Casagrande: Auburn had a stomach ache, but Hunter ate to stop the skid

Those 278 from Hunter also easily eclipsed Kentucky's 224 total yards. It was also the fourth-highest single-game point total in Auburn history, and that's a history that includes some impressive running backs.

As a team, Auburn posted 326 rushing yards, its most against SEC competition since posting 345 against Arkansas in 2017.

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Kentucky (3-5, 1-5) had not allowed this many rushing yards since Georgia in 2018, according to the Herald-Leader.

So yes, running the ball was a good idea.

Even more impressive? That 326-yard rushing total included a first quarter that ended at minus-8.

All 278 of Hunter's record-breaking night came in the final three quarters, as his only touch in the first 15 minutes was a run for no gain.

Then the light bulb went on.

After that, he had 10 runs of more than 10 yards. Three of them are over 40.

Hunter's final four runs of the game:

• 45 yards (TD)
• 10 meters
• 11 meters
• 46 meters

The last one brought about a moment no one has seen in a while. Auburn showed mercy in the closing moments of an SEC game, opting for a couple of squats inside the 10-yard line to run out the clock. That put the Tigers' offensive output under 500 yards, and the statement was made.

A team that has twice blown an 11-point fourth-quarter lead in its four SEC losses so far this season has achieved its goal without a touchdown with wasted time on its hands.

This wasn't a pointless Kentucky defense either. Last month, Georgia kept its lead at 13 points when it beat Ole Miss 20-17. The Wildcats entered the night with the 22nd-best run defense, allowing just 102 rushing yards against Georgia (3.4-yard average) and 92 to Ole Miss (3.2 average). Auburn averaged 6.5 per carry overall while Hunter had 12.1.

Letting the ball run is a good idea.

The Tigers did this a total of 50 times on Saturday evening, 47 of which were forgotten after the first quarter. Kentucky led 10-0 after that opening statement and outscored the visitors 115-38. Auburn ran it intentionally only twice, with one sack accounting for a total of minus-eight yards.

Payton Thorn threw the ball 11 times before the start of the second quarter, was intercepted once and put the Tigers right into the hole they had occupied since beating Arkansas last November.

But then the ball started running. Auburn outscored Kentucky 313-36 in the middle two quarters, demonstrating its strength statistically.

This is still modern Auburn, after all, so there was no consolation until Hunter's 45-yard touchdown run with 12:11 left.

That's because Auburn had two impressive but scoreless drives in that span, shaping this losing streak. First, there was a 10-play, 66-yard possession to close out the first half that ended with a sack and a failed attempt to force the field goal unit onto the field as time expired. The Tigers had no timeouts when Thorne was sacked and had 14 players in the field goal formation before time expired.

Predictably, Freeze blamed Thorne in halftime interviews, but this column is about his stroke of genius, not bus driver Hugh.

The drive of the night, a 14-play, 75-yard march to open the second half, was the masterpiece. Auburn ran 11 of those 14 plays for an average of 4.2 per pop. The possession lasted 7:53 of the third quarter when Hunter's 1-yard plunge gave the Tigers their first and final lead of the night.

The next drive was another unfortunate ending, but the missed field goal after a seven-play, 61-yard drive didn't worry Auburn this time.

Why? Because Hugh Freeze is a genius.

He saw Jarquez Hunter in the huddle after the first quarter and decided his veteran running back deserved a chance.

Freeze was right.

Hunter hunted.

And for the first time since November 11, 2023, Auburn emerged victorious in SEC competition.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or further Facebook.