THE Auburn Tigers (4-6) returned to the win column on Saturday, dismantle Sun Belt opponent UL Monroe in blowout victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Auburn’s offense fought its way to six touchdowns in the victory, five of which came through the air thanks to Payton Thorne. The defense also did its job allowing just over 200 total offensive yards to the Warhawks. While the victory was fantastic to see, it was also highly anticipated. Even with the high expectations heading into Saturday, additional positives also emerged for the Tigers. Here are the winners and losers from Auburn’s fourth win of the season.
Winner: Cam Coleman
Cam Coleman was one of the biggest winners in college football this week. The five-star true freshman went absolutely nuclear in his eighth career game, catching 8 passes for 100 yards and three touchdowns. The hat trick of scores more than doubled the freshman’s total (2) before the game, and his final one-handed touchdown. made headlines on social media. The Phenix City, AL native now has 392 yards and 5 touchdowns in eight games in his first season on the Plains.
Loser: penalty flags
For the first time in more than two decades, the Auburn Tigers committed no penalties. Lousiana Monroe was only called for two infractions themselves, creating one of the least penalized college football games (2) in the modern football era. In the age of extended instant replays and defensive penalties, Saturday’s lack of whistles was as refreshing as it was ascetically pleasing.
Winner: Payton Thorne
Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne has drawn plenty of criticism since he set foot on the Plains last season, but the senior put together one of the best games of his Tigers career on Saturday. Thorne threw for 286 yards and a handful of touchdowns in the victory, pushing his season touchdown total to a very respectable 18 this season. The former Michigan State Spartan has also totaled 2,111 yards in 10 games, which is already 356 yards better than his season total from a year ago.
Loser: UL Monroe Bowl Hopes
UL Monroe entered Saturday’s contest needing a win to guarantee at least a 6-6 season. A win over an SEC opponent accompanied by a .500 season would have all but guaranteed the Warhawks a berth in their second bowl game in program history. UL Monroe lost, however, and will likely need to win its final two games as an underdog to reach a bowl game this season.
Winner: Jarquez Hunter
Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter became the first Tiger to surpass the 1,000 rushing yard mark since Tank Bigsby in 2021 with his 102-yard performance on Saturday. The senior is now within 136 rushing yards of passing Ben Tate for fifth place on Auburn’s all-time list. If the Philadelphia, MS native could rack up 183 more yards this season, he would pass Joe Cribbs for fourth place.
Loser: 2012 Auburn Tigers
If Auburn lost this game, there was a real chance that Hugh Freeze’s Tigers would finish with the winning percentage an Auburn football team has since 1952, when the Tigers won just two games in ten tries . Hugh Freeze’s team was able to pull out a win, however, which, at a minimum, will ensure they finish with a higher rating than the second-worst Auburn football team, the 2012 Tigers, who earned a score 3-9.
This article was originally published on Auburn Wire: Winners and losers in Auburn’s 48-14 victory over UL Monroe
