Auburn coach Gus Malzahn needed QB Jarrett Stidham only into the second quarter of the Tigers 63-9 rout of Alabama State on Saturday.
The Tigers got big games from JaTarvious Whitlow, who ran for 122 yards, and Anthony Schwartz, who had 117 yards and two touchdowns. One negative was four fumbles that Auburn lost, while the Tigers recovered a fumble, and also intercepted Alabama State three times.
Auburn will play host to LSU next week in the marquee CBS time slot at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Here’s what Malzahn told reporters after the game:
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn opens his comments with a shout out to David Housel, the former Auburn AD who missed his first home game for the first time today since the 1960's.
— AUBlog (@AUBlog) September 9, 2018
"We've got to do a better job protecting the football," Malzahn says. He says that's the only major negative he saw today.
— AUBlog (@AUBlog) September 9, 2018
Auburn HC Gus Malzahn on LSU: "You see how they did against Miami. It'll be a traditional Auburn-LSU game."
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) September 9, 2018
Whitlow got more carries than Kam Martin, but Malzahn says he is not taking over the top spot. He points to a desire to get freshmen touches in a game like this one.
— AUBlog (@AUBlog) September 9, 2018
Gus Malzahn said he's "not ready to say" JaTarvious Whitlow has taken over the top RB spot from Kam Martin, even though he had double the carries and more than double the yards.
"Sometimes, you just want to see freshmen carry the ball."
— Josh Vitale (@JoshVitale) September 9, 2018
Malzahn on Anthony Schwartz: "He's just as fast with pads as he is without."
Slayton is banged up, but could have played, but the Tigers held him, Malzhan said.
— AUBlog (@AUBlog) September 9, 2018
Malzahn on if the new redshirt rule affected how many young players played today: "We factored it in, there's no doubt."
— AUBlog (@AUBlog) September 9, 2018
Malzahn comments on Hastings' celebration with Schwartz, that knocked Schwartz to the turf. "We've got to get better at celebrating," Malzahn deadpans. "I saw the replay and I shook my head."
— AUBlog (@AUBlog) September 9, 2018
Darius Slayton didn't play because "he was a little banged up," Gus Malzahn said. Nothing serious. Could have played, but just held him out.
— Josh Vitale (@JoshVitale) September 9, 2018
Daniel Thomas "is a football player," Gus Malzahn said, which is my absolute favorite way any coach describes any football player.
— Josh Vitale (@JoshVitale) September 9, 2018
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
