AUBURN | There was a time not that long ago — the previous eight seasons to be specific — that Auburn would be content to run out the clock late in the first half with a 34-0 lead.

Not this Auburn team and not under first-year head coach Bryan Harsin.

“The end of half, the goal is always to try to get points or keep the other team from getting points depending on what side of the ball you're on. That's always the mentality,” Harsin said.

The Tigers took possession of the ball on their own 8-yard line with 1:07 left after scoring touchdowns on their first five drives against Akron. Bo Nix completed 5 of 6 passes and ran for 15 yards to move AU to the Akron 27-yard line with seven seconds left.

Anders Carlson calmly made a 44-yard field goal as AU went into halftime with a 37-0 lead.

“It shows our resiliency, our consistency -- we work this drill in practice, so we expect to be really good at it and execute the operation,” said wide receiver Demetris Robertson, who caught a 7-yard pass to start the drive.

The field goal wasn’t the difference-maker in AU’s season-opening 60-10 win, but it gives the players and coaches confidence in their two-minute offense, which could be crucial when facing a tougher opponent or a more critical situation.

“We finished the drive and we got points,” said Harsin. “And so, it was a good opportunity for Bo and the offense to go out there and execute in kind of a two-minute situation. And we spent a lot of time on that, so that gave us an opportunity to do that.”

Auburn (1-0) returns to action Saturday as Alabama State visits Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on SEC Network.