Auburn routs San Jose State
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Auburn, AL (SportsNetwork.com) - Cameron Artis-Payne ran for three touchdowns as No. 5 Auburn routed San Jose State, 59-13, on Saturday night.
After San Jose State's Tyler Ervin tip-toed the left sideline en route to a 75-yard touchdown reception that tied the game at 7-7 midway through the first quarter, Auburn ripped off 28 unanswered points and never looked back.
Artis-Payne carried the ball 16 times for 112 yards, while Nick Marshall was 10-of-19 for 101 yards with a touchdown and added 103 yards and a score on the ground for the Tigers (2-0), who defeated Arkansas last Saturday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We are excited to be 2-0 with a tin at home," said Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. "Our crowd was unbelievable again."
Auburn ran for 358 yards in the triumph.
Blake Jurich completed 16-of-27 passes for 218 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for San Jose State (1-1), which beat North Dakota in its opener.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Artis-Payne capped off an 8-play, 60-yard drive with a 2-yard TD plunge and after Jermaine Whitehead intercepted Blake Jurich on a 3rd-and-20 from the Auburn 45, he ran in from five yards out on a 4th-and-1 to give the Tigers a 21-7 lead early in the second.
San Jose State went three-and-out on its next touch and Quan Bray returned a punt 55 yards for a score. The Spartans then went three-and-out again and Auburn needed just four plays to find the end zone once more.
Artis-Payne broke off a 31-yard run before sprinting in from a yard out to make it 35-7 midway through the second.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Austin Lopez booted a 27-yard field goal to get the Spartans within 35-10 and Daniel Carlson split the uprights from 27 yards out for Auburn on the final play of the half.
Lopez kicked a 24-yard field goal late in the third before Auburn quickly answered just over a minute later when Marshall scampered in from 27 yards out for a score.
Jeremy Johnson plunged in for a 1-yard TD run and Roc Thomas ran in for a score from three yards out in the fourth to cap the scoring.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Game Notes
Auburn was 10-of-14 on third down, while San Jose State finished 7-of-19 ... The Tigers outgained the Spartans, 493-319 ... This was the first ever meeting between the teams.