The countdown to kickoff for the Auburn Tigers and Head Coach Alex Golesh has reached the single digits, meaning emotions are starting to build and excitement is rising in everybody associated with the program.
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The beginning of the season evokes a number of memories and visions that set a lasting first impression. While the season itself does not always turn out like that impression indicates, the first game of a team’s campaign is not forgotten.
Auburn Undercover takes a look back at the last five season openers that the Tigers have played in. Auburn has not lost a season opener since the 2016 season, when it fell to the Clemson Tigers 19-13.
This rewind of the tapes starts in 2021 when the Tigers welcomed the Akron Zips to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first game back under normal conditions following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Historically, the Tigers have not always been a team to play the most difficult competition in the opening week, but a win to start the year is a win no matter how someone chalks it up.
In this game, it was all Auburn from the jump, who ultimately won by a score of 60-10.
It was kind of a slow start for the Tigers, who finally found their way onto the scoreboard with just less than seven minutes in the first quarter of play thanks to a 32-yard run from Tank Bigsby to go up 6-0.
Then, with 1:14 left in the opening quarter, Shaun Shivers caught a pass from Bo Nix and recorded a 19-yard touchdown, making it 13-0 early.
Auburn quickly got the ball back and struck again just eight seconds into the second with a 34-yard connection from Nix to Ja’Varrius Johnson to extend things to 20-0 before Kobe Hudson later rolled into paydirt with a 28-yard catch of his own.
With 3:13 left in the half, the Tigers got into the red zone and sat at the 1-yard line, allowing Bigsby to rumble in for a touchdown, extending things to 34-0. Anders Carlson then added on a 44-yard field goal with two seconds left to put Auburn up 37-0 at the break.
The Tigers continued to cruise in the third quarter, as on the first drive of the second half, Shivers carried the ball 26 yards for a touchdown, making it his second of the day. Auburn got a safety soon after to put the score at 46-0 before rolling the backups in.
TJ Finley scored on a 1-yard carry with 8:41 left in the third to make it 53-0 thrashing, which was what the score sat at entering the fourth.
Akron got on the board twice in the fourth quarter thanks to a 4-yard touchdown pass from DJ Irons to Jonzell Norrils and a 40-yard field goal by Cory Smigel, getting things to 53-10.
However, freshman Jarquez Hunter answered back and capped the night off with his first touchdown—a 9-yard run with 28 seconds left in the game.
Nix finished the opener 20-for-22 through the air with 275 yards and three touchdowns. Bigsby and Hunter each notched a 100-yard performance, combining for 229 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Shedrick Jackson was the leading receiver with five receptions for 79 yards.
Zakoby McClain and T.D. Moultry tied for the Tigers’ top tacklers of the day with seven each. Marquis Burks, meanwhile, landed on top of the sack list with two for the night.
Auburn recorded 613 yards of offense for the game, with 316 of those coming on the ground. However, it lost the time of possession battle, only having the ball for 24:16 compared to the Zips’ 35:44.
The Tigers finished the 2021 season 6-7 after beginning the year 6-2 in Bryan Harsin’s first year on the Plains. They lost to the Houston Cougars in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl 17-13.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
