Grading Auburn's Offense After Win Over South Alabama

Auburn defeated South Alabama, 31-15, to move to 3-0 entering SEC play.

Auburn running back Jeremiah Cobb had another strong game as the Tigers moved to 3-0. | John Reed-Imagn Images

With the No. 24 Auburn Tigers taking down South Alabama, 31-15, on Saturday, it’s time that Auburn Tigers on SI give the Tigers their weekly report card by position group.

Quarterback: B-

Jackson Arnold passed for 142 yards and one touchdown against the Jaguars, completing 13 of his 24 passes. He was not afraid to take off and use his legs, rushing for 50 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.

He is still hesitant in the passing game, but one could argue it is better to be hesitant and not force a pass that you are not comfortable with, running the risk of throwing an interception. The passing game for Auburn is still struggling to find consistency, and they better find it soon with SEC play on the horizon.

Still, the rushing threat Arnold poses will give Auburn a chance in each game moving forward. Arnold is the first Auburn quarterback with four or more rushing touchdowns in a season since Robby Ashford totaled five in 2023.

✌️rushing TD's for @_JacksonArnold_ pic.twitter.com/K1sIlkOaPL

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 13, 2025

Running back: A

Running back Jeremiah Cobb once again led the way for the Auburn backfield, rushing for 119 yards on 19 carries and a rushing touchdown. The explosiveness from last week was not quite there for Cobb, with his longest rush of the day being for 15 yards. Freshman back Omar Mabson II saw a bit of action today, rushing for 13 yards on five carries. Mabson II was able to get a lot more playing time due to Damari Alston not being able to go for the Tigers. 

4th of the year for @JeremiahCobb13 🦅📈 pic.twitter.com/K8lyOb3R0I

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 13, 2025

Wide Receivers: B

The wide receiving core that was making headlines all offseason still have yet to make a huge splash on the field. The pass game is improving, but still not quite where it needs to be.

Cam Coleman found the endzone for the first time this season, catching a 32-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Arnold on the first drive of the game. The offensive play calling tried to get Eric Singleton Jr. involved in the passing attack as well with three jet sweep plays for 15 yards. On the receiving end, SingletonJr. had six receptions for 65 yards with his nine-yard reception in the first quarter extending his catch streak to 27 games, every game of his collegiate career thus far. 

Tight Ends: D+

This grade reflects the tight ends in the passing game. 

The tight end group for Auburn has not really been existent in the passing game through three contests. They only account for 51 receiving yards through three contests. Preston Howard found himself wide open in the endzone against South Alabama, but was unable to make what should have been an easy catch.

Offensive Line: A

The offensive line controlled the line scrimmage for the majority of the game. There were a few plays where Arnold had about five seconds to make a decision in a very clean pocket. The running game continued to dominate at a high level. Although quite their average of 265.5 rushing yards per game in their first two contests, the Tigers managed to round up 195 rushing yards against South Alabama. 

Overall offensive grade: B-

All in all, the Tigers still managed to get the job done with 31 points, most of which came in the first half. In the first half, Auburn scored touchdowns on four of their five possessions. 

Meanwhile, Auburn offense only had the ball three times in the second half, including the drive needed to ice the game with one first down. The only points the Auburn offense scored in the second half was a 34-yard field goal in the third quarter from kicker Alex McPherson to make the score 31-15.

Auburn now turns the chapter on South Alabama, and have their sights set on their first road conference matchup on the road in Norman, Oklahoma. Kickoff against the Oklahoma Sooners is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN.