Auburn-Southern Miss: Recap, score, analysis for Week 5 game

The No. 10 Auburn football team beatSouthern Miss 24-13 in a non-conference matchup that served as the Tigers’ Homecoming game for the 2018 season.

Auburn improved to 4-1 overall with the victory and Southern Miss fell to 2-2.

Here’s a recap of how the game played out:

Auburn-Southern Miss recap, score

Check back here for live updates from the pre-game and in-game developments.

Fourth quarter

Auburn 24-13. Anders Carlson boots it in from 23 yards and it looks like Auburn is safe. (4Q, 2:00)

Auburn 21-13. Quez Watkins scores on a 13-yard pass from Abraham and the Golden Eagles aren’t going away. (4Q, 13:47)

Third quarter

Auburn 21-6. Auburn answers with a big-play drive sparked by a 53-yard pass from Stidham to Darius Slayton. That looked like the way the two connected last season. Then Slayton drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone. Next play: Stidham to Chandler Cox for 2-yard score. (3Q, 5:39) 

Auburn 14-6. Another big kick from Parker Shaunfield, this one from 51 yards. (3Q, 8:02)

BIG DRIVE coming up for the Tigers after Southern Miss cuts the lead to eight points.

After a short halftime, Auburn will receive the second half kickoff.

Halftime

Auburn 14-3. Auburn has outgained Southern Miss 188-102 but again is struggling on third down, converting just 3 of 9.

• Jarrett Stidham is 11 for 20 with 143 yards and a touchdown
• JaTarvious Whitlow leads Auburn with 23 rushing yards on four carries but won’t return after suffering an apparent left shoulder injury in the second quarter.
• Darius Slayton is finding his way back into the passing game and has three receptions for 34 yards. Seth Williams has two catches for 60 yards with the 46-yard TD.

Second quarter

Good news: The 10-minute warmup window has begun (around 7:46 p.m. ET). So we should be back to action soon.

And bad news: JaTarvious Whitlow, who was injured on Auburn’s last possession, looks like he’s done for the rest of the game.

Lightning delay: It doesn’t sound like anything major but the game is being delayed with 4:27 left in the first half. Auburn has the ball on its own 9, first-and-10.

Auburn 14-3. One day, Anthony Schwartz is going to show off that speed in the open field. For now, a 6-yard run on the speed sweep will do just fine. (2Q, 6:43)

Auburn 7-3. Southern Miss kicks a 44-yard field goal. (2Q, 12:51)

First quarter

Auburn is shooting itself in the foot with silly penalties — 6 for 58 yards in the first quarter — and continues putting itself in third-and-long situations on offense. Both equal bad trends.

On the plus size, the defense has five tackles for loss and an interception. Southern Miss has 24 yards on 18 plays.

Auburn 7, Southern Miss 0: Jarrett Stidham finally strikes, this time for a 47-yard TD to Seth Williams. Auburn needed it after two lackluster possessions to start the game. (1Q, 5:19)

Stidham is 2 for 5 for 51 yards and the TD. Auburn has 6 rushing yards.

Pre-game updates

– Auburn wins the toss, will defer to the second half. Southern Miss will receive the opening kickoff.

– Some starting lineup updates from The Plainsman’s Nathan King:

– If you’re interested in the full starting lineups for the game today, here you have it:

– Auburn looks ready in pre-game and Tiger Walk. Will the Tigers play that way today?

https://twitter.com/AuburnFootball/status/1046110932609486849

We have a couple of things to get you in the Auburn football mood. The first, courtesy of yours truly, my final thoughts today before kickoff.

And the second item comes courtesy of the Auburn Football Twitter account:

Auburn-Southern Miss game time, information

When: Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018
Game time: 4 p.m. ET
Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Ala.
Line: Auburn (-27)
Weather report: Kickoff temperature should be around 80 degrees

Auburn-Southern Miss preview

• Auburn football fans were treated to a 31-point victory against an SEC West opponent last week, but many left Jordan-Hare Stadium what’s wrong with this Auburn football team. The defense has been stout and special teams (outside of some missed long field goal attempts) has been stellar. But the offense as been sporadic, at best. The run and pass games struggled last week. Will Gus Malzahn and Chip Lindsey experiment this week with a tough trip to Starkville next week? There’s little time to work on things so this game is important.
• Southern Miss QB Jack Abraham has thrown for 1,048 yards this season, completed 72.0 percent of his passes with 10 TDs and three interceptions. He has four receivers with at least eight receptions and at least 121 receiving yards. Quez Watkins leads the way with 24 for 304 yards and five touchdowns. You can bet he’ll have the attention of the Auburn secondary.
• The Tigers are third nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 12.5 points per game.
• Tiger freshmen have accounted for 82 of Auburn’s 139 points this season (58.9 percent), including nine of 16 TDs (56.3 percent).

More Auburn football coverage from this week

– Ranking Auburn’s top 10 players through first four games
– Tigers need breakout game from Jarrett Stidham
– Next week: Auburn at State under the lights is perfect
– Hoop dreams? Auburn thinking Final Four
– Why Auburn is so much better with Anfernee McLemore