2020 Auburn Tigers football team

2020 Auburn Tigers football
2020 Auburn Tigers football
Citrus Bowl, L 19–35 vs. Northwestern
Conference	Southeastern Conference
	Western Division
Record	6–5 (6–4 SEC)
Head coach	Gus Malzahn (8th season; regular season); Kevin Steele (interim; bowl game);
Offensive coordinator	Chad Morris (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Kodi Burns (5th season)
Offensive scheme	Spread option
Defensive coordinator	Kevin Steele (5th season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Jordan–Hare Stadium
	Seasons ← 2019 2021 →

2020 Southeastern Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
East Division
No. 13 Florida x	8	–	2	8	–	4
No. 7 Georgia	7	–	2	8	–	2
Missouri	5	–	5	5	–	5
Kentucky	4	–	6	5	–	6
Tennessee*	3	–	7	3	–	7
South Carolina	2	–	8	2	–	8
Vanderbilt	0	–	9	0	–	9
West Division
No. 1 Alabama x$#^	10	–	0	13	–	0
No. 4 Texas A&M	8	–	1	9	–	1
Auburn	6	–	4	6	–	5
LSU*	5	–	5	5	–	5
Ole Miss	4	–	5	5	–	5
Arkansas	3	–	7	3	–	7
Mississippi State	3	–	7	4	–	7
Championship: Alabama 52, Florida 46
# – College Football Playoff champion ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions * – Tennessee vacated all wins due to NCAA violations. LSU was ineligible for postseason due to self imposed ban. Note: Due to COVID-19, the SEC played a conference-only schedule. Rankings from AP Poll.

The 2020 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers played their home games at Jordan–Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by eighth-year head coach Gus Malzahn until his dismissal at the end of the regular season. The team's spring game, originally intended to be played on April 11, 2020, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tigers' regular-season schedule was also impacted as all non-conference games were canceled and the SEC allowed teams to play 10 in-conference games only.

On December 13, 2020, head coach Gus Malzahn was fired after eight years.^[1] After reaching the 2014 BCS National Championship Game at the end of the 2013 season, Auburn won at least 10 games under Malzahn only once more, in 2017. Kevin Steele, defensive coordinator, was designated to serve as the Tigers' interim coach for the Citrus Bowl. In December 2020, Bryan Harsin was hired as head coach.^[2]

SEC Media Days

In the preseason media poll, Auburn was predicted to finish in third place in the West Division.^[3]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
Media poll (West Division)
1	Alabama	660 (86)
2	LSU	489 (8)
3	Auburn	488
4	Texas A&M	454 (2)
T5	Ole Miss	238
T5	Mississippi State	238
7	Arkansas	121

Schedule

Auburn announced its 2020 football schedule on August 7, 2019.^[4] The 2020 schedule originally consisted of 7 home, 4 away, and 1 neutral game in the regular season.

The Tigers had games scheduled against Alcorn State, North Carolina, Southern Miss, and UMass, which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In July, the SEC announced the non-conference games would be canceled and only ten conference games would only be played.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 26	11:00 a.m.	No. 23 Kentucky	No. 8	Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, AL	SECN	W 29–13	17,490
October 3	6:30 p.m.	at No. 4 Georgia	No. 7	Sanford Stadium Athens, GA (Deep South's Oldest Rivalry /College GameDay)	ESPN	L 6–27	20,524
October 10	3:00 p.m.	Arkansas	No. 13	Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, AL	ESPN	W 30–28	17,490
October 17	11:00 a.m.	at South Carolina	No. 15	Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	ESPN	L 22–30	15,766
October 24	11:00 a.m.	at Ole Miss		Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS (rivalry)	SECN	W 35–28	15,037
October 31	2:30 p.m.	LSU		Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, AL (Tiger Bowl)	CBS	W 48–11	17,490
November 21	6:00 p.m.	Tennessee	No. 23	Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, AL (rivalry)	ESPN	W 30–17	17,490
November 28	2:30 p.m.	at No. 1 Alabama	No. 22	Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (Iron Bowl/College GameDay)	CBS	L 13–42	19,424
December 5	11:00 a.m.	No. 5 Texas A&M		Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, AL	ESPN	L 20–31	17,490
December 12^[a]	6:30 p.m.	at Mississippi State		Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS	SECN	W 24–10	12,986
January 1, 2021	12:00 p.m.	vs. No. 14 Northwestern*		Camping World Stadium Orlando, FL (Citrus Bowl)	ABC	L 19–35	13,039
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings (after November 24) released prior to game All times are in Central time

^{^[a]}The game between Auburn and Mississippi State was postponed due to an outbreak of COVID-19 on the Mississippi State team. The game was originally scheduled for November 14.

