Jackson Arnold matches remarkable Cam Newton feat in impressive Auburn debut
By Mark Kern
Published:
Jackson Arnold and the Auburn Tigers got one of the more impressive wins of the opening weekend as they went into Waco, Texas, and knocked off Baylor, 38-24.
Arnold played at Oklahoma last year, and he had an up-and-down season. Auburn provided him with a fresh start, and he immediately took advantage by becoming the first player at Auburn to rush and pass for 100 yards in their debut since Cam Newton.
The Tigers’ quarterback also set a new high-water mark for rushing yards by an Auburn passer since Nick Marshall ran for 214 against Tennessee in 2013.
Arnold didn’t do much damage down the field with his arm; he finished 11-of-17 for 108 yards. However, it was in the ground game where he really hurt the Bears.
He rushed the ball 16 times for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 27-yard run that put the game away. Throughout Week 1 in college football, defenses have been a step ahead of opposing offenses. The fact that Arnold was able to lead a new team in a tough atmosphere like that and lead his team to a win is promising for an Auburn team that has been looking for stability at the quarterback spot for some time.
Auburn has nonconference home games against Ball State and South Alabama in the coming weeks before a showdown in a return game at Oklahoma.
The Tigers will host Ball State next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET with the game on ESPNU.
