Todd Van Emst / AU Athletics
Tank Bigsby ran beyond the 100-yard mark for the second game in a row and scored his first college touchdown on Saturday, but No. 15 Auburn lost 30-22 in South Carolina.
22
2-2, 2-2
30
2-2, 2-2
| Team |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
9 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 22 |
|
|
0 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 30 |
Game review: Football | | By Jeff Shearer
COLUMBIA, SC – Tank Bigsby he passed the 100-yard mark for the second consecutive game and scored his first college touchdown on Saturday, but No. 15 Auburn lost 30-22 in South Carolina.
Bigsby passed the century mark in the fourth quarter in 30- and 19-yard races, setting Anders Carlson’s third field goal to make it a one-score game with 6:36 to play. Bigsby won 111 yards out of 16 charged.
Auburn’s defense kept the Gamecocks in a first down before the Tigers recovered the ball with 2:15 to go, needing to go 80 yards without a time limit.
Auburn drove to the Gamecocks’ 12-yard line with 9 seconds remaining, but on the fourth and fifth, Bo Nix was approached on the 9-yard line, two yards before the first descent.
“I am proud of our guys for fighting to the end,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “Give credit to South Carolina. They played well. A disappointing loss, but I am proud that our players will fight to the end.”
Auburn scored in the first run of the second half to lead 19-14, after marching 54 yards in 11 moves and converting two third casualties to create Carlson’s second 35-yard field goal.
Gamecocks responded with a 75 yard touchdown, taking a 20-19 lead on a 10 yard touchdown pass. South Carolina’s two-point pass attempt was incomplete, with 6:31 to go until the end of the third quarter.
Owen Pappoe’s The first career interception ended the South Carolina red zone threat at the end of the third quarter, but the Gamecocks soon regained possession with their third interception and scored in an 8-yard run on their next move to lead 27-19 with 54 seconds remaining in the room.
Auburn led 16-14 at the break after scoring in his first two possessions. After the Tigers defense forced a three-and-out in possession, Auburn drove 62 yards in 14 games with Carlson kicking a 35-yard field to a 3-0 lead. Nix’s 22-yard pass to DJ Williams in the third and 9 coded the unit.
After Auburn forced another three-and-out, the Tigers drove 56 yards in seven moves with Nix hitting Eli Stove for an 11-yard touchdown on the third with 10. Going for two, Auburn’s pass was incomplete, giving the Tigers a 9-0 lead with 4:33 remaining in the first quarter.
“We started very well, defensively, with three and three and recovered the ball for the attack,” said Malzahn.
South Carolina intercepted the first move from the second quarter on Auburn’s 29-yard line, capitalizing on the turnover and short field with a 3-yard touchdown run that reduced Auburn’s lead to 9-7.
Nix and Seth Williams then combined in Auburn’s longest pass game of the season, a 44-yard high arc win that showed Williams’ physicality. Bigsby crowned the race with his first touchdown at Auburn, a 2-yard, to put the Tigers ahead by 16-7 with 10:24 remaining at halftime.
“He ran very hard again this week for the third consecutive week,” said Malzahn. “Broke tackles, he ran with attitude. He did a really good job.”
South Carolina (2-2) converted another touchdown turn, intercepting Nix after a deflection in midfield and scoring in a stealthy defender with 35 seconds remaining at the break.
Zakoby McClain led Auburn with 13 tackles and a sack, his third consecutive double-digit game. Pappoe added 10 tackles.
Auburn (2-2) remains on the road next Saturday when the Tigers travel to Ole Miss at 11 am CT.
“Your character really has to leave,” said Malzahn. “I really believe that our team will. We are capable of being a good team. We will be a team that improves, I guarantee that you will see that team improve. You have to make the necessary corrections. we’re going to have to be grown boys and a raised man, leave that behind and go to the next week and find a way to win, get that good feeling back and get some momentum. “
Jeff Shearer is a senior writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
GAME NOTES
- Captains: KJ Britt, Big Kat Bryant, Bo Nix, Shaun Shivers
- Coin Toss: Auburn wins the bid and postpones; South Carolina will receive
- Attendance: 15,766
- Auburn tickets: Cam Riley
- Auburn scored in 97 consecutive games, the second longest streak in school history
- Auburn scored first in the game for the 34th time in his last 48 games
- Seven Auburn managers received a pass in the first quarter, the largest against an SEC opponent since Florida in 2000 (also seven)
INDIVIDUAL NOTES / OFFENSES
- Eli Stove’s The TD capture in the first quarter was his second score of the season and the fifth TD capture of his career. With 102 career captures, Stove ranks 10th among Auburn’s career leaders, tied with Greg Taylor (102 1987-90)
- The touchdown passes from Bo Nix for Eli Stove was Nix’s fifth pass of the season and the 21st of his career
- Luke Deal records his first reception in his career
- Tank Bigsby marks his first touchdown of the season and his career.
- Bigsby records his second consecutive 100-yard run and is now 27th among Auburn’s freshman runners, with 303 yards, passing Malik Willis (221 in 2017), Demontray Carter (233 in 1997), Anthony Schwartz (236 in 2018) and James Joseph (265 in 1986)
- Junior Seth Williams now has 1,654 career receiving yards, ranking 11th among Auburn’s career leaders, passing Rodgeriqus Smith (1,598 from 2004-08) and Darius Slayton (1,605 from 2016-18)
- Williams ranks 11th in career receptions with 101, passing Ben Obomanu (97 from 2002-05), Ricardo Louis (98 from 2012-15) and Freddy Weigand (99 from 1984-88)
INDIVIDUAL NOTES / DEFENSE
- Owen pappoe records his first career interception
- Zakoby McClain recorded his second sack of the season, giving him 2.5 for his career
- With 13 tackles today, McClain records his third straight game with double-digit tackles, the first Auburn player to do so since Deshaun Davis vs. Southern Miss (10), State of Mississippi (10), Tennessee (10), Ole Miss (13)) in 2018
- McClain has passed the 100 tackle mark in his career; he now has 114
INDIVIDUAL NOTES / SPECIAL TEAMS
- Anders Carlson is now 10th in the Auburn scoring career with 222, overtaking Joe Cribbs (216 from 1976-79)
- Carlson is now the 7th in the field goal career made with 41, passing Jorge Portela (38 from 1977-79) and Cody Parkey (39 from 2010-13)
- Carlson is now the 7th in PAT career made in Auburn with 99, passing Gardner Jett (98 of 1970-72)