Arnold rushes for 2 TDs in Auburn debut for win at Baylor

WACO, Texas (AP) — Transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold had 137 of Auburn's 307 rushing yards while scoring two touchdowns, Rayshawn Pleasant returned a kickoff 98 yards and the Tigers beat Baylor 38-24 on Friday night, opening the season in a true road game for the first time since 2002.

Arnold, who played for Oklahoma the previous two seasons, had six runs of at least 10 yards. He put the Tigers ahead to stay with a 24-yard TD that capped a 96-yard drive in the first quarter, and added a 27-yarder on a fourth-and-1 play with 4:32 left.

That nearly length-of-the field Auburn drive was set up by a fourth-down incompletion by Sawyer Robertson, who finished 27-of-48 passing for 419 yards and three touchdowns. Two of his TDs came on fourth-down plays, to wide-open Alabama transfer Kobe Prentice (33 yards) and true freshman running back Caiden Knighten (10 yards).

Pleasant, another transfer, scored twice on kickoff returns for Tulane last season. His first for the Tigers made it 31-17 in the final minute of the third quarter.

The Takeaway

Auburn: A good start for coach Hugh Freeze's third season, and his new quarterback. Arnold was originally a five-star recruit out of Denton Guyer High School in Texas, only about 120 miles from the Baylor campus. While shifty with his feet, both on scrambles and direct runs, he did complete 11 of 17 passes for 108 yards.

Baylor: Starting his sixth season, head coach and defensive play-caller Dave Aranda is 31-31. The Bears stilll have two ranked opponents in the first month of the season. They had won their final six regular-season games last year before a bowl loss to SEC team LSU. With Robertson back, there are expectations that Baylor can make a run for a Big 12 title.

Up next

Auburn plays its home opener against Ball State on Sept. 6, the same day Baylor goes about 100 miles north to Dallas to play former SWC rival No. 16 SMU.

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