Auburn University
Athletics Department
AUBURN, AL - Tre Mason and Onterio McCalebb combined
for 265 rushing yards and three touchdowns, and Auburn snapped a five-game
losing skid with a 42-7 homecoming victory over New Mexico State.
The Tigers (2-7) gained 475 total yards in the game, their highest
offensive output of the season, and held New Mexico State (1-8) to 305 yards,
including just 127 in the second half. Auburn had 311 total rushing yards, the
first time Auburn topped the 300-yard rushing mark since gaining 315 against
Georgia in 2010.
Mason carried 22 times for a career-high 152 yards and a
touchdown, and McCalebb had his eight touches for 113 yards while scoring two
touchdowns.
Freshman Jonathan Wallace
made his first start at quarterback, completing 9-of-16 attempts for 164 yards
and a touchdown along with one interception. Emory Blake led the
Auburn receivers with four catches for 78 yards.
McCalebb got his first score when he broke loose on a
38-yard run around the right end for Auburn's fourth score of the day to make
it 28-0 Tigers at the 2:58 mark of the third quarter. His run finished off a
96-yard scoring drive - Auburn's longest of the season by yardage - that lasted
just seven plays and 3:26.
The Auburn senior added his second touchdown of the day on a
7-yard run with 11:20 to play in the game, giving the Tigers a 35-7 lead.
Trovon Reed capped
off the scoring for Auburn with a 40-yard reception from Wallace for his first
career touchdown, giving the Tigers a 42-7 lead with 7:19 to play.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Tigers struck first
with a 5-yard touchdown run from Mason to give Auburn a 7-0 lead with 4:56 to
play in the half.
The Tigers went to the ground game to open the third
quarter, putting together a seven-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a Jay Prosch 1-yard
dive for his first collegiate touchdown, giving the Tigers a 14-0 lead. The
Tigers gained 66 of 80 yards on the drive via the run game.
Midway through the third quarter, Auburn's first defensive
score of the season gave the Tigers a 21-0 lead. Daren Bates
recovered a fumble by NMSU quarterback Andrew Manley and went 62 yards,
stiff-arming an Aggie defender at the 10-yard-line before diving into the end
zone for the score. It was the longest fumble return for a touchdown in Auburn
history and the first since Kenneth Carter
recovered a fumble in the end zone for a score against Alabama last season.
New Mexico State found its way onto the scoreboard early in
the fourth quarter as Tiger Powell dove in from 2 yards out to make it a 28-7
game with 12:36 to play. The scoring play was set up by a 51-yard completion
from Manley to Franklin down to the Auburn 6-yard-line.
Andrew Manley was 17-of-30 passing for 22 yards for New
Mexico State, with Austin Franklin hauling in seven passes for 154 yards. Germi
Morrison led the Aggies' rushing attack with 79 yards on 19 carries, and Tiger
Powell had five carries for 15 yards and a touchdown.
Auburn's Daren Bates returns a fumble for a touchdown. (Source: Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics Department)
