The A&M offense was unable to overcome a stout Auburn defense as the Aggies fell 28-20 to the Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday afternoon. The Aggie running backs chipped in just 30 rushing yards, while Kellen Mond threw for 335 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Auburn offense quickly found the end zone on their first drive of the game, capping a quick four-play drive with an Anthony Schwartz 57-yard touchdown run via a reverse end around.
The Aggies marched down the field on the ensuing drive, but a pair of receiver drops forced A&M to settle for a 44-yard field goal try that was missed by Seth Small.
Both traded three-and-outs before Auburn pieced together their second scoring drive of the afternoon. The Tigers leaned on their running game and finished the drive by bringing in quarterback Joey Gatewood, who connected with a wide-open John Shenker to give Auburn a 14-0 lead.
The Aggies strung together their first scoring drive of the afternoon early in the second quarter as Small converted a 33-yard field goal.
The duration of the half was dominated by defense. The Aggies forced Auburn to punt with 39 seconds left in the first half and were able to attempt a 52-yard field goal, however, Small’s attempt was wide left.
A&M running back Isaiah Spiller fumbled on the opening play of the second half, and the Tigers quickly converted the turnover into a touchdown. Nix found an open Seth Williams for a nine-yard score to increase the Auburn lead to 21-3.
Mond responded with a pass to Quartney Davis, who juked a defensive back and went into the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown, narrowing the Auburn lead to 21-10. The A&M defense had momentum on their side on the next drive, but the Tigers found the end zone for their fourth time in the game, this time via an eight-yard run by Whitlow, increasing the Tigers lead to 28-10.
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Jhamon Ausbon, one of the few bright spots for the A&M offense, reaches back and hauls in a Mond pass with one hand.
A late surge by the A&M offensive attack got the Aggies within scoring distance at 28-20. However, it was too little too late as Bo Nix was able to use his legs to run out the clock clinching the Auburn win.
RUMBLED: Jhamon Ausbon was Kellen Mond’s most-used target on Saturday, catching eight passes for 111 yards including a spectacular one-handed grab in the second quarter that was thrown behind him. Ausbon consistently created separation and came down with several contested throws. Through four games the junior receiver has looked like a different player than he was last season and has been the most consistent pass-catcher in the A&M receiving unit.
STUMBLED: The A&M running backs had their work cut out for them pitted against one of the most fearsome defensive fronts in the country. Even with low expectations heading into the game, the A&M running corps underperformed against the Tigers’ front, as the Aggies were unable to get anything going on the ground, rushing 12 times for a total of 30 yards and a fumble. The lack of production from the run game forced the Aggies to lean on their passing game for the majority of the game.
UNSUNG HERO: A&M safety Keldrick Carper quietly had a big game in the A&M secondary. The junior finished the game with six total tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss including a pair of strong open-field tackles. Carper was an anchor in a secondary that allowed just 106 passing yards on the afternoon. Larry Pryor also had a solid outing in the Aggie secondary with five tackles and a tackle for a loss.
KEY STAT: Total yards: A&M 391, Auburn 299. Despite the abysmal performance by the A&M running game, the Aggies outgained Auburn by nearly one hundred yards on Saturday. Two missed field goals, an untimely fumble, drive-ending drops and an inability to create turnovers prevented the Aggies from cutting into the Tiger lead. Auburn was simply more opportunistic than A&M on Saturday, leading to their win over the Aggies.
Scoring summary
First quarter:
AUB: 13:19 — Anthony Schwartz 57-yard run after a reverse end around (Carlson kick good). TOP: 1:41. AUB 7, A&M 0.
AUB: 0:39 –- Joey Gatewood six-yard pass to John Shenker (Carlson kick good). TOP: 2:36. AUB 14, A&M 0.
Second quarter:
A&M: 12:59 –- 33-yard FG by Seth Small to cap a 64-yard drive. TOP: 2:40. AUB 14, A&M 3.
Third quarter:
AUB: 12:05 – Bo Nix connects with Seth Williams for a nine-yard TD reception (Carlson kick good). TOP: 2:47. AUB, 21, A&M 3.
Fourth quarter:
A&M: 14:28 –- Kellen Mond finds Quartney Davis for a 27-yard TD reception (Small kick good). TOP: 3:38. AUB 21, A&M 10.
AUB: Jartarvious Whitlow rushed eight yards for a touchdown (Carlson kick good). TOP: 6:01. AUB 28, A&M 10.
A&M: Seth Small converted a 23-yard FG (Small kick good). TOP: 2:51. AUB 28, A&M 13.
A&M: Kellen Mond finds an open Ainias Smith in the back of the end zone for a 15-yard TD. (Small kick good). TOP: 2:18. AUB 28, A&M 20.
