Newton makes himself at home in Auburn debut
War Cam Eagle!
Cameron Newton dropped back in the pocket, spun out of one tackle and stared another Arkansas State defender in the face during one of the most important moments in the second quarter of Saturday’s game.
Spin, wiggle, slap, shimmy, break.
Newton was finally in the open field, dashing to the opposite sideline for a 16-yard gain. Two plays later, he plunged into the end zone from 2 yards out, the second of his five touchdowns.
This was what Auburn fans had been anxiously waiting for from the dynamic junior-college transfer, who broke out in a big way Saturday in the Tigers’ 52-26 season-opening victory over Arkansas State.
“I’m just blessed to be in this situation,” Newton said, “and be able to make plays when I can make plays.”
His 171 rushing yards on just 15 carries set an Auburn single-game record for the most by a quarterback, snapping a 36-year-old record held by Phil Gargis. He completed nine of his 14 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns, hitting Mario Fannin twice from 36 and 38 yards, and Quindarius Carr from 48.
“It’s really big but it’s on to the next one,” Newton said. “Of course, I’m happy with the accolade but I feel I didn’t play the best game I could play.”
His highlight-reel maneuvers for that 16-yard gain were by far the toughest yards he amassed all night. The rest of his 357 yards of total offense looked effortless against an overmatched Arkansas State defense.
“As the game went on, I felt my feet settling in,” said Newton, whose night was over after Auburn scored its seventh and final touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
“When it was time for me to make plays, I was able to make plays.”
These were plays Newton wasn’t able to show his teammates and coaches in camp since he
arrived on campus in January. At the moment he stepped onto Auburn’s practice field for the first spring practice, Newton was cloaked in an orange, non-contact jersey, inhibiting his ability to make plays on the fly and, particularly, with his feet.
Coach Gene Chizik was just like the 83,441 in attendance. He had no idea what to expect, yet left excited about Newton’s potential in games that matter a little more than Saturday’s.
“He did some nice things when maybe something wasn’t there,” Chizik said. “He turned bad plays into potentially good ones.”
His first big run came at a surprisingly critical time, when Auburn, already down 6-0, faced a third-and-long midway through the first quarter. With no one open, Newton sprinted up the middle and juked two linebackers before diving 1 yard in front of the chains for a first down.
Three plays later, Auburn was in the end zone, helped by a 36-yard run from Onterio McCalebb and capped with a Kodi Burns 3-yard dive, and never trailed again.
But it was just the beginning to Newton’s breakout showcase.
He followed by leading Auburn to touchdowns on four of the next five drives, helping the Tigers’ proficient offense overcome a troubling display from their pass defense, which surrendered 323 yards.
None of the possessions lasted longer than four plays, or one minute and 26 seconds. He capped the second-quarter display with a 71-yard touchdown run off a broken play, one in which he awkwardly faked a handoff to McCalebb, raced up the middle untouched and sprinted past everyone in sight with yards to burn.
“Cam’s got some big legs and calf muscles,” said freshman Michael Dyer, who had quite the impressive debut, himself, finishing with 95 rushing yards and a touchdown.
“He’s 6-6. That’s a grown man you’re talking about.”
Newton wasn’t perfect. He overthrew a couple of open receivers on crossing patterns and even launched a throw to the sidelines on a simple screen pass. He also looked clumsy at times when he thought his feet were the ticket out of trouble when, in fact, they just made for a bigger loss of yards.
These plays certainly didn’t escape the eyes of offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who was already burning mad about poor clock management late in the second quarter, three fumbles (two lost) within the span of five minutes in the third quarter and seven penalties, the majority of which were committed by his players.
Yet even Malzahn, Auburn’s No. 1 perfectionist, left impressed by what Newton did both through the air and with his feet.
“I think it changes the way defenses play you,” Malzahn said. “You’ve got to be aware, because he’s got some big-play ability that can make things (happen) when a play breaks down.”
agribble@oanow.com | 737-2561
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