Deuce Knight made the most of his first start, leading Auburn to a convincing win.
AUBURN, Ala. – In the first start of Deuce Knight’s college football career, he led the Auburn Tigers to a 62-17 win over the Mercer Bears inside Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22.
Knight finished the game having completed 15 of his 20 pass attempts, leading to 239 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
While his passing performance was a sight for the sore eyes of the Auburn faithful, it doesn’t compare to what Knight accomplished on the ground.
He finished the afternoon with 162 yards and four touchdowns off nine carries.
Knight didn’t keep Tiger fans waiting long to see some action, as he took the ball 75 yards to the end zone on Auburn’s first offensive play.
Mercer scored two unanswered touchdowns, then an eight-play drive that covered 75 yards was capped off by a 51-yard scoring run by Knight that evened things at 14-14.
Knight completed the first touchdown pass of his career on Auburn’s next drive, giving it a 21-14 lead.
Mercer’s Reice Griffith was successful on a 41-yard field goal attempt, bringing the Bears’ scoreboard total to 17, but that was the final instance of them putting points on the board during this contest.
Two more Auburn touchdowns and an interception by Kaleb Harris led to a 35-17 advantage for Auburn at halftime.
The Tigers continued their dominance in the second half, adding two more touchdowns and two field goals to their total en route to their decisive victory.
Malcolm Simmons joined Knight as a difference-maker for the Tigers on the offensive side of the ball, catching five passes for 149 yards and a touchdown.
The Tigers return to action next week for the 90th edition of the Iron Bowl, their annual matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Auburn and No. 10 Alabama go head to head at 6:30 p.m. CT inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. ABC will carry the broadcast.