It was a game that had Steve Spurrier’s name written all over it. His Gamecocks gave Auburn all it could handle Saturday night inside Jordan-Hare Stadium, but the Tigers survived 42-35.
Here are a couple of thoughts on the game:
What it means: Auburn’s defense was non-existent surrendering 522 total yards to South Carolina. The pass rush was abysmal and continues to be a problem area, even after the bye week. It was a survive and advance mentality for the Tigers, who have much to work on before heading to Ole Miss next week.
What I liked: The run game. Head coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee got back to what their offense does best, and that’s running the football. The Tigers amassed 395 yards rushing behind strong performances from Cameron Artis-Payne, Nick Marshall and Ricardo Louis.
Who’s the man: Cameron Artis-Payne. Artis-Payne rushed for a game-high 167 yards on 25 carries. He ran hard between the tackles all night and got the running game going early, something the Tigers’ stable of backs had failed to do the past couple of games.
Key play: The Jonathan Jones interception in the end zone late in the fourth quarter. South Carolina was driving and had completed five of five fourth downs to that point. The Tigers finally blitzed, Thompson was forced to throw and Jones came up with the interception.
After living in Birmingham, Ala., Jordan left the ground zero of SEC Nation to head south to Florida to tell the unique stories of the renowned tradition of SEC football. In his free time, his mission is to find the best locales around.