Schedule Source:^[9]

Game summaries

Kentucky

Game One – No. 23 Kentucky Wildcats (0–0) at No. 8 Auburn Tigers (0–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 23 Wildcats	7	0	6	0	13
No. 8 Tigers	8	0	7	14	29

at Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, Alabama

Date: Saturday, September 26, 2020
Game time: 11:03 a.m. CDT
Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: 5 mph W
Game attendance: 17,490
Referee: Steve Marlowe
TV announcers (SEC Network): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst), Cole Cubelic (sideline reporter)
Pregame line: Auburn –6.5 • Odds to win: Auburn 84.9% • Game summary: ESPN

Game information

First quarter

(6:44) UK – Kavosiey Smoke 35 yd rush, Matt Ruffolo kick (Drive: 11 plays, 93 yds, 6:23; Kentucky 7–0)
(4:30) AUB – D. J. Williams 1 yd rush, John Samuel Shenker pass (Drive: 7 plays, 70 yds, 2:07; Auburn 8–7)

Second quarter

No scoring

Third quarter

(5:42) AUB – Seth Williams 11 yd pass from Bo Nix, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 9 plays, 76 yds, 4:19; Auburn 15–7)
(1:00) UK – Akeem Hayes 8 yd pass from Terry Wilson, Terry Wilson pass failed (Drive: 11 plays, 73 yds, 4:34; Auburn 15–13)

Fourth quarter

(10:21) AUB – Seth Williams 4 yd pass from Bo Nix, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 5 plays, 23 yds, 2:13; Auburn 22–13)
(8:17) AUB – Eli Stove 21 yd pass from Bo Nix, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 2 plays, 27 yds, 0:50; Auburn 29–13)

Statistics	UK	AUB
First downs	21	16
Plays–yards	78–384	57–324
Rushes–yards	40–145	30–91
Passing yards	239	233
Passing: comp–att–int	24–38–1	16–27–0
Time of possession	36:29	23:31

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Kentucky	Passing	Terry Wilson	24/37, 239 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Kavosiey Smoke	7 carries, 62 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Josh Ali	9 receptions, 98 yds
Auburn	Passing	Bo Nix	16/27, 233 yds, 3 TD
	Rushing	Bo Nix	5 carries, 34 yds
	Receiving	Seth Williams	6 receptions, 112 yds, 2 TD

At Georgia

Game Two – No. 7 Auburn Tigers (1–0) at No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs (1–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 7 Tigers	0	3	3	0	6
No. 4 Bulldogs	10	14	3	0	27

at Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia

Date: Saturday, October 3, 2020
Game time: 6:38 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Fair • Temperature: 64 °F (18 °C) • Wind: 5 mph E
Game attendance: 20,524
Referee: James Carter
TV announcers (ESPN): Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Allison Williams (sideline reporter)
Pregame line: Georgia –7.5 • Odds to win: Georgia 57.3% • Game summary: ESPN

Game information

First quarter

(9:31) UGA – Zamir White 1 yd rush, Jack Podlesny kick (Drive: 10 plays, 43 yds, 2:56; Georgia 7–0)
(4:00) UGA – Jack Podlesny 21 yd field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 59 yds, 3:56; Georgia 10–0)

Second quarter

(11:08) UGA – George Pickens 21 yd pass from Stetson Bennett, Jack Podlesny kick (Drive: 11 plays, 84 yds, 5:26; Georgia 17–0)
(6:26) UGA – Zamir White 1 yd rush, Jack Podlesny kick (Drive: 6 plays, 72 yds, 3:27; Georgia 24–0)
(1:38) AUB – Anders Carlson 20 yd field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 65 yds, 4:40; Georgia 24–3)

Third quarter

(10:09) AUB – Anders Carlson 45 yd field goal (Drive: 15 plays, 54 yds, 4:46; Georgia 24–6)
(5:51) UGA – Jack Podlesny 25 yd field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 67 yds, 4:18; Georgia 27–6)

Fourth quarter

No scoring

Statistics	AUB	UGA
First downs	15	25
Plays–yards	63–216	73–442
Rushes–yards	22–39	45–202
Passing yards	177	240
Passing: comp–att–int	21–41–1	17–28–0
Time of possession	25:56	34:04

