BY BRANDON HUGHES
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN —Auburn wrapped up its non-conference slate in spectacular fashion, delivering a commanding performance against the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks that showcased the Tigers’ potential as they chase bowl eligibility. Freshman sensation Cam Coleman, the crown jewel of Auburn’s latest recruiting class, stole the show with a breakout performance: eight catches, 100 yards, and three touchdowns — including a jaw-dropping highlight reel one-handed grab in the end zone. Running back Jarquez Hunter surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season, while quarterback Payton Thorne tied a school record with five touchdown passes, propelling an Auburn offense that looks primed and confident heading into its final two regular-season games.
When asked about his big performance, Coleman said, “It felt good because every opportunity I get, I’m going to make the best of it. So, every opportunity that came my way, I was just making the best of it because there’s no telling when the ball is going to come back to you. You’ve got to make the best of every opportunity.”
Hunter spoke about achieving his first thousand-yard season in an Auburn uniform: “It is very special to me. I can add it to all the other things in Auburn. It’s very special. It helps when my offensive line, tight ends, and receivers work to get me there. It was very special today.”
When a team like the Warhawks comes into Jordan-Hare, the game is less about the other team and more about Auburn working on what it needs to fix. Saturday was no different as the Tigers (4-6) demolished the Warhawks (5-5) 48-14 behind an offense that was never challenged and a stifling defensive performance. Auburn racked up 507 yards of offense, good for the second-highest output on the season and eclipsing the 500-yard mark for the third time, while the defense saw its best performance on the year, surrendering only 218 yards, including a stingy 64 on the ground. ULM had 11 offensive possessions in the game (not counting the kneel-down before halftime), six of which failed to make a first down and combined to produce a total of negative four yards of offense.
Auburn got the scoring started on its first possession of the game. Needing only eight plays to move 60 yards, Cam Coleman caught his first touchdown of the day when he caught an eight-yard pass on the sideline, made his defender miss, and raced to the endzone, completing the twenty-yard play and putting Auburn up 7-0.
Walk-on kicker Ian Vachon got the starting nod for the game and saw his first action as an Auburn Tiger on their second drive when he punched a 22-yard chipshot through the uprights, extending the lead to 10-0. Vashon, a transfer from now-defunct Birmingham Southern University, wasn’t even supposed to be a part of this Auburn squad. After the game, he said, “I was actually working over the summer. I wasn’t going to go to school. I was just going to stay and work, but then I got a call in July, came down here and started kicking and got on the team.”
On when he found out he would be kicking in the game, Vashon said, “I found out Thursday afternoon, but my parents found out Tuesday morning. They knew but kept it a secret from me so Coach [Tanner] Burns could tell me. He wanted to make sure they would be coming to the game. They said it was very difficult to keep that secret from me, but when they told me, I was so happy, and my parents were ecstatic. It was definitely a relief getting the news, and I am so glad I got to do this.”
When the Tigers found themselves pinned at their own one-yard line on its next possession, the offense would put together only the eighth 99-yard scoring drive in Auburn history — and the first since LSU in 2022. Cam Coleman caught his second touchdown of the day when Thorne dropped a three-yard pass over his shoulder in the back left corner of the endzone, putting the Tigers up 17-0.
The offense would stall on its next drive but picked right back up on its final drive of the first half. With 1:23 to play and starting at its 26-yard line, the Thorne would lead the offense down the field, and with nine seconds remaining, the senior captain found KeAndre Lambert-Smith — who made a nice play on the ball — down the right sideline for a 30-yard catch and run touchdown on the season sending the game to the half with a score of 24-0. Lambert-Smith’s eighth scoring catch on the season has him tied atop the SEC — and 15th nationally — for receiving touchdowns.
Auburn opened the second half with its second and final punt of the game and surrendered the first points on defense on ULM’s ensuing drive on a one-yard run by the Warhawk’s Ahmad Hardy.
The Tigers would respond with a touchdown of their own on Coleman’s jaw-dropping catch. The young wideout made a one-handed grab as he leaped backward and landed on his elbow just inside the field of play to extend the lead to 31-7. Coleman became the first Auburn receiver to tally three touchdown catches in a game since the 2018 Music City Bowl versus Purdue [Darius Slayton)].
Auburn’s next possession resulted in the first of two three-play scoring drives on the day when Malcolm Simmons took Thorne’s short pass across the middle and raced 40 yards for the score to make it a 38-7 ballgame. The Tigers’ final touchdown of the day came two drives later when Damari Alston finished off its second three-play scoring drive with a seven-yard run. Vashon finished off the scoring for the Tigers with a 26-yard field goal, putting Auburn up 48-7.
The Warhawks would complete a 65-yard touchdown pass with eight seconds remaining in the game to close out all scoring.
By the Numbers:
- Auburn had no penalties in a game for the first time since at least 1996
- Auburn had two 100-yard receivers (Lambert-Smith 104 & Coleman 100) and a 100-yard rusher (Hunter 107) in the same game for the first time since 1994.
- Auburn held its opponent to less than 100 yards rushing for the fourth straight game.
Up Next:
Home versus Texas A&M on Nov. 23 at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.
