Hugh Freeze got his first win as Auburn’s coach on Saturday, and part of his message to his players after the game was to always celebrate when that happens.

“Don’t you ever in life, don’t you ever in football, don’t you ever with your family, don’t you ever, ever, ever forget to celebrate when you have victories,” Freeze said. “I don’t care how it comes, they’re hard to come by in life. They’re hard to come by in life, they’re hard to come in college football, they’re hard to come by. So man, you celebrate it.”

Auburn got the win thanks in part to 3 first-half touchdowns from Robby Ashford as he was used in red-zone packages to complement new starter and Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne. Thorne threw for 141 yards and a touchdown in his first Auburn game.

As Freeze suggested earlier in the week, Auburn would be a running team this season, and Saturday showed some of that potential.

Damari Alston scored a rushing touchdown on the Tigers’ first drive, and freshman Jeremiah Cobb broke a 42-yard touchdown run on the second carry of his college career. The Tigers rushed for 294 yards.