Auburn opened the season with a 42-16 win over the Mercer Bears Saturday night. The Tigers were in complete control of the game, scoring the first 28 points of the game before Mercer scored just before halftime.
In typical Auburn fashion, it was an eventful game that saw the backup quarterback steal the show and a nearly 90-minute rain delay before Auburn picked up their first win of the 2022 season.
Multiple players stood out for Auburn as they stepped into new roles and some established players showed why they are stars. The win was never in doubt but there are some areas Auburn can improve on, here are some winners and losers from Auburn’s first win of the season.
Winner: Robby Ashford
Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK
He may not be the starting quarterback but Ashford is certainly the one people are talking about the most after an electrifying debut by the Oregon transfer.
He entered the game on Auburn’s fourth play and took a keeper for eight yards. His next touch was a 49-yard run to open Auburn’s second drive of the game. He finished the night 4-of-7 passing for 100 yards and rushed for 68 yards on six carries.
He did not attempt a pass in the first half but after T.J. Finley’s second interception he was able to show his ability as a passer. His first pass was a screen dropped by Bigsby but he found Tar’Varish Dawson for a first down on the next play and then threw a dime to Ja’Varrius Johnson for a 56-yard gain, the longest play of the game.
Ashford may have not taken the starting job from Finley, but he showed why he needs to see the field and that Auburn needs to use both quarterbacks moving forward.
Loser: T.J. Finley
(Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
After missing on his first attempt of the game Finley completed his next eight attempts for 100 yards and a touchdown. He looked comfortable and in command of the offense, exactly what you want to see…
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