Good morning. In a dominant three-phase masterpiece, Auburn routed Arkansas 48-10 Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium to earn its third straight SEC victory and clinch bowl eligibility.

"Really proud of our young men and our staff to gain bowl eligibility. I thought we played our most complete game of the year," Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. "There's a lot of highlights. I'm thankful for our administration, our school and our fans that they're going to get to experience a bowl game. It's an exciting day for us."

What else can you find mixed into today’s Brew?

🏀 A home-opening win for Auburn men’s hoops
🏈 What makes Payton Thorne tick
🐅 And much, much more!

🏈 THE FLIGHT: NEW EPISODE

The latest episode of The Flight is live on WarEagle+ today—and it’s a behind-the-scenes look at a dominating win on the road against Vanderbilt. Watch it today as the Tigers gear up for an SEC West showdown against Arkansas in Fayetteville.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Knights Out. The Tigers’ women’s basketball team (3-0) trailed by as many as 13 late in the first quarter in Sunday afternoon’s road game against Rutgers, but they would outscore the Scarlet Knights (2-1) by a 34-5 margin over the next 12-plus minutes to open up an insurmountable lead that led to the final score of 76-56.
 
"This team is so connected, they have great chemistry," Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris said. "They're going to continue to get better and better.”
 
Honesty Scott-Grayson, playing in front of nearly 50 friends and family during her return to her home state of New Jersey, scored 18 points along with three rebounds, a team-leading four assists and a steal.
 
"This team loves Honesty," Harris said. "They support her, they have her back. They knew she was coming to her hometown. You should have heard them over on the bench, they were loud, they were proud."
 
Freshman Savannah Scott continued a blistering start to her Auburn career with her first collegiate double-double, scoring 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting along with 11 rebounds.
 
Auburn will return to the friendly confines of Neville Arena Friday night, Nov. 17, for their second straight non-conference test against a Power Five opponent as the California Golden Bears visit the Plains. Game time is 7 p.m. CT, and tickets are available at AUBTix.com.

🔼 The One Where it All Comes Together. In Saturday’s drubbing, Payton Thorne accounted for four touchdowns, Jarquez Hunter logged his third straight 100-yard rushing game, Keionte Scott returned a punt for a TD and Auburn's defense forced two turnovers, five three-and-outs and recorded five sacks—all while keeping Arkansas out of the end zone for three quarters. 

"Fast starts have been good to us," Coach Freeze said.

Alex McPherson kicked a pair of field goals late in the second quarter, from 39 and 31 yards, respectively, to give Auburn a 27-3 halftime lead, first tying and then breaking Daniel Carlson's program record with 17 consecutive field goals. 

Read the full article for more on Jalen McLeod and Auburn's impenetrable defense, Caleb Wooden’s impressive 74-yard fumble return, Brian Battie's touchdown that served as the exclamation point for Auburn's offensive explosion and more.

Auburn (6-4, 3-4) returns to Jordan-Hare Stadium next Saturday to host New Mexico State at 3 p.m. CT.

🔼 Put Another Record On. If records are meant to be broken, Auburn men’s hoops most definitely understood the assignment in their home opener.

From a statistical standpoint, Johni Broome—who was one of four Auburn players to score in double figures—led Auburn in Friday night's 86-71 win over Southeastern Louisiana. He finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. But from a historical standpoint, it was Jaylin Williams who had the most memorable night in Neville Arena. 

Williams earned his 88th career win at Auburn, becoming the winningest player in program history.

"It feels amazing to represent the last name on the back of my jersey and my family," said Williams, who scored nine points. "If it weren't for these guys (my teammates the last five years), it wouldn't have happened."

"That's a pretty cool thing," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "To be the all-time winningest player."

Pearl made history of his own Friday night as he moved into third place all-time at Auburn with 174 career wins, surpassing Sonny Smith. 

Friday's game was the 2023-24 home opener for Auburn, making it 46 consecutive wins over a non-conference opponent at home – a streak that dates back to 2015. It was also the 40th consecutive sellout at Neville Arena (9,121). 

The Tigers will be back on the road next week when they travel to Brooklyn for the Legends Classic. First up is a matchup against Notre Dame on Thursday, Nov. 16. The tournament field also features Oklahoma State and St. Bonaventure. 