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Auburn	Passing	Bo Nix	21/41, 177 yds, 1 INT
	Rushing	Tank Bigsby	8 carries, 31 yds
	Receiving	Anthony Schwartz	8 receptions, 57 yds
Georgia	Passing	Stetson Bennett	17/28, 240 yds, 1 TD
	Rushing	Zamir White	19 carries, 88 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Kearis Jackson	9 receptions, 147 yds

Arkansas

Game Three – Arkansas Razorbacks (1–1) at No. 13 Auburn Tigers (1–1)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Razorbacks	0	12	6	10	28
No. 13 Tigers	10	10	0	10	30

at Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, Alabama

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2020
Game time: 3:05 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Rainy • Temperature: 78 °F (26 °C) • Wind: 11 mph S
Game attendance: 17,490
Referee: Jason Autrey
TV announcers (ESPN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst), Lauren Sisler (sideline reporter)
Pregame line: Auburn –13.5 • Odds to win: Auburn 88.5% • Game summary: ESPN

Game information

First quarter

(4:32) AUB – Barton Lester 0 yd punt return, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 0 plays, 0 yds, 0:00; Auburn 7–0)
(0:36) AUB – Anders Carlson 47 yd field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 47 yds, 2:34; Auburn 10–0)

Second quarter

(9:22) AUB – Bo Nix 15 yd rush, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 10 plays, 80 yds, 4:49; Auburn 17–0)
(6:24) ARK – Michael Woods II 4 yd pass from Feleipe Franks, PAT kick failed (Drive: 8 plays, 65 yds, 2:58; Auburn 17–6)
(2:15) ARK – DeVion Warren 7 yd pass from Feleipe Franks, PAT pass by Feleipe Franks failed (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yds, 2:00; Auburn 17–12)
(0:38) AUB – Anders Carlson 25 yd field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 57 yds, 1:37; Auburn 20–12)

Third quarter

(4:14) ARK – Trelon Smith 5 yd pass from Feleipe Franks, PAT pass by Feleipe Franks failed (Drive: 13 plays, 85 yds, 5:30; Auburn 20–18)

Fourth quarter

(14:51) AUB – Anthony Schwartz 17 yd pass from Bo Nix, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 9 plays, 64 yds, 4:12; Auburn 27–18)
(11:37) ARK – AJ Reed 23 yd field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 70 yds, 3:14; Auburn 27–21)
(5:29) ARK – DeVion Warren 30 yd pass from Feleipe Franks, AJ Reed kick (Drive: 10 plays, 70 yds, 4:50; Arkansas 28–27)
(0:07) AUB – Anders Carlson 39 yd field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 23 yds, 1:59; Auburn 30–28)

Statistics	ARK	AUB
First downs	22	24
Plays–yards	72–437	70–446
Rushes–yards	42–119	41–259
Passing yards	318	187
Passing: comp–att–int	22–30–0	17–28–0
Time of possession	27:42	32:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Arkansas	Passing	Feleipe Franks	22/30, 318 yds, 4 TD
	Rushing	Trelon Smith	21 carries, 81 yds
	Receiving	Michael Woods II	6 receptions, 81 yds, 1 TD
Auburn	Passing	Bo Nix	17/28, 187 yds, 1 TD
	Rushing	Tank Bigsby	20 carries, 146 yds
	Receiving	Anthony Schwartz	10 receptions, 100 yds, 1 TD

At South Carolina

Game Four – No. 15 Auburn Tigers (2–1) at South Carolina Gamecocks (1–2)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 15 Tigers	9	7	3	3	22
Gamecocks	0	14	13	3	30

at Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina

Date: Saturday, October 17, 2020
Game time: 11:02 a.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 62 °F (17 °C) • Wind: NE 10 mph
Game attendance: 15,766
Referee: Steve Marlowe
TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Holly Rowe (sideline reporter)
Pregame line: Auburn –3 • Odds to win: Auburn 66.2% • Game summary: ESPN

Game information

First quarter

(8:32) AUB – Anders Carlson 35 yd field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 62 yds, 4:57; Auburn 3–0)
(4:33) AUB – Eli Stove 11 yd pass from Bo Nix, Grant Loy pass failed (Drive: 7 plays, 56 yds, 2:01; Auburn 9–0)

