AUBURN | The last time Auburn had three running backs top 100 yards in one game, it was Bo Jackson, Lionel James and Tommie Agee in 1983.
The Tigers did it again Saturday, with a twist.
Running backs JaTarvious Whitlow and Shaun Shivers, along with quarterback Joey Gatewood, each totaled over 100 yards rushing to lead the Tigers to a 55-16 win over Kent State at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“When we’re running the football and playing with pace, that’s when we are at our best. It opens everything else up,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “So I thought it was a really good night, and I think more than anything it was probably just a commitment to run the football. We were very committed tonight and I know that helped.”
Auburn’s 467 total rushing yards are the most since piling up 543 against Arkansas in 2016. Eight different players carried the ball, averaging 7.5 yards per carry.
“It was great running the ball,” said left guard Marquel Harrell. “That was the plan going into it; we wanted to come out here and run the football, so it was good. I didn’t even know we had that many rushing yards, because we were moving so fast and efficient, like an Auburn offense is supposed to.”
Whitlow, who rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, recorded his second 100-yard game of the season and fifth of his career. He had a 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and then broke free for a 16-yard score in the third.
More importantly, Whitlow didn’t have any fumbles after putting the ball on the ground three times, losing two fumbles, against Tulane last week.
“He held onto the football. That was probably the big thing that stood out to me,” Malzahn said.
Gatewood got several carries as the Wildcat before taking over at quarterback at the start of fourth quarter. He rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, scoring on a pair of two-yard scampers.
“I think everybody can see when he pulls the ball, it’s a lot of fun to watch,” Malzahn said.
Shivers, the third running back in the rotation, added 102 yards on 12 carries. He had runs of 27 and 23 yards that set up two scores.
“Worm, he’s a different change of pace. He’s really low to the ground and he can really run,” Malzahn said.
Kam Martin followed Whitlow and had 71 yards on seven carries including a 35-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
“Kam made the safety miss on that touchdown up the middle,” Malzahn said.
Quarterback Bo Nix totaled 21 yards and a touchdown on seven carries despite being sacked twice. Harold Joiner added 19 yards on four carries and third-team quarterback Cord Sandberg had a four-yard run at the end of the game.
"It was really, really good,” said Malzahn of playing so many backups. “It was really good for developing depth and it was really good for morale for some of those younger guys to get a chance to show what they can do.”
