NCAAF

New Mexico Lobos at Auburn Tigers

· NCAA - Football
0-3, 0-2 Away
Final
19 - 45
2-1, 2-1 Home

New QB Hank Brown throws for 4 TDs, leads Auburn to 45-19 win over New Mexico

Highlight: Brown's four TD passes allow Auburn to bury New Mexico

Brown, a redshirt freshman who originally committed to play for Tigers coach Hugh Freeze at Liberty, claimed the starting job after Payton Thorne was intercepted four times in a loss to California. It remains his job to lose.

Brown threw for three second-half touchdowns, and Freeze said he “had a solid, solid first game” as starter.

“I made the decision,” Freeze said, adding that he made the call Monday and told the team on Thursday. “I’ve stood with Payton and still believe that he’s a good football player.

“You never know if his number gets called again and he’s handled the disappointment very well.”

Auburn (2-1) still struggled to put away the Lobos (0-3) until the second half. New Mexico came in as 24-1/2-point underdogs, according to , but trailed just 17-13 at the half.

Brown came into the game having completed 3 of 5 passes for 96 yards with a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions. He was 17-of-25 passing with no major mistakes and will remain the starter heading into Southeastern Conference play, Freeze said.

“It's definitely surreal,” Brown said. “It's encouraging. I think I've got a lot to build on from this week and from this game. I'm excited. I love when the competition level is raised, and I think that's when I'm at my best when we're playing the best.”

Hunter had a touchdown rushing and receiving.

New Mexico's Devon Dampier passed for 291 yards with a touchdown on fourth-and-4 to Caleb Medford early in the fourth. He was intercepted twice. Ryan Davis had six catches for 100 yards.

New Mexico's upset bid pretty much ended when Dampier was picked off by Antonio Kite on a fourth-and-5 pass from the Auburn 25 in the third quarter.

“We were aggressive. We worked hard to get touchdowns rather than field goals but our numbers weren't great,” Lobos coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "But we certainly were aggressive, and that was the intent.”

Brown's success, including the Tigers' 503 total yards, was put in perspective with the Lobos coming in ranked last among 133 FBS teams in total defense. They were allowing 597 yards per game.

The Takeaway New Mexico: Played a Power 4 conference team tight for a half for the second straight week after a 61-39 loss to No. 20 Arizona. Committed 16 penalties for 112 yards.

Auburn: Freeze said Brown earned another starting shot against Arkansas, avoiding big mistakes and throwing a perfect strike on a 50-yarder to KeAndre Lambert-Smith down the right sideline. The Tigers' play still doesn't inspire much confidence heading into Southeastern Conference games.

Cam Coleman out Auburn freshman receiver Cam Coleman watched the game in street clothes with a right shoulder injury. Coleman’s 115 receiving yards (on four catches) led the team through two games. Camden Brown took his place. Right tackle Izavion Miller (hip) also missed the game.

Up next New Mexico hosts Fresno State on Saturday.

Auburn opens SEC play at home against Arkansas on Saturday.

How To Watch

How can I watch New Mexico Lobos vs. Auburn Tigers?
  • TV Channel: Lobos at Tigers 2021 College Football, week 3, is broadcasted on ESPN2.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Matchup Prediction

Tigers: 93.8%
Lobos: 6.2%
*According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index

Scoring Summary

UNM FG 1st Period 11:12 Luke Drzewiecki 33 Yd Field Goal
AUB TD 1st Period 7:45 Camden Brown 10 Yd pass from Hank Brown (Towns McGough Kick)
UNM TD 1st Period 4:14 Naquari Rogers 3 Yd Run (Luke Drzewiecki Kick)
AUB TD 1st Period 1:12 Jarquez Hunter 2 Yd Run (Towns McGough Kick)
AUB FG 2nd Period 13:34 Towns McGough 24 Yd Field Goal
UNM FG 2nd Period 10:01 Luke Drzewiecki 21 Yd Field Goal
AUB TD 3rd Period 9:58 Micah Riley 3 Yd pass from Hank Brown (Towns McGough Kick)
AUB TD 3rd Period 4:55 Jarquez Hunter 14 Yd pass from Hank Brown (Towns McGough Kick)
UNM TD 4th Period 13:50 Caleb Medford 4 Yd pass from Devon Dampier (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)
AUB TD 4th Period 12:08 Rivaldo Fairweather 26 Yd pass from Hank Brown (Towns McGough Kick)
AUB TD 4th Period 5:51 Damari Alston 22 Yd Run (Towns McGough Kick)

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/167.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originUNM https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originAUB
22 1st Downs 27
4-13 3rd down efficiency 4-9
1-3 4th down efficiency 1-1
448 Total Yards 503
291 Passing 235
22/44 Comp/Att 17/26
6.6 Yards per pass 9.0
157 Rushing 268
26 Rushing Attempts 40
6.0 Yards per rush 6.7
16-112 Penalties 8-88
2 Turnovers 2
0 Fumbles lost 2
2 Interceptions thrown 0
32:31 Possession 27:29

Game Information

Jordan-Hare Stadium

Location: Auburn, AL
Attendance: 88,043 · Capacity:
Full Standings

College Football News

College football Week 13 buzz: Can Indiana stay undefeated?

College football Week 13 buzz: Can Indiana stay undefeated?

Our experts asked coaches what they're planning for before rivalry week.

A journey toward forgiveness: Davin Vann has finally found himself years after his sister's death

A journey toward forgiveness: Davin Vann has finally found himself years after his sister's death

Vann is the Wolfpack's senior leader -- a fan favorite, even. But this notoriety is something that has taken him years to accept.

College football preview: Big matchups and storylines ahead of Week 13

College football preview: Big matchups and storylines ahead of Week 13

Our college football experts preview big matchups and storylines ahead of Week 13.

2025 NFL mock drafts: Latest ESPN player, team predictions

2025 NFL mock drafts: Latest ESPN player, team predictions

Here are our experts' NFL mock drafts for the 2025 cycle, including projected landing spots for Shedeur Sanders and Luther Burden III.

2025 NFL mock draft: Predicting all 32 first-round picks

2025 NFL mock draft: Predicting all 32 first-round picks

An early run on receivers? Four QBs in the first round? A trade for the top pick? Matt Miller projects the opening 32 selections of April's draft.