Second quarter

(12:49) SC – Kevin Harris 3 yd run, Parker White kick (Drive: 5 plays, 29 yds, 2:00; Auburn 9–7)
(10:24) AUB – Tank Bigsby 2 yd run, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yds, 2:25; Auburn 16–7)
(0:35) SC – Collin Hill 1 yd run, Parker White kick (Drive: 11 plays, 49 yds, 4:28; Auburn 16–14)

Third quarter

(10:22) AUB – Anders Carlson 38 yd field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 54 yds, 4:38; Auburn 19–14)
(6:31) SC – Shi Smith 10 yd pass from Collin Hill, Collin Hill pass failed (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yds, 3:51; South Carolina 20–19)
(0:54) SC – Kevin Harris 8 yd run, Parker White kick (Drive: 1 play, 8 yds, 0:05; South Carolina 27–19)

Fourth quarter

(9:13) SC – Parker White 39 yd field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 58 yds, 4:28; South Carolina 30–19)
(6:39) AUB – Anders Carlson 22 yd field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 70 yds, 2:34; South Carolina 30–22)

Statistics	AUB	SC
First downs	27	20
Plays–yards	83–481	67–297
Rushes–yards	36–209	43–153
Passing yards	272	144
Passing: comp–att–int	24–47–3	15–24–1
Time of possession	28:43	31:17

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Auburn	Passing	Bo Nix	24/47, 272 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Tank Bigsby	16 carries, 111 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Seth Williams	4 receptions, 74 yds
South Carolina	Passing	Collin Hill	15/24, 144 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Kevin Harris	25 carries, 83 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Shi Smith	8 receptions, 76 yds, 1 TD

At Ole Miss

Game Five – Auburn Tigers (2–2) at Ole Miss Rebels (1–3)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	7	7	7	14	35
Rebels	0	14	7	7	28

at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2020
Game time: 11:03 a.m. CDT
Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 52 °F (11 °C)
Game attendance: 15,037
Referee: Marc Curles
TV announcers (SEC Network): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst), Cole Cubelic (sideline reporter)
Pregame line: Auburn –3.5 • Odds to win: Auburn 74.8% • Game summary: ESPN

Game information

First quarter

(2:17) AUB – Tank Bigsby 4 yd run, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 14 plays, 95 yds, 5:53; Auburn 7–0)

Second quarter

(13:46) MISS – Elijah Moore 6 yd pass from Matt Corral, Luke Logan kick (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yds, 3:31; Tied 7–7)
(9:11) AUB – Bo Nix 4 yd run, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 10 plays, 79 yds, 4:28; Auburn 14–7)
(3:35) MISS – Matt Corral 5 yd run, Luke Logan kick (Drive: 16 plays, 78 yds, 5:31; Tied 14–14)

Third quarter

(7:09) MISS – Matt Corral 10 yd run, Luke Logan kick (Drive: 3 plays, 89 yds, 0:34; Ole Miss 21–14)
(2:57) AUB – Shaun Shivers 1 yd run, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 10 plays, 88 yds, 4:04; Tied 21–21)

Fourth quarter

(10:12) AUB – Tank Bigsby 18 yd run, Ben Patton rush failed (Drive: 11 plays, 80 yds, 5:08; Auburn 27–21)
(5:43) MISS – Jerrion Ealy 5 yd run, Luke Logan kick (Drive: 13 plays, 77 yds, 4:21; Ole Miss 28–27)
(1:11) AUB – Seth Williams 58 yd pass from Bo Nix, pass by Seth Williams (Drive: 6 plays, 80 yds, 1:14; Auburn 35–28)

Statistics	AUB	MISS
First downs	26	25
Plays–yards	77–462	79–444
Rushes–yards	47–224	51–283
Passing yards	238	161
Passing: comp–att–int	23–30–0	17–28–2
Time of possession	31:48	28:12

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Auburn	Passing	Bo Nix	23/30, 238 yds, 1 TD
	Rushing	Tank Bigsby	24 carries, 129 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Seth Williams	8 receptions, 134 yds, 1 TD
Ole Miss	Passing	Matt Corral	16/27, 154 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Matt Corral	10 rushes, 88 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Elijah Moore	5 receptions, 16 yds, 1 TD

