Field Level Media
Nov 17, 2018
Quarterback Jarrett Stidham threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score, and Kam Martin rushed for 116 yards on 17 carries as Auburn barely broke a sweat on the way to a 53-0 win over visiting Liberty University on Saturday in Auburn, Ala.
With Martin leading the way, Auburn employed 10 different ballcarriers to rush for 340 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt. The Tigers outgained Liberty 531-134 in total offense in the win.
The Tigers' defense was a huge factor as well, holding Liberty to less than 100 yards of total offense until early in the fourth quarter while forcing two fumbles and intercepting Flames quarterback Stephen Calvert twice.
Calvert passed for 79 yards to lead the Flames (4-6) while Frankie Hickson rushed for 45 yards on 10 carries, with 30 yards on one run. Liberty never advanced past the Auburn 33-yard line in 15 offensive possessions.
The Tigers (7-4) jumped on Liberty from their first offensive possession of the game and never looked back. Two field goals from Anders Carlson -- from 53 and 20 yards -- a safety credited to Jordyn Peters and a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown by Darrell Williams in the first quarter started the blowout as Auburn took a 15-0 lead.
Then the Tigers' offense kicked into gear. Stidham ran 1 yard for a touchdown at the end of a 10-play, 72-yard march. Carlson added a 49-yard field goal at the end of a 55-yard drive that took 16 plays to move the lead to 25-0 with 3:09 until halftime and before Stidham found Sal Cannella on a 22-yard TD pass two minutes later to give the Tigers a 32-0 lead at halftime.
Auburn continued its domination in the third quarter, scoring touchdowns on a 45-yard pass from Stidham to Seth Williams at the 13:19 mark, a 25-yard run by Shaun Shivers with 5:46 to play in the quarter, and a 16-yard run by Malik Willis with 13 second left in the third, expanding the Tigers' advantage to 53-0.
Auburn returns to play next Saturday when it travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to battle top-ranked and undefeated Alabama in the Iron Bowl. Liberty heads home to host New Mexico State in a battle of independents.
--Field Level Media