The Sports Xchange
Nov 19, 2016
For No. 15 Auburn, it was the easy tuneup it needed for next week's Iron Bowl at archrival Alabama.
Quarterback Jeremy Johnson rushed for two touchdowns and threw for one in just over two quarters on Saturday night as the Tigers routed overmatched FCS opponent Alabama A&M 55-0 in a nonconference game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala.
Johnson, playing in place of injured sophomore starter Sean White, completed 14 of 19 passes for 147 yards while rushing six times for 42 yards. His 1-yard scoring run with 9:50 left in the third quarter made it 31-0 and concluded his night.
Kam Martin rolled up 176 yards and two second-half touchdowns on 21 attempts for Auburn (8-3), which finished with 451 rushing yards and 598 total yards. Backup quarterback John Franklin III added 81 yards on the ground, including a 39-yard scoring run in a 24-point third quarter.
Alabama A&M (4-7), playing its season finale, managed just 130 total yards and punted 12 times. Quarterback De'Angelo Ballard completed 15 of 39 passes for 103 yards and threw two interceptions.
Auburn wasted little time getting its offense going, scoring two touchdowns in the first six minutes behind Johnson.
Johnson, one of 20 seniors playing his final home game, found the end zone on a 7-yard run with 11:22 left in the first quarter. Just over two minutes later after an interception by Montravius Adams set Auburn up at the Alabama A&M 14, Johnson connected with Kyle Davis for a 14-yard touchdown pass and a quick 14-0 lead.
Auburn upped its lead to 21-0 with 3:51 remaining in the first half on a 2-yard scoring jaunt around right end by Kerryon Johnson, who plowed through the Bulldogs' defense for 108 yards on 18 attempts in the half. Daniel Carlson capped the first-half scoring with a 41-yard field goal with 1:30 left.
Alabama A&M's only real scoring threat of the half ended when Nick Carden's 37-yard field goal attempt with 30 seconds left in the first quarter was blocked. The Bulldogs managed only 86 total yards and six first downs in the half.
NOTES: Auburn K Daniel Carlson added to his school-record string of PATs with three in the first half, giving him 136 in a row. ... The Tigers entered the game averaging 34.3 penalty yards per game, fewest in the SEC and sixth fewest nationally. ... Alabama A&M WR Ledarion Heath was ejected with 1:16 left in the first half for a targeting foul on Carlton Davis.