Auburn Beats Washington in Opener; Jarrett Stidham Outshines Jake Browning

The No. 9 Auburn Tigers made an early season statement to the College Football Playoff selection committee on Saturday, defeating the No. 6 Washington Huskies 21-16 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Auburn held Washington to just one offensive touchdown, and it pressured Washington quarterback Jake Browning throughout the game, leading to two turnovers. The Tigers also held superstar running back Myles Gaskin to just 75 rushing yards.

Offensively, Auburn was led by quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who completed 26 of his 36 attempts for 273 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions.

His score was a 10-yard pass to junior tight end Sal Cannella in the first quarter that saw Cannella high-point the ball over the defender:

Sal Cannella Unreal TD Catch

Washington took a 16-15 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 30-yard field goal by Peyton Henry that deflected in off the right upright, but Stidham orchestrated a game-winning drive later in the quarter that culminated in a 10-yard rushing touchdown by running back JaTarvious Whitlow.

Huskies' CFP Hopes Hinge on Browning Protecting Football

Browning had an up-and-down game that resulted in him completing 18 of 32 passes for 296 yards with one touchdown, one interception and one lost fumble.

The senior took a beating from Auburn's defensive line throughout the game, and much of that had to do with left tackle Trey Adams being forced to sit with a back injury.

Dan Wolken of USA Today noted that Browning will likely be sore from all the abuse he took in the loss:

After Auburn extended its lead to 15-6 with 1:23 remaining in the first half, Browning led the Huskies on an impressive drive that ended in a 13-yard touchdown pass to Quinten Pounds.

While Browning put the ball in a good spot, Pounds made a highlight-reel catch that is an early candidate for touchdown of the year:

Pounds Ridiculous One Handed TD Catch

It was a nice rebound for Browning, who threw an interception to defensive back Jamel Dean despite Dean wearing a club on one of his hands.

Aside from the touchdown near the end of the first half, Browning struggled to punch the ball into the end zone when in the red zone.

The biggest example of that was in the third quarter when Washington ran the option on 3rd-and-goal at the Auburn 3-yard line and Browning fumbled the ball while trying to pitch it:

Auburn Forces Huge Fumble and Recovers

The Tigers recovered, and they maintained their 15-13 lead in the process.

Browning protected the football well and threw just five interceptions last season, but if he is unable to clean up his play for the remainder of the 2018 campaign, Washington will have a difficult time bouncing back and getting in the CFP conversation.

Tigers Must Commit to Run to Compete for SEC Crown

Auburn has traditionally had one of college football's best rushing offenses in recent years, but that wasn't apparent Saturday, as it gained 147 yards on the ground on 45 carries.

Running back Kam Martin led the way with 80 yards on 22 carries, which was good for an average of just 3.6 yards per tote.

While they were often ineffective when running the ball, Auburn abandoned the run too often, as pointed out by Russell Johnson of Rivals:

Wolken also questioned whether Auburn can be successful if it leans too heavily on Stidham:

Washington may be one of the best front sevens Auburn will face all season, though, which suggests there is plenty of room for improvement.

Another issue Saturday was Auburn's discipline, as it committed 12 penalties for 103 yards.

Washington was unable to cash in on the opportunities afforded to it by Auburn because of a lack of execution in the red zone and some problems in the kicking game, but that likely won't be the case against teams like Alabama later in the season.

Gaskin's Heisman Chances Take Early Hit

Perhaps the best opportunity for Washington to pull off the minor upset against Auburn would have been for Gaskin to have a big game.

Last season, Gaskin rushed for 1,380 yards and 21 touchdowns, along with 19 grabs for 232 yards and three more scores.

Gaskin received only 17 carries Saturday, and he parlayed that into 75 yards. Although he wasn't dominant, Gaskin was efficient enough that he likely should've been given more run.

Even in what was a less-than-ideal showing, Gaskin became Washington's all-time leading rusher, surpassing Napoleon Kaufman, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times.

While he hasn't necessarily been hyped as much as Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor or Stanford running back Bryce Love, Gaskin entered the season as a dark-horse candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

He can still get in the mix if he and the Huskies bounce back in the coming weeks, but Gaskin didn't make a good first impression on the voters.

What's Next?

Both Auburn and Washington should have a fairly easy go of it next week on the heels of Saturday's hard-fought affair.

The Tigers will host FCS opponent Alcorn State next Saturday, while the Huskies will host an FCS team Saturday as well in the form of North Dakota.