After only throwing the ball 17 times in Auburn's season opener against Baylor, Jackson Arnold threw 28 passes in its 42-3 win over Ball State on Saturday, only four of them not finding the intended target, and two of those were throwaways.

Arnold finished with 251 yards and three touchdowns through the air, but was sacked four times, something head coach Hugh Freeze addressed during his Monday press conference, as the Tigers allowed six total.

Regardless of the sacks, Freeze was pleased with the way Arnold led the offense and how he improvised when needed to put the team in the best possible position to succeed.

“He had two throwaways and was still 24-of-28. It was a solid night passing," Freeze said. "I don’t like the sacks, and he used his legs when he needed to. We didn’t call any quarterback runs for him Saturday evening, but he still used them to be effective at times."

While Arnold's performance on the ground against Ball State paled in comparison to the one he put together against Baylor—when he recorded 137 yards and found the end zone twice—it still helped the Tigers move the ball.

Freeze has also been pleased with Arnold's ability to adjust to the way he is played against, showing adaptability and sound decision making, something the Tigers have not always had at the quarterback position since Freeze took over.

"I thought he got our receivers involved and it allowed us to stay balanced like we’d like to be from game to game," Freeze said. "Obviously, each game has it’s own flavor when you get into it and you figure out the way people are trying to play you. You certainly want to be wise and doing what is going to be effective or what has the best chance at being effective provided you can block them and win routes and things."

Arnold has looked like the piece that has been missing for Auburn in recent years. If he can continue to move the ball up the field and take care of it like he has to start the season, he could be the difference-maker in helping the Tigers turn things around in 2025.

Arnold will have one more chance to compete with Auburn's offense before conference play begins, as the Tigers host South Alabama on Saturday at 11:45 a.m. CT.