Cameron Artis-Payne Establishing Himself as Auburn's Replacement for Tre Mason

AUBURN, Ala.—After Auburn's commanding 59-13 win against San Jose State on Saturday night, head coach Gus Malzahn still stayed true to his running back hierarchy.

Seniors Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant are still "1 and 1A" on the Tigers' depth chart at running back.

"We utilize both those guys," Malzahn said. "Nothing has changed as far as that goes."

Malzahn may still say that, but the numbers don't lie.

Statistic	Cameron Artis-Payne	Corey Grant
Rushing Yards	293	176
Carries	42	20
Touchdowns	4	1

Artis-Payne started the game at running back for Auburn, took the majority of Auburn's carries and broke the century in rushing yards for the second straight week Saturday night.

The Harrisburg, Pa. native recorded 15 of his 16 touches and all three of his touchdowns before halftime as the Tigers received little resistance on the ground from the Spartans. Auburn averaged 7.2 yards per carry, and Artis-Payne averaged seven yards by himself.

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"[Artis-Payne] is a great back, a great leader and a great person," true freshman running back Roc Thomas said. "He keeps his head up if something's not going his way, and he keeps our heads up when something's not going our way."

After struggling to get carries last season with Tre Mason leading the way as the feature back, Artis-Payne said he feels he is getting better as a back through the first two games of the season.

"I'm just being more comfortable," Artis-Payne said. "Understanding blocks and reading blocks better. But all-in-all, being more comfortable knowing that I'm going to be in the game and not having to worry about playing time."

Now, Artis-Payne is the runaway candidate to replace Mason as the leading rusher.

Although the speedy Grant has worked over the offseason to get bigger and stronger as a between-the-tackles rusher, Artis-Payne has the experience of being more of an every-down back than the speed sweep specialist.

"He has a good understanding of the overall offense," Malzahn said. "He’s a good pass protector. He’s getting more comfortable behind this line."

Against San Jose State, Artis-Payne showcased a more all-around running game by bouncing to the outside for big gains.

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The senior knows the stereotype placed on him, and he wants to get past that in his effort to become the next feature back at a school known for producing top rushers.

"I wanted to come out and show my speed because everybody says I'm a bruiser," Artis-Payne said. "That's a big thing for me. All-in-all, it was just what the offensive line gave us and the looks the defense gave us."

That ability to take whatever defenses give him, from getting into the second level on the outside to busting through the heart of the line for the end zone, has made him Auburn's leading running back through the first two games of the season.

Unofficially, that is.

Justin Ferguson is Bleacher Report's lead Auburn writer. Follow him on Twitter @JFergusonAU. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports. All stats courtesy of CFBStats.com.