Here are some quick thoughts on Auburn’s 35-21 win over San Jose State this Saturday.

What it means: It wasn’t the breeze that Auburn fans hoped, but a win is a win for the Tigers and it was much needed after two straight conference play losses. This win gives Auburn some wind in their sails heading into the halfway point of the season.

What I liked: Auburn’s run game was the main reason why they scored 35 points. As has been a trend, Peyton Barber dominated on the ground. Roc Thomas also contributed with some breakaway runs.

We also can’t forget the superb performance put on by the Auburn special teams squad. During the first San Jose State kick off of the game, Blake Countess ran it back to the Spartans 39-yard line, a 61-yard return. During the third quarter, Jonathan Ford returned a kickoff for 58 yards. Punter Kevin Phillips also always delivered punts at just the right distance, with one downed inside the 5.

What I didn’t like: Sean White’s presence at quarterback was almost nonexistent. We’ve seen that a heavy run offense works for Auburn against non-conference opponents. But we’ve also seen that this is not enough against SEC teams, and it was disappointing that Auburn didn’t seem to try too hard to get the passing game involved in a safer game against a non-conference opponent. White completed a couple of big pass plays, including a 31 yarder to Ricardo Louis that set up a Barber touchdowns. But White only threw it 10 times in the entire game. San Jose State quarterback Joe Gray was the more superior quarterback on the field.

Who’s the man: Running back Peyton Barber had a banner day. He finished with 28 carries for 147 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns.

Key play: After a pass interference call on Blake Countess in the end zone, San Jose State lined up at the 2-yard line and easily scored a touchdown with five minutes left in the 4th quarter. This put them within 7 of Auburn. However, Barber made sure the Spartans knew their time was done on the ensuing offensive drive, during which he ran for a 36-yard touchdown.

What’s next: Auburn has a bye week coming up, which means they’ll have plenty of time to both rest up and come up with a fool-proof game plan against Kentucky. Something tells me Auburn’s pride will be forever wounded if they lose to Kentucky in two weeks, but with how both teams have been playing it’s suddenly become a very real possibility.