LSU

Game Six – LSU Tigers (2–2) at Auburn Tigers (3–2)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
LSU Tigers	0	3	0	8	11
Auburn Tigers	0	21	21	6	48

at Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, Alabama

Date: Saturday, October 31, 2020
Game time: 2:39 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 67 °F (19 °C) • Wind: 8 mph E
Game attendance: 17,490
Referee: Alex Moore
TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), Jamie Erdahl (sideline reporter)
Pregame line: Auburn –1 • Odds to win: LSU 52.1% • Game summary: ESPN

Game information

First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

(12:13) AUB – Eli Stove 9 yd pass from Bo Nix, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 1 play, 4 yds, 0:32; Auburn 7–0)
(5:27) AUB – Christian Tutt 20 yd fumble return, Anders Carlson kick (Auburn 14–0)
(0:40) AUB – Ze'Vian Capers 9 yd pass from Bo Nix, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 8 plays, 99 yds, 2:56; Auburn 21–0)
(0:00) LSU – Cade York 50 yd field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 32 yds, 0:33; Auburn 21–3)

Third quarter

(11:35) AUB – Bo Nix 5 yd run, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yds, 3:25; Auburn 28–3)
(8:55) AUB – Tank Bigsby 2 yd run, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 5 plays, 21 yds, 2:34; Auburn 35–3)
(1:33) AUB – Tank Bigsby 3 yd run, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 12 plays, 69 yds, 5:21; Auburn 42–3)

Fourth quarter

(14:37) AUB – Anthony Schwartz 91 yd pass from Bo Nix, Anders Carlson kick failed (Drive: 1 play, 91 yds, 0:11; Auburn 48–3)
(8:43) LSU – Kayshon Boutte 43 yd pass from Max Johnson, Max Johnson run (Drive: 4 plays, 71 yds, 1:16; Auburn 48–11)

Statistics	LSU	AUB
First downs	20	23
Plays–yards	75–347	70–506
Rushes–yards	27–32	44–206
Passing yards	315	300
Passing: comp–att–int	28–48–2	18–26–0
Time of possession	28:31	31:29

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
LSU	Passing	Max Johnson	15/24, 172 yds, 1 TD
	Rushing	John Emery	9 carries, 21 yds
	Receiving	Arik Gilbert	6 receptions, 55 yds
Auburn	Passing	Bo Nix	18/24, 300 yds, 3 TD
	Rushing	Bo Nix	11 carries, 81 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Eli Stove	5 receptions, 64 yds, 1 TD

Tennessee

Game Seven – Tennessee Volunteers (2–4) at No. 23 Auburn Tigers (4–2)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Volunteers	7	3	0	7	17
No. 23 Tigers	0	10	10	10	30

at Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, Alabama

Date: Saturday, November 21, 2020
Game time: 6:10 p.m. CST
Game weather: Clear skies • Temperature: 61 °F (16 °C) • Wind: 3 mph E
Game attendance: 17,490
Referee: David Smith
TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Allison Williams (sideline reporter)
Pregame line: Auburn –10.5 • Odds to win: Auburn 85.7% • Game summary: ESPN

Game information

First quarter

(5:56) TENN – Jarrett Guarantano 9 yd rush, Brent Cimaglia kick (Drive: 9 plays, 80 yds, 4:42; Tennessee 7–0)

Second quarter

(13:42) TENN – Brent Cimaglia 47 yd field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 50 yds, 3:58; Tennessee 10–0)
(12:06) AUB – Anthony Schwartz 54 yd pass from Bo Nix, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 4 plays, 79 yds, 1:35; Tennessee 10–7)
(5:36) AUB – Anders Carlson 25 yd field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 70 yds, 5:35; Tied 10–10)

Third quarter

(7:25) AUB – Anders Carlson 27 yd field goal (Drive: 15 plays, 65 yds, 7:35; Auburn 13–10)
(2:21) AUB – Smoke Monday 100 yd interception return, Anders Carlson kick (Auburn 20–10)

Fourth quarter

(7:14) AUB – D.J. Williams 9 yd rush, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 12 plays, 80 yds, 5:19; Auburn 27–10)
(4:07) TENN – Eric Gray 1 yd rush, Brent Cimaglia kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yds, 3:07; Auburn 27–17)
(1:27) AUB – Anders Carlson 50 yd field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 11 yds, 2:39; Auburn 30–17)

Statistics	TENN	AUB
First downs	28	23
Plays–yards	74–464	64–385
Rushes–yards	41–222	38–165
Passing yards	242	220
Passing: comp–att–int	22–33–1	17–26–1
Time of possession	31:29	28:31

