Texas A&M shut down by Auburn; QB Kyler Murray leaves with injury
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) -- Texas A&M freshman Kyler Murray didn't turn the ball over in his first start for the 25th-ranked Aggies last week.
That wasn't the case Saturday night when he threw three interceptions to help Auburn to a 26-10 victory.
Jovon Robinson ran for 159 yards and a touchdown and the Tigers piled up a season-high 311 yards rushing.
Murray threw for 105 yards in his second start since Kyle Allen was benched before leaving after a hit to the head late in the third quarter. Jake Hubenak took over for Texas A&M (6-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference, No. 19 CFP) and threw for 32 yards and a touchdown.
"Turnovers were the difference ... and we gave up over 300 yards rushing," A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. "It's hard to win a game that way."
Jeremy Johnson wasn't flashy, but was effective in his first start since Auburn's third game with Sean White out with an injured left knee. Johnson finished with 132 yards and a touchdown.
Auburn (5-4, 2-4) built a 14-3 lead by halftime, with its second touchdown coming on the drive after the first of Aggies quarterback Murray's interceptions. The Tigers didn't score a touchdown in the second half, but got four field goals by Daniel Carlson to secure the victory that snapped a two-game skid.
A 35-yard field goal by Auburn made it 17-3 early in the third quarter.
Murray threw his third interception on A&M's first possession of the second half. The Tigers capitalized on that mistake with a 30-yard field goal that extended the lead to 20-3.
"We move the ball but you don't get any points and you also give the other team the football," Sumlin said. "That's not good."
Murray was injured when he was hit in the head at the end of a run with less than 3 minutes left in the third quarter. Murray walked off the field but didn't return and Sumlin refused to provide any details on his injury. Auburn cornerback Jeremiah Dinson was injured on the same play on a block by Ricky Seals-Jones and he was carted off the field with a leg injury.
Hubenak took over and found Speedy Noil in the corner of the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown pass on the next play to get A&M within 20-10 late in the third.
Sumlin said that he used Hubenak instead of Allen because Hubenak has practiced well over the last two weeks.
A 21-yard field goal by Auburn pushed the lead to 23-10 early in the fourth and Carlson added one from 31 yards with about 6 1/2 minutes remaining.
"We didn't get any turnovers or any big stops," linebacker A.J. Hilliard said. "That hurt us."
The game was played on a wet and chilly night that started with a packed house, but soon thinned out as many people began leaving or taking cover in the concourses to avoid the steady rain. Johnny Manziel was among those in attendance as the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner served as honorary captain for the game. Johnny Football had the weekend off after the Cleveland Browns lost to Cincinnati on Thursday night in his fourth career NFL start.
By late in the fourth quarter the only sections that remained full were the ones with the A&M band and another filled with the Auburn band and Tiger fans.
A&M's Tra Carson had 109 yards rushing and Armani Watts led the Aggies with 13 tackles.
Carlton Davis intercepted Murray's pass in the end zone and Robinson got things going with a 45-yard run on first down. He capped that drive with a 1-yard dive to make it 14-3 early in the second. It wasn't initially ruled a touchdown, but a review showed he scored.
Murray directed the Aggies down the field on the next possession only to come up empty again when Justin Garrett jumped in front of his pass and intercepted it at the 1.
The Aggies tried to tack on some points just before halftime, but Murray was sacked on the last play of the half.
The Tigers took a 7-3 lead when Johnson found Marcus Davis on a 9-yard touchdown pass with about 6 minutes left in the first quarter.
"He didn't turn the ball over which was different than he was at the beginning of the year," Sumlin said of Johnson. "He operated within their offense and got the ball to their playmakers."
A 50-yard field goal by Taylor Bertolet gave A&M a 3-0 lead.
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