipated Oklahoma matchup
Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold produced three touchdowns, Jeremiah Cobb rushed for over 100 yards and scored, and the No. 24 Tigers earned a 31-15 homecoming win over the South Alabama Jaguars on Saturday afternoon in Auburn, Ala.
Arnold rushed for 50 yards on 10 attempts and scored twice in the first half. He completed 13 of 24 passes for 142 yards and a score. Cobb carried 19 times for 119 yards to eclipse the century mark for the second straight week.
The Tigers (3-0), which entered tied atop the SEC in rushing touchdowns with seven, added to their total with three more and will look ahead to their conference opener next week at No. 13 Oklahoma, where Arnold transferred from.
Cam Coleman caught a TD pass, and Keyron Crawford recorded an interception that set up a touchdown.
For the Jaguars (1-2), Bishop Davenport completed 18 of 26 passes for 170 yards and two TDs, one to Jeremy Scott and the other to Devin Voisin.
Nearly a four-touchdown favorite over the Sun Belt Conference visitors, Auburn converted on fourth down at midfield early on. One play later, Arnold found Coleman on a deep ball for a 32-yard score at 9:09.
The Jaguars answered with a 12-play, 64-yard drive that ended with Hamilton DiBoyan's 29-yard kick.
Crawford's interception, the defensive end's first career and first for Auburn this season, set up Arnold's 6-yard dash around the right side for a 14-3 edge less than a minute into the second quarter.
With his linemen giving him a shove, the quarterback made it 21-3 by rushing for a second score at 9:48, capping a 54-yard drive.
On his squad's best drive of the half, Davenport hit Scott for a quick 20-yard strike to cap a 75-yard drive, but Cobb's short run in the half's final minute built the lead to 28-9.
Ending another 75-yard scoring drive to open the second half, Davenport connected with Voisin for 12 yards to trim it to 28-15. Auburn kicker Alex McPherson booted a 34-yard field goal after the home side's next drive stalled to give them a full two-score lead that it held to the end.