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Tennessee	Passing	Jarrett Guarantano	15/23, 156 yds, 1 INT
	Rushing	Eric Gray	22 carries, 173 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Ty Chandler	4 receptions, 37 yds
Auburn	Passing	Bo Nix	17/26, 220 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	D.J. Williams	11 carries, 66 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Seth Williams	5 receptions, 52 yds

At Alabama

Game Eight – No. 22 Auburn Tigers (5–2) at No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (7–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 22 Tigers	0	3	3	7	13
No. 1 Crimson Tide	7	14	14	7	42

at Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Date: Saturday, November 28, 2020
Game time: 2:39 p.m. CST
Game weather: Partly cloudy • Temperature: 63 °F (17 °C) • Wind: N 6 mph
Game attendance: 19,424
Referee: Jason Autrey
TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), Jamie Erdahl (sideline reporter)
Pregame line: Alabama –24.5 • Odds to win: Alabama 92.2% • Game summary: ESPN

Game information

First quarter

(5:10) ALA – DeVonta Smith 66 yd pass from Mac Jones, Will Reichard kick (Drive: 4 plays, 78 yds, 1:51; Alabama 7–0)

Second quarter

(14:04) ALA – John Metchie III 7 yd pass from Mac Jones, Will Reichard kick (Drive: 7 plays, 66 yds, 2:21; Alabama 14–0)
(8:51) AUB – Anders Carlson 47 yd field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 51 yds, 5:13; Alabama 14–3)
(6:24) ALA – Jahleel Billingsley 24 yd pass from Mac Jones, Will Reichard kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yds, 2:27; Alabama 21–3)

Third quarter

(10:36) AUB – Anders Carlson 45 yd field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 47 yds, 3:00; Alabama 21–6)
(9:08) ALA – DeVonta Smith 58 yd pass from Mac Jones, Will Reichard kick (Drive: 3 plays, 78 yds, 1:28; Alabama 28–6)
(4:28) ALA – Najee Harris 39 yd run, Will Reichard kick (Drive: 5 plays, 61 yds, 2:07; Alabama 35–6)

Fourth quarter

(13:27) ALA – John Metchie III 24 yd pass from Mac Jones, Will Reichard kick (Drive: 12 plays, 68 yds, 5:10; Alabama 42–6)
(4:39) AUB – Bo Nix 1 yd run, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 12 plays, 96 yds, 5:59; Alabama 42–13)

Statistics	AUB	ALA
First downs	20	20
Plays–yards	80–347	53–445
Rushes–yards	42–120	27–143
Passing yards	227	302
Passing: comp–att–int	23–38–2	18–26–0
Time of possession	36:30	23:30

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Auburn	Passing	Bo Nix	23/38, 227 yds, 2 INT
	Rushing	Mark-Antony Richards	14 carries, 57 yds
	Receiving	Eli Stove	7 receptions, 29 yds
Alabama	Passing	Mac Jones	18/26, 302 yds, 5 TD
	Rushing	Najee Harris	11 carries, 96 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	DeVonta Smith	7 receptions, 171 yds, 2 TD

Texas A&M

Game Nine – No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies (6–1) at Auburn Tigers (5–3)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 5 Aggies	7	7	0	17	31
Tigers	0	10	10	0	20

at Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, Alabama

Date: Saturday, December 5, 2020
Game time: 11:02 a.m. CST
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 52 °F (11 °C) • Wind: N 9 mph
Game attendance: 17,490
Referee: James Carter
TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Todd McShay and Allison Williams (sideline reporters)
Pregame line: Texas A&M –5.5 • Odds to win: Auburn 53.1% • Game summary: ESPN

Game information

First quarter

(8:42) TA&M – Jalen Wydermyer 10 yd pass from Kellen Mond, Seth Small kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yds, 6:18; Texas A&M 7–0)

Second quarter

(14:11) AUB – Anders Carlson 37 yd field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 71 yds, 4:17; Texas A&M 7–3)
(3:36) AUB – Bo Nix 5 yd rush, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 9 plays, 80 yds, 4:33; Auburn 10–7)
(0:24) TA&M – Kellen Mond 1 yd rush, Seth Small kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yds, 3:12; Texas A&M 14–10)

Third quarter

(10:36) AUB – Bo Nix 3 yd rush, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yds, 4:24; Auburn 17–14)
(4:16) AUB – Anders Carlson 24 yd field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 72 yds, 3:38; Auburn 20–14)

