Apart from a Quan Bray 76-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 44-yard video-game touchdown pass from Nick Marshall to Bray, it was an uneventful 45-17 win over Louisiana Tech on Homecoming at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.

Here are five takeaways from the Auburn’s rout of the Spartans:

  • Offense not crisp: Louisiana Tech employed some of the same defensive concepts that K-State ran with success, but the Auburn offense still was sluggish in its final game before the nation’s toughest schedule gets real. The Tigers ran 70 plays, about 10 below its desired threshold. The offensive line struggled on both run blocking and pass protection and Marshall missed on some throws that could’ve led to big plays.
  • Run defense a strength: The Auburn run defense is arguably the Tigers’ most improved area over a year ago. Ellis Johnson’s unit allowed 105 yards on the ground to the Bulldogs on 33 attempts, an average of just 3.2 yards per carry. Auburn is athletic and big up front led by Gabe Wright and Montravius Adams, who picked off a pass and returned it 37 yards to the Auburn 5-yard line.
  • Quan Bray had a stellar afternoon: The senior from LaGrange, Ga. had the best game of his career catching two touchdowns passes on 91 yards receiving and the aforementioned 76-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. His play affords Auburn not only a threat in the punt return game, but also in the slot and out the outside at receiver.
  • Tigers have shown they can be beaten: Auburn, through its last two games, has not run the offense at nearly as high a level of execution as expected. The Tigers have had a really difficult time operating at the tempo Gus Malzahn prefers to run the system. With the level of success K-State and LA Tech had in slowing the Auburn offense, the defenses that the Tigers have yet to face will be capable of a lot more if Auburn does not present its best effort.
  • Nick Marshall shows up when it matters most: Malzahn was correct in his statements this week when he told reporters Marshall is at his best with the game on the line. In the midst of a relatively pedestrian performance, Marshall rose to the occasion late against the Bulldogs highlighted by Marshall’s replay-worthy 44-yard touchdown pass to Bray.