🔼 Born Into Football. As the temperatures started dropping into the 50s and 60s this fall in Auburn, the students on campus started breaking out the heavy jackets. Payton Thorne had to laugh. That’s still t-shirt weather where he’s from in the Midwest. So, how did Thorne, a coach’s kid from just outside Chicago, end up in the SEC as the starting quarterback at Auburn?

To answer that, you first need to understand who Thorne is and what it is that drives him.

First and foremost, it’s his faith.

For Thorne, though, where his why comes from is threefold. Faith might be the most important part of it and of who he is as a man, but his family has just as much to do with his motivation. There would be no football without his family.

“As I’ve gotten older and been able to see and understand more of what my parents have done for me, I just can’t be more thankful for them and how they raised me and the things that they sacrificed for me growing up,” Thorne said.

The last part of the why for Thorne is his will to succeed and his love for football.

“I don’t ever want to be average in life,” Thorne said. “I’ve always loved football, and I’ve always wanted to be the best I can.”

Read the rest of the article to learn more about Thorne’s football coaching legacy between his father and grandfather, why he entered the transfer portal despite being a three-year letterwinner for the Michigan State Spartans and his thoughts on his success as the Auburn QB, particularly over the last few weeks.

Some more Brew headlines to make your day ⏬

🏈 A look at Jalen McLeod’s more-than-impressive stats.

🎤 Don’t miss Coach Freeze’s presser after Saturday’s definitive win and an electric post-game look inside the locker room.

🏀 Some super fun highlights from the men’s hoops home opener.

🗣 Payton Thorne gave a post-game interview on the Tigers’ dominant offense as of late.

📹 Activate your WarEagle+ membership now for premium content.

👀 Keionte Scott footage never disappoints.

🤔 TIGER TRIVIA

Hitting the Sack. In a week where Auburn records seem to be being smashed right and left, junior jack linebacker Jalen McLeod also joined elite company Saturday, becoming the first Auburn Tiger to record three sacks in a game since it was done in the 2021 Iron Bowl.

Today’s question—Who was the last person to get the hat trick before McLeod did so in Saturday’s game?

Think you know the answer? Scroll to the bottom to find out!

🐅 ONE BIG THING

Extra Points, Indeed. “The One Big Thing” segment is dangerously close to becoming “Alex’s Accolades.”

In Auburn's 48-10 victory Saturday at Arkansas, Alex McPherson kicked a 39-yard field goal to tie Daniel Carlson's program record of 16 consecutive field goals, then broke it 71 seconds later with a 31-yarder as the first half concluded.

"It's unbelievable to think about being up there with him, and the great kicker he is," said McPherson, a redshirt freshman from Fort Payne, Alabama. "Passing him, it's an honor, honestly."

🎁 THE ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY

Calling all Auburn fans! The Diamonds Direct Ultimate Fan Giveaway starts now and runs through Nov. 17. Enter for your chance to win two tickets to the Auburn vs. Alabama game, pregame hospitality passes, sideline passes, fan gear, and a $250 Diamonds Direct gift certificate.

📬 FORWARDED BY A FRIEND

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📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

Monday 11/13

(No scheduled activities)

Tuesday 11/14

(No scheduled activities)

Wednesday 11/15

🏐 Volleyball @ Mississippi State @ 6:00 p.m. CT SECN+ | Live Video | Live Stats

Thursday 11/16

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. Notre Dame @ the Legends Classic 8:00 p.m. CT on ESPN2 | Live Audio | Live Stats 

🌊 Swimming & Diving @ UGA Invite

Friday 11/17

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. Oklahoma State/St. Bonaventure @ the Legends Classic 3:30 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. CT on ESPN2/ESPNU | Live Stats 

🌊 Swimming & Diving @ UGA Invite

🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. California @ 7:00 p.m. CT on SECN+ 100.3 | Live Video | Live Stats 

Saturday 11/18

🌊 Swimming & Diving @ UGA Invite

👟 Cross Country/Track @ NCAA Championships

🏈 Football vs. New Mexico State @ 3:00 p.m. CT SEC Network | Live Audio | Tailgate Packages

Sunday 11/19

🏐 Volleyball vs. LSU @ 2:00 p.m. CT SECN+ | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats

🐅 Click here to view the entire Auburn Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Derick Hall

"As an edge rusher, it's hard to come by one, but when you get three, it's good," McLeod said of his hat trick during the commanding win over Arkansas. "It comes from preparation. We're having fun. We know it starts in the trenches."

McLeod led Auburn with nine tackles, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble in addition to his trio of sacks.

🐅 Have a great Monday, y’all!