AUBURN, Ala. (WSFA) – The Auburn Tigers hosted the Vanderbilt Commodores inside Jordan Hare Stadium on Saturday afternoon, keeping it a low-scoring game until late in the final quarter when Vandy pulled away to win 17-7.

Auburn took the first possession, but neither team was able to get time on the ball for most of the first half. Each of the first five drives of the first quarter ended with the punt team marching down the field before Vanderbilt was finally able to draw first blood.

A 28-yard pass from Diego Pavia to AJ Newberry put the Commodores in the end zone and up 7-0 with just 50 seconds left on the clock.

The Tigers struggled to answer, driving the ball down to Vandy’s 35 before turning it over on an incomplete pass from Thorne to Cam Coleman a minute into the second quarter . The Tigers defense then held Vanderbilt to 5 yards on the first possession of the second quarter before setting up a game-winning drive that took 6 minutes off the clock.

On 4th and 2, Thorne threw a short pass to Malcome Simmons, picking up 21 yards and a much-needed first down at Vandy’s 30. On the next play, Rivaldo Fairweather put the Tigers in the end zone and on the board to tie the game at au just under seven minutes left in the half.

The inning ended what started as a promising drive for the Tigers. Thorne made three completions that put the Tigers on the Vandy 40 with just over 30 seconds left in the half. Progress was halted after a holding penalty, then a quarterback sack.

The Tigers opted to let the final 30 seconds tick by before heading to the locker room tied 7-7.

SECOND HALF

The second half opened with Vanderbilt’s offense unable to get out of its own territory before going for a 59-yard punt. Auburn’s Malcom Simmons then returned it for a 17-yard gain at the Tigers’ own 28.

The Tigers’ drive featured an 8-yard run by Jarquez Hunter and then a pair of Thorne passes to Lambert-Smith for 22 and 10 yards to put the Tigers deep in Vanderbilt territory. It fell short of a score, however, when the Tigers’ 44-yard attempt on 4th-and-4 fell short.

Vandy would get the ball back and hold it for 5 minutes, pushing all the way to the Auburn 44 before having to punt. Auburn’s next drive would also end with its own 59-yard punt.

The Tigers quickly celebrated what they believed was a fumble recovery on a Vanderbilt fumble at the 13, but the ground call was overturned and the Commodores would go on to kick a field goal, retaking the lead, 10-7.

Payton Thorne and the Auburn offense started the 4th quarter working to gain control of the game. A Thorne pass to Simmons gained 12 yards, but then Simmons lost 10 yards on the next play. The Tigers’ drive eventually ended on a 4th-and-16 from their own 36.

With the lead down to just 3 points, the Commodores struggled to run out the clock, holding possession on the next drive for nearly 9 minutes. The drive proved fruitful, with Auburn’s help.

With 5:18 left in the game and Vandy sitting on 4, kicker Brock Taylor put the ball between the uprights to go up another three points, 13-7. However, the score was quickly put away, giving the Commodores another bite at the apple, thanks to an automatic first down caused by a personnel penalty against Auburn.

The Tigers’ penalty would prove devastating.

Instead of working to overcome a manageable one-score lead, 13-7 Vandy, a resulting touchdown put Auburn behind 17-7 with just over 4 minutes left in the game. The Tigers never recovered.

Thorne and company struggled to move the ball over the next two minutes, getting to the Vandy 34 before going for a 4th-and-4 Towns McGough field goal attempt that went wide.

Auburn would have one more try to close the gap, but a Thorne pass to Fairweather led to a fumble, recovered by Vanderbilt with 1:41 left, essentially clinching the game.

With Auburn’s loss, the Tigers fall to 3-6. Vanderbilt moves to 6-3 in what has become a surprisingly successful season. He is bowl eligible and now claims wins against both Alabama and Auburn in the same season for the first time since 1955.

The Tigers head into a bye week before focusing on home games against ULM and then Texas A&M.

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