The start of the season is around the corner, meaning the excitement for games is gradually building with each day that passes.
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For the Auburn Tigers and first-year head coach Alex Golesh, week one pits them against the Baylor Bears for the second year in a row, marking the back half of a home-and-home.
While the concept of a home-and-home has fascinated many for years with the clashing of schools that do not often see each other and the welcoming of fans to new cultures, Auburn has not necessarily fared well like some teams have over the years.
The Tigers took down Baylor in 2025, going on the road to win 38-24 in Waco on a night that saw Rayshawn Pleasant return a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, the ground game rush for 307 yards and then quarterback Jackson Arnold seal the game with a dagger 27-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1.
While the 2026 edition of the meeting will be played in Atlanta, this is still the second half of a home-and-home series as it was designated by the contract written up when the series was sealed.
Auburn has not swept both chapters of a home-and-home since its showdowns with Kansas State, which was abnormal in the fact that its first half was played in 2007, only for the second half to be played in 2014.
Since that time, here are some highlights of each of the series since that sweep, which saw the Tigers walk into Manhattan, Kansas with Nick Marshall, Cameron Artis-Payne, Duke Williams and Kris Frost to come out with a 20-14 victory.
Clemson: 2016-2017
The two sets of Tigers took each other on in a classic that saw Dabo Swinney sweep both contests in low-scoring fashion. Big plays made all the difference in each game. The 2015 edition saw Hunter Renfrow secure a 16-yard pass from Deshaun Watson to put Clemson up 19-6 in Jordan-Hare Stadium before Ben Boulware intercepted a pass on the goal line later on to keep Auburn from gaining momentum. Clemson eventually won 19-13.
In 2016, Auburn traveled to Clemson and was up 6-0 nearing the half. That was before new Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant led an 88-yard drive down the field that ended with a 3-yard run from the quarterback to have his team take the lead. Then, out of the break, Bryant orchestrated another 79-yard drive that culminated with a 27-yard quarterback run for another touchdown, while the defense held Auburn scoreless to take a 14-6 win.
Penn State: 2021-2022
In a highly-touted trip to State College, Pennsylvania in 2021, the Tigers defense was picked apart by the duo of Sean Clifford and Jahan Dotson. Clifford went 28-for-32 through the air with 280 yards and two touchdowns, with Dotson catching 10 passes for 78 yards and a score. Auburn had multiple chances to potentially tie the game in the fourth quarter, but an incomplete fade on fourth down from the 2-yard line and an incompletion as time expired from the 26-yard line sealed things for a Penn State victory.
During the return trip to Auburn on a sweltering September afternoon, the Nittany Lions did not waste a breath and controlled the entire game. The Tigers never scored a touchdown while the Penn State offense totaled 477 yards in a 41-12 blowout.
California: 2023-2024
Auburn traveled out to Berkeley for a late-night game in Hugh Freeze’s first season on the Plains to take on the Golden Bears, but the showdown was anything but the cleanest. The two sides combined for seven turnovers on the game, and Cal kicker Michael Luckhurst only made one field goal in his four attempts on the night. The Tigers were powered by linebacker Eugene Asante, who picked up 12 tackles and a sack, ultimately giving them a chance to complete a 5-yard touchdown pass to Rivaldo Fairweather to win the game 14-10 on the road.
However, the back half of the series was defined by the Golden Bears defense. Payton Thorne threw four interceptions, paving the way for then Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza to go 25-for-36 passing with two touchdowns, both of which were to Nyziah Hunter to drive a 21-14 get-back victory.
Auburn will take on the Bears on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 2:30 CT in the Aflac Kickoff Game, which will be broadcast on ABC.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
