Auburn Football Week 2 Recap: 42-3 Win Over Ball State

Defense Dominates, Freeze Takes Accountability, and Auburn Hits AP Top 25

Takeaways and Auburn Football Highlights
Auburn 42 - Ball State 3
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Jackson Arnold: Efficient

Arnold led the Auburn Tigers' offense finishing 24-of-28 with 251 yards and three touchdowns – the highest completion rate since Bo Nix vs. Akron in 2021 (20-22). In contrast, against Baylor, Arnold only attempted 17 passes.

Even with the passing game more active, Auburn didn’t reveal its full playbook and they didn’t need to. Ball State ranks among the weakest FBS teams. With Damari Alston out with a light shoulder injury, Arnold was still limited to only nine carries on the ground compared to 17 against Baylor. There was no need to risk injury in a matchup like this.

Short routes and the run game kept the chains moving all night. Arnold evenly spread the wealth to our top four wide receivers and Ball State received doses of what's to come for Auburn's future running game.

The Future is Bright in Auburn's RB Room

Even with Arnold limited and Alston out, Auburn didn't slow down on the ground, finishing with 227 total rushing yards, including three touchdown runs of at least 40 yards. Junior running back Jeremiah Cobb took over and ran for two touchdowns – 45 yards and 46 yards apiece.

Auburn teased what's ahead with Omar Mabson II and Durell Robinson. Mabson added 25 yards on four carries, and Robinson capped the fourth quarter with an electric 54-yard touchdown run.

Historical Defensive Performance

Auburn showed new looks from the offense, but the defense stood head and shoulders above the rest of team. After giving up 483 yards of total offense against Baylor, Auburn's defense put up a historic performance against Ball State.

The Cardinals mustered just 68 yards of total offense – Auburn's best defensive performance since 1985. While Auburn held Baylor to just 64 rushing yards in the opener, Ball State finished with negative three rushing yards.

Thanks in large part to sophomore Xavier Atkins, whom Freeze calls "one of a kind", the Auburn defense racked up 14 tackles for losses (TFL) and six sacks.

Showing growth in the secondary, Ball State was stunted to 71 yards in the air. Sylvester Smith led the group with six tackles, a TFL, and a couple of big hits to ignite the crowd. There is a tremendous gap in talent between the teams, but this is a marked improvement compared to the 400 yards Baylor and Sawyer Robertson put up on Auburn last week.

Pass Protection Concerns

The hitches looked great but may have come out of necessity. Arnold was sacked five times by a Ball State team who recorded only one sack against Purdue in their opener.

As stated earlier, Auburn did not show their full hand this game. Arnold was not fully using his legs and Coach Freeze admits he is at fault for Arnold holding onto the ball for too long:

"...I probably called a few too many downfield shots that caused him to get pressure," Freeze said. "If I had stuck with what I knew was there, I think he was 24-28 and he probably would have been 28-28 if I hadn't called some downfield things. I thought he had an excellent night of taking what they gave. He used his legs when he needed to. I thought it was a really solid night."

Regardless, five sacks is unwarranted against this caliber of a team and will be a critical area for improvement before conference play.

Special Teams Woes Continue

With Alex McPherson limited to short-range kicks and no update on Towns McGough's ankle, Southern Miss transfer Connor Gibbs suddenly emerges as a best potential option.

McGough left the game after his lone second-quarter field goal attempt came up surprisingly short. Coach Freeze has not provided an update on his availability for the upcoming weekend, noting only that he is still being evaluated.

Freeze is high on Gibbs' place-kicking potential, but field goals remain a question that Auburn severely needs answered. Gibbs was 7-for-10 on extra points and 10-for-13 on field goals last season with a season long of 59 yards.

Looking Forward and Injury Report

Whether it's play-calling, holding onto the ball too long, or the offensive line collapsing, Arnold shouldn't be sacked five times against a team of this caliber. South Alabama isn't a powerhouse, but they're a step up from Ball State. Keeping Arnold upright will be an important measure of progress. If he can stay protected, it will highlight both his development and the progress of Auburn's offensive line as the Tigers prepare for SEC play.

Damari Alston will be a game-time decision for Saturday, per Freeze.

Durell Robinson is out indefinitely after what Freeze is calling a "freak" injury. Robinson had to be rushed to Birmingham on Sunday morning after a collection of blood pooled in his thigh.

Coming in at 24th, the Auburn Tigers are ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since 2021.

Bonus – Dylan Cardwell Gets the Mic in Pregame Hype