Ashton Daniels Revives Auburn Offense in Career Performance

Auburn may have fallen in overtime to Vanderbilt, but quarterback Ashton Daniels gave the Tigers every opportunity for a win.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Ashton Daniels had a career day in the loss to Vanderbilt. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Despite a 45-38 loss in overtime, the Auburn Tigers' offense found a new life that was dormant for a significant amount of time when they took on the Vanderbilt Commodores.

The Auburn offense scored 38 points and gained 563 yards of total offense,its most in an SEC game since 2019 against Mississippi State (578) and most against a ranked opponent since 2016 against No. 17 Arkansas (632).

The commander-in-chief of the offense was quarterback Ashton Daniels, who had a career-high 442 yards of total offense with 353 through the air and 89 on the ground in his second start for the Tigers. he also had four of Auburn's five touchdowns with two through the air and two on the ground.

Daniels, a transfer from Stanford, also set a new career high with 31 completions on 44 attempts.

"Pretty special, wasn’t it?" Auburn interim head coach DJ Durkin said. "Guy converted by throwing the ball, made quick decisions, got the ball out of his hands, converted by running the ball, just really managed our offense really well."

Daniels threw his first touchdown in an Auburn uniform with his first-quarter 14-yard completion to Eric Singleton Jr. to open the game's scoring. An 11-yard touchdown run gave the Tigers a 14-3 lead in the second quarter, and after Auburn blew the lead, a 16-yard rush in the third quarter and a 26-yard pass to Cam Coleman - and the ensuing two-point conversion to Coleman - both gave Auburn leads in the second half.

Ashton Daniels takes it himself for the Tigers lead 👏

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With Hugh Freeze no longer in the picture for Auburn, it appears that the Tigers have finally found an identity on the offensive side of the ball under offensive coordinator Derrick Nix, who handled play-calling duties on Saturday.

"That was my first time listening in and hearing all of that, and I mean, (Daniels) was just absorbing information and making good decisions throughout that entire game," said Durkin, who still handles play-calling duties on defense. "I can’t say enough. That kid has some substance to him."

It's an identity Auburn will need, as well, with the Tigers now just one loss away from being ineligible for a bowl game and sealing its fifth-straight losing season, the longest streak since 1946-50.

Auburn enters its second bye week of the season, with two more opponents remaining on the schedule. Those opponents being the Mercer Bears and the No. 4-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl.