Auburn used a tremendous defensive effort, along with the legs of Jeremiah Cobb and touchdown passes from Jackson Arnold, to beat Ball State 42-3 on Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium and improve to 2-0 on the season.
With the Cardinals receiving the ball first, DJ Durkin's defense came through, forcing a 3-and-out and giving the Tigers the ball at their own 30-yard line.
Trying to get Arnold into rhythm, Auburn came out throwing the ball on its first drive, but two sacks on three plays after two first downs forced the Tigers to punt back to the Cardinals.
After getting the ball back, it took only two plays for Auburn to reach the end zone as Jeremiah Cobb took it 46 yards to the house to make it 7-0. The Tigers' defense forced a three-and-out on Ball State's next possession before Arnold found Eric Singleton Jr. wide open for a 30-yard touchdown reception.
On Auburn's next drive, the Tigers drove down to Ball State's 22-yard line before Arnold took back-to-back sacks, forcing a long field-goal attempt by Towns McGough that came up short. The defense held Ball State to yet another three-and-out, and Auburn drove 67 yards in 9 plays, capped by an 11-yard touchdown completion to Horatio Fields, to make it 21-0.
Cobb added his second touchdown with a 45-yard scamper in the third quarter to make it 28-0.
With the Cardinals driving late in the third, it seemed that Robert Woodyard Jr. had stripped the quarterback and recovered it from his arms, but the referees called that forward progress had been stopped in a controversial review. Auburn's defense stepped up, though, and forced the Cardinals to take a field goal.
Arnold found Singleton once again in the first part of the fourth quarter for a 13-yard touchdown, while Durell Robinson went for 54 yards to make it 42-3.
Playing in his first game at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Arnold finished 24-of-28 for 251 yards and three touchdowns. Cobb led the Tigers with 121 rushing yards and two scores, while Cam Coleman came down with seven receptions for 77 yards.
Auburn's defense held Ball State to 68 total yards.
Auburn returns to Jordan-Hare on Saturday as the Tigers host South Alabama at 11:45 a.m. CT.