The Bulldogs ended one Tiger streak but were unable to break the one they wanted most.
The Bulldog defense held Auburn tailback Kenny Irons to 69 yards, ending the talented back’s run of seven consecutive 100-yard games.
The Bulldogs lost the contest 34-0, however, allowing Auburn to win the 18th of their last 19 Southeastern Conference contests.
“To do the things we are supposed to do,” MSU head coach Sylvester Croom said, “we need to go out there and make the plays we are supposed to make. We need to improve on all areas.”
Tray Rutland went 12 for 25 for 96 yards in his first start as the Bulldogs’ signal caller.
Unfortunately he was also sacked four times with one interception and no touchdowns.
“Right now we are just trying to put things together and pick up the pace a little bit,” senior wide receiver Omarr Conner said. “We just have to stay focused and stay positive and move on.”
Conner led the team with six receptions for 63 yards, but the surprise producer for the ineffective Bulldog offense was true freshman Anthony Dixon, who played in a majority of the game despite having hand surgery earlier this week for a broken pinky.
“We did not know until yesterday that he was going to play,” Croom said. “I was told after practice yesterday that there was a chance that he was going to get to play. We talked to Anthony after practice, and we made the decision this morning to dress him. He’s a special young man, he really is.”
The Bulldog defense held the Tigers scoreless for most of the first quarter.
Wide receiver Gabe McKenzie caught a Brandon Cox pass for a score with 1:25 left in the first period to break the stalemate.
“Our defense played well all night long,” Croom said. “They stopped the running game, Auburn just made huge third-down conversions.”
“We opened it up a little more, but we were still pretty vanilla,” quarterback Brandon Cox said. “Our running game wasn’t there because they put nine guys in the box, but we still moved the ball.”
Auburn took a 17-0 lead into the locker room at half after John Vaughn kicked a 55-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining.
After the half, the Bulldogs came out flat for the second straight week, allowing Auburn to string together a 50-yard drive culminating in a 20-yard touchdown run by tailback Brad Lester.
“I just kept my legs pumping,” Lester said. “Coach told me if I kept running hard something would happen for me.”
The score broke the game open and ended the Dawgs’ hope of an upset.
“They really didn’t come out with the intensity in the third quarter,” Auburn defensive back Jonathan Wilhite said. “After the game was 17-0, I felt confident the game was already in hand.”
Auburn coach Tommy Tubberville gave the Bulldogs even less credit, saying he began game planning for LSU before the end of the first half.
“I never felt anybody felt sorry for me when I was coaching [a program on probation],” Tubberville said. “They’re short-handed. They know that. We know that.”
The Bulldogs will resume play next Saturday in a non-conference contest with Tulane.
Tulane, a Conference USA team, lost their opening game of the season Saturday, dropping a 45-7 decision on the road against the Houston Cougars.
The Bulldogs are the first of three SEC opponents for the Wave this season.
Kickoff will be at 6 p.m.