Fourth quarter

(13:31) TA&M – Jalen Wydermyer 20 yd pass from Kellen Mond, Seth Small kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yds, 5:45; Texas A&M 21–20)
(8:12) TA&M – Ainias Smith 4 yd rush, Seth Small kick (Drive: 7 plays, 77 yds, 3:42; Texas A&M 28–20)
(1:09) TA&M – Seth Small 32 yd field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 55 yds, 5:32; Texas A&M 31–20)

Statistics	TA&M	AUB
First downs	29	16
Plays–yards	70–509	54–340
Rushes–yards	47–313	30–196
Passing yards	196	144
Passing: comp–att–int	18–23–0	15–23–0
Time of possession	38:00	22:00

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Texas A&M	Passing	Kellen Mond	18/23, 196 yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	Isaiah Spiller	20 carries, 120 yds
	Receiving	Jalen Wydermyer	8 receptions, 89 yds, 2 TD
Auburn	Passing	Bo Nix	15/23, 144 yds
	Rushing	Tank Bigsby	9 carries, 76 yds
	Receiving	Eli Stove	4 receptions, 29 yds

At Mississippi State

Game Ten – Auburn Tigers (5–4) at Mississippi State Bulldogs (2–6)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	3	3	3	15	24
Bulldogs	0	3	0	7	10

at Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi

Date: Saturday, December 12, 2020
Game time: 6:39 p.m. CST
Game weather: Partly Cloudy • Temperature: 55 °F (13 °C) • Wind: Calm
Game attendance: 12,986
Referee: Lee Hedrick
TV announcers (SEC Network): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst), Cole Cubelic (sideline reporter)
Pregame line: Auburn –6.5 • Odds to win: Auburn 74.6% • Game summary: ESPN

Game information

First quarter

(6:47) AUB – Anders Carlson 27 yd field goal (Drive: 15 plays, 40 yds, 6:20; Auburn 3–0)

Second quarter

(5:27) MSU – Brandon Ruiz 41 yd field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 37 yds, 5:13; Tied 3–3)
(0:00) AUB – Anders Carlson 37 yd field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 37 yds, 3:18; Auburn 6–3)

Third quarter

(4:28) AUB – Anders Carlson 45 yd field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 10 yds, 2:10; Auburn 9–3)

Fourth quarter

(10:03) AUB – Seth Williams 32 yd pass from Bo Nix, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 10 plays, 95 yds, 4:49; Auburn 16–3)
(8:24) MSU – Austin Williams 8 yd pass from Will Rogers, Brandon Ruiz kick (Drive: 5 plays, 29 yds, 1:28; Auburn 16–10)
(6:03) AUB – Bo Nix 3 yd run, pass by Ze'Vian Capers (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yds, 2:21; Auburn 24–10)

Statistics	AUB	MSU
First downs	19	17
Plays–yards	68–343	67–240
Rushes–yards	36–218	16–19
Passing yards	125	221
Passing: comp–att–int	15–32–0	30–51–2
Time of possession	30:56	29:04

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Auburn	Passing	Bo Nix	15/32, 125 yds, 1 TD
	Rushing	Tank Bigsby	26 carries, 192 yds
	Receiving	Anthony Schwartz	5 receptions, 32 yds
Mississippi State	Passing	Will Rogers	30/51, 221 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Dillon Johnson	5 carries, 30 yds
	Receiving	Jaden Walley	8 receptions, 100 yds

Vs. Northwestern (Citrus Bowl)

Vrbo Citrus Bowl – Auburn Tigers (6–4) vs. No. 14 Northwestern Wildcats (6–2)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	6	7	6	19
No. 14 Wildcats	14	0	7	14	35

at Camping World Stadium • Orlando, Florida

Date: Friday, January 1, 2021
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: Mostly Sunny
Game attendance: 13,039
Referee: Jerry Magallanes
TV announcers (ABC): Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst), Paul Carcaterra (sideline reporter)
Pregame line: Northwestern –3.5 • Odds to win: Auburn 60.1% • Game summary: ESPN

Game information

First quarter

(11:32) NU – Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman 35 yard pass from Peyton Ramsey, Charlie Kuhbander kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:28; Northwestern 7–0)
(3:14) NU – John Raine 6 yard pass from Peyton Ramsey, Charlie Kuhbander kick (Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:21; Northwestern 14–0)

Second quarter

(6:03) AUB – Anders Carlson 50 yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 20 yards, 2:36; Northwestern 14–3)
(0:17) AUB – Anders Carlson 27 yard field goal (Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 3:45; Northwestern 14–6)

Third quarter

(8:32) AUB – Elijah Canion 57 yard pass from Bo Nix, Anders Carlson kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:10; Northwestern 14–13)
(1:34) NU – Peyton Ramsey 30 yard rush, Charlie Kuhbander kick (Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 2:10; Northwestern 21–13)

Fourth quarter

(12:13) NU – Cam Porter 1 yard rush, Charlie Kuhbander kick (Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 2:16; Northwestern 28–13)
(7:49) NU – Riley Lees 8 yard pass from Peyton Ramsey, Charlie Kuhbander kick (Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 3:35; Northwestern 35–13)
(4:41) AUB – D.J. Williams 2 yard rush, 2-point pass failed (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:08; Northwestern 35–19)

Statistics	AUB	NU
First downs	19	25
Plays–yards	69-361	86-457
Rushes–yards	26-61	51-166
Passing yards	300	291
Passing: comp–att–int	26-43-0	24-35-0
Time of possession	24:18	35:42

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Auburn	Passing	Bo Nix	25/42, 292 yds, 1 TD
	Rushing	Bo Nix	10 carries, 32 yds
	Receiving	Elijah Canion	3 receptions, 80 yds, 1 TD
Northwestern	Passing	Peyton Ramsey	24/35, 291 yds, 3 TD
	Rushing	Cam Porter	33 carries, 98 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	John Raine	6 receptions, 76 yds, 1 TD

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Final
AP	11	11*	8	8 T	7	13	15	RV	RV	24	24	23	22	RV	—	—	—
Coaches	11	11*	9	8	7	13	14	RV	RV	21	21	21	19	RV	—	—	—
CFP	Not released												22	—	—	—	Not released

Players drafted into the NFL

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
3	91	Anthony Schwartz	WR	Cleveland Browns
5	146	Jamien Sherwood	S	New York Jets
5	176	K. J. Britt	ILB	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6	219	Seth Williams	WR	Denver Broncos

References

^ Scarborough, Alex (December 13, 2020). "Auburn Tigers fire football coach Gus Malzahn after eight seasons". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Auburn hires Boise State's Harsin to lead football program Bryan Harsin He was previously the Head Coach at Boise State University".
^ "Preseason SEC media poll, All-SEC Team announced". SECSports.com. Southeastern Conference. September 23, 2020.
^ "SEC announces 2020 Auburn football schedule". Auburn University Department of Athletics. August 7, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
^ Talty, John (July 30, 2020). "SEC moves to conference-only 2020 schedule, pushes back start of season". AL.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
^ Visser, David (July 21, 2020). "SWAC Suspends Fall Football Season". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
^ Kelley, Kevin (July 30, 2020). "All three Chick-fil-A Kickoff games canceled in 2020". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
^ Dellenger, Ross. "Sources: SEC Adopts Conference-Only Schedule With Sept. 26 Start". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
^ "2020 Auburn Tigers Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved January 11, 2020.

[1] Scarborough, Alex (December 13, 2020). "Auburn Tigers fire football coach Gus Malzahn after eight seasons". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[2] "Auburn hires Boise State's Harsin to lead football program Bryan Harsin He was previously the Head Coach at Boise State University".

[3] "Preseason SEC media poll, All-SEC Team announced". SECSports.com. Southeastern Conference. September 23, 2020.

[2019sched-4] "SEC announces 2020 Auburn football schedule". Auburn University Department of Athletics. August 7, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2020.

[5] Talty, John (July 30, 2020). "SEC moves to conference-only 2020 schedule, pushes back start of season". AL.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

[6] Visser, David (July 21, 2020). "SWAC Suspends Fall Football Season". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 20, 2020.

[7] Kelley, Kevin (July 30, 2020). "All three Chick-fil-A Kickoff games canceled in 2020". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

[8] Dellenger, Ross. "Sources: SEC Adopts Conference-Only Schedule With Sept. 26 Start". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

[9] "2020 Auburn Tigers Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved January 11, 2020.

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v t e Auburn Tigers football
Venues	Drill Field (1892–1910) Drake Field (1911–1939) Legion Field (alternate, 1926–1991) Jordan-Hare Stadium (1939–present)
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National championship seasons in bold