AUBURN – After playing five top 10 teams in their previous six games, No. 7 Auburn made short work of Southwestern Athletic Conference foe Alabama State, 63-9, on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

In the first meeting between the two schools, Auburn took some time to get started but eventually found its footing and quickly piled on.

It was the 13th consecutive home win for Auburn. The Tigers entered the contest having beaten the opposition by an average of 28.5 points during the streak, which ranks eighth-longest in program history. The record is 30 consecutive home wins from 1952-60.

It was also Auburn’s 100th all-time win in home openers; its record is 100-16-3. The Tigers are 21-1 at home as an AP-ranked team under head coach Gus Malzahn and now set their sights on LSU and the SEC opener next Saturday at Jordan-Hare.

Freshman Harold Joiner recorded his first college touchdown late in the third quarter, scoring on a 2-yard run to add to Auburn’s 42-2 halftime lead. But the Hornets reached the end zone before the end of the third quarter, capitalizing on a Tigers’ fumble deep in their own territory.

The Tigers took a 49-9 lead into the fourth quarter and coasted.

Freshman Shaun Shivers got his first college touchdown with a 2-yard run early in the fourth quarter and Auburn led 56-9.

But it took the Tigers a couple of drives to get things started. After going three-and-out on their first possession, the Tigers drove deep into Hornets’ territory before fumbling the ball away, committing their first turnover of the season. Alabama State drove but missed a field goal attempt.

Auburn scored on its opening drive in 10 games last season, and scored on its opening drive again in the season opener last week against Washington. This time the Tigers scored on their third possession, with Stidham capping a long drive on a 6-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead at the 6:09 mark of the first quarter.

The Tigers have scored first in 18 of their past 20 games, dating back to the final four contests of the 2016 campaign. Auburn scored first in 12 of 14 games last year.

The Tigers are 36-11 under Malzahn when scoring first.

Stidham rifled a 57-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Schwartz on the Tigers’ next drive, and moments later, Daniel Thomas returned an interception 29 yards for another score and the rout was on.

Auburn led 21-0 at the quarter. The Tigers’ defense has allowed only three touchdowns in the first quarter of their past 21 games, and only two in the opening period since the start of 2017.

Kam Martin scored his first touchdown of the season, a 4-yard run that capped a 6-play, 89-yard drive early in the second quarter to extend the lead to 28-0.

Devan Barrett returned a blocked punt 10 yards for a touchdown, and Schwartz tallied his second score of the opening half on a 23-yard touchdown run one play after Thomas came up with his second interception of the game. In the blink of an eye, the Tigers upped the ante to 42-0 midway through the second quarter.

Alabama State got on the board just before halftime, trapping QB Malik Willis in the end zone for a safety on his first snap from scrimmage in relief of Stidham.