AU BURNED

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tony Franklin's spread offense continued to work its magic Saturday night at Vanderbilt Stadium.

For the fourth consecutive game, Auburn's offense performed its second-half disappearing act. This time, the defense couldn't bail the offense out and No. 19 Vanderbilt earned a 14-13 victory.

"People can think what they want to think," Vandy linebacker Chris Marve said. "We just want to show the country we're a different Vanderbilt."

The Commodores improved to 3-0 in the SEC for only the third time ever - the first since 1950. This win keeps them undefeated atop the SEC East while also snapping a 13-game skid to Auburn. It was Vandy's first win in the series since the 1955 Gator Bowl, and the fewest points Auburn has scored in this series since that bowl game.

"This is what coaches live for," Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson said. "I live to walk into the lockerroom and see how happy our players are."

No. 13 Auburn (4-2, 2-2) jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first quarter and looked like it might run the Commodores out of their own stadium.

Instead, the offense sputtered its way to 82 yards after the opening quarter and Vanderbilt ultimately found ways to score against a depleted Auburn defense.

"We jumped out on them to a 13-0 lead, and it looked like things were just going good for us," Auburn receiver Rod Smith said. "It's just tough right now. I don't know what to say right now."

Vanderbilt backup quarterback Mackenzi Adams played a major role in the continuing the Commodores' win streak. Adams, who entered the game when Chris Nickson re-aggravated a shoulder injury, finished 13-of-23 passing for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns in addition to his 54 rushing yards.

Meanwhile, Auburn's normally dominant defense sustained two major hits during the second quarter as well. First, the unit lost star defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks to an ankle injury. On the next drive, cornerback Jerraud Powers suffered a hamstring injury.

Just before halftime, Adams hit Justin Wheeler for a 15-yard touchdown pass on a post pattern, cutting Auburn's lead to 13-7.

With several backups in the game, Auburn's defense couldn't hold the six-point lead.

Vanderbilt strung together a touchdown drive on its second possession of the second half, capped by Adams' 1-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Barden.

Vanderbilt kicker Bryant Hahnfeldt converted the extra point, giving the Commodores a one-point lead because Auburn kicker Wes Byrum failed on his second extra point try.

That one-point lead provided plenty for the Commodores defense, which thoroughly stifled Auburn's offense after halftime.

Vanderbilt committed itself to stopping the run in the second half after Auburn opened the game with 12 consecutive running plays. The Commodores held the Tigers to 4 second-half rushing yards.

Auburn also committed 10 second-half penalties.

"We didn't create any running game," Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville said. "When we lost our running game, they started bringing guys (on blitzes). You can't block them all. You have to find the open receiver really quickly, and we're not good enough to do that right now."

Auburn's pass protection was completely overmatched by Vanderbilt's zone-blitz schemes. The Commodores finished with five sacks, four in the second half.

Auburn's second-half offensive letdown came in direct contrast to the way it started the game. The Tigers racked up 126 total yards of offense in the first quarter, and Chris Todd threw a pair of touchdown passes - one to Smith and another to Mario Fannin.

When the first quarter ended, the Auburn offense disappeared. With the offense, any reasonable hopes of the Tigers contending for an SEC championship this season disappeared as well.

On Auburn's last-ditch effort, Vanderbilt cornerback Myron Lewis intercepted Chris Todd's desperation heave out of his own end zone. The play fittingly capped Auburn's lackluster offensive second half.

"(Vanderbilt) played hard; they played well. They made plays in the second half when we didn't make any," Tuberville said.