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    CFB Week One What To Watch

    Five winners from Auburn's week one win over Mercer

    These five players looked great against Mercer.

    In this story:

    Mercer Bears
    Mercer Bears
    Auburn Tigers
    Auburn Tigers

    Auburn was able to leave their week one game against Mercer with a 42 to 16 victory. 

    There were some bright spots and some negatives for the Tigers in this ballgame. 

    One of the biggest question marks that will be discussed throughout this week is who will start at quarterback for Auburn in week two against San Jose State. 

    Let's look at five players who performed well in the Tiger's week one victory.

    Robby Ashford QB

    Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) launches the deep pass to set up first and goal during the game between the Mercer Bears and the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 3, 2022.

    After TJ Finley threw two bad picks, Robby Ashford was called upon to quarterback the Tigers. He was in the game to run the ball a few times before Finley was pulled and looked great. Ashford finished the game 4-7, passing for 100 yards. He also added 73 rushing yards on six attempts. His best throw of the day was a 56-yard dart to Ja'Varrius Johnson. 

    Tank Bigsby

    Auburn Tigers running back Tank Bigsby (4) runs the ball as Auburn Tigers take on Mercer Bears at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022.

    In week one, Tank Bigsby did Tank Bigsby things. He had 16 carries for 147 yards and two touchdowns. His best run of the night was the first play out of the lightning delay, where he scampered for a 39-yard touchdown after making a fantastic cut to break free. For Auburn to be successful this season, Bigsby will have to put up big numbers, and he did just that Saturday night. 

    Cam Riley

    Cam Riley (13)Auburn football practice Tue. Aug. 16, 2022 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

    Cam Riley looked outstanding in this victory. He led the team with 15 tackles. He also added a quarterback hurry to his impressive week one performance. He is an excellent tackler. If he gets a hand on the ball carrier, that person is not getting past him. His six-foot-five frame has excited Auburn fans for months, so seeing him play so well made many people happy. Riley was a bright spot on a defense that looked great. 

    Ja'Varrius Johnson

    Auburn Tigers wide receiver Ja'Varrius Johnson (6) makes the reception to set the Tigers up with first and goal during the game between the Mercer Bears and the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 3, 2022.

    Ja'Varrius Johnson is a player that entered his name in the transfer portal but decided to come back to Auburn. He was not listed as a starter for this game but tied with Shedrick Jackson for the team-high in targets and receptions at four. He had 117 yards through the air and nine yards on the ground. Johnson also looked electric returning punts. Wide receiver was a position of question for this Auburn team so seeing a guy like Johnson come out and perform well was really exciting for what this season holds.

    Jarquez Hunter

    Auburn Tigers running back Jarquez Hunter (27) carries the ball into the endzone from 19 yards out for the first Auburn score during the game between the Mercer Bears and the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 3, 2022.

    Jarquez Hunter had a monster game against Mercer. He carried the ball eight times for 35 yards. But to go with that, he added three touchdowns. Hunter puts up a lot of weight in the weight room, and he made that clear driving through defenders into the endzone. Auburn's one-two punch of Bigsby and Hunter could go toe to toe with any running back tandem in college football. 

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