Auburn tallied 628 yards of total offense in its 73-3 season-opening victory Saturday over Alabama A&M at Auburn, Ala., in a game in which the quarters in the second half were reduced from 15 minutes to 10 because of the lopsided score.
Auburn held a 52-3 lead at halftime, the most points the Tigers have scored in a half since they led Purdue 56-7 midway through a 63-14 victory in the 2018 Music City Bowl.
The Tigers’ 436 yards of total offense in the first half Saturday are the most since they produced 453 in the first half of a 51-14 win over Arkansas State in 2016. Auburn finished with 706 yards in that game.
The 73 points are the most for Auburn since it beat Tennessee-Chattanooga 76-10 in 1995.
Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne did not play in the second half after throwing for 322 yards while completing 13 of 21 pass attempts in the first half. He tallied four touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Tigers featured four receivers with at least 62 yards receiving each.
Three of them are freshmen: Malcolm Simmons, three catches for 91 yards and a touchdown; Perry Thompson, two receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown; and Cam Coleman, two catches for 62 yards and a touchdown.
KeAndre Lambert-Smith, a transfer from Penn State, finished with three receptions, two of them touchdowns, for 80 yards.
Cornelius Brown completed 13 of 27 pass attempts for 182 yards for Alabama A&M, which finished with 38 rushing yards on 36 attempts.
Auburn took a 21-0 lead in the first six minutes of the game.
The Tigers’ first scoring possession consisted of four plays for 70 yards, capped by Jarquez Hunter’s 34-yard touchdown run.
After a three-and-out for Alabama A&M, Thorne completed a 67-yard touchdown pass to Lambert-Smith and Auburn led 14-0 with 12:57 left in the first quarter.
Auburn again struck with a touchdown on the first play of its next possession following another three-and-out for Alabama A&M.
Thorne connected on a 44-yard scoring strike to Coleman with 11:44 remaining in the first quarter.
The lead mounted to 28-0 with 2:03 left in the opening quarter on Thorne’s 4-yard pass to Lambert-Smith.
Auburn scored three more touchdowns in the second quarter to put the game out of reach.
