To heck with the second half, Auburn's offense showed it has a pulse vs. Missisippi State | Silva

AUBURN — Earlier this season, Auburn football didn't look capable of doing what it did just before halftime against Mississippi State on Saturday.

The Tigers started their sixth drive of the game with 1:14 left in the second quarter at their own 32-yard line. Quarterback Payton Thorne jogged onto the field already with a 14-point advantage, which felt like a million points versus a Mississippi State offense that looked helpless without starting QB Will Rogers and leading rusher Jo'Quavious Marks.

But Auburn didn't rest on its laurels. The Tigers weren't satisfied with a two-score lead, and they chose to be aggressive because of it. Thorne completed four of his six passes for 53 yards that drive, capping the possession by floating a pass to freshman running back Jeremiah Cobb for a 7-yard score.

The Tigers previously didn't look capable of that this season. Not after they struggled against Texas A&M on Sept. 23, and definitely not after they were putrid at LSU just two weeks ago.

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But the Tigers are evidently capable of that, and that should be the biggest takeaway from Auburn's 27-13 win over the Bulldogs.

Thorne finished with 230 passing yards, three touchdowns and had no turnovers. He hasn't had a game like that against a Power Five team since his days at Michigan State; the last time he threw for three TDs in one game versus a team of that variety came in a loss at Washington on Sept. 17, 2022.

In a win, you have to go back to Michigan State's victory over Pitt in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in December 2021.

So yes, the offense struggled in the second half Saturday − the Tigers mustered just three points and three of their five drives were three-and-outs − but the bigger picture is Thorne, coach Hugh Freeze and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery found a way to have some semblance of a passing attack.

"Philip did a good job, and so did the rest of the staff," Freeze said postgame when asked how involved he was with the offensive game plan. "It was a collaboration of everybody, but I was very involved in what goes on the call sheet within the pass game. ...

"Once it goes on there, I'm good with (it), and I thought Phillip called a good game on the plays he called."

The defense has been good enough all season to win games. All the unit needed was something − no matter how inconsistent − from the offense. The defense finally got what it needed.

With road trips to Vanderbilt and Arkansas coming up before a tune-up against New Mexico State in Week 12, Auburn is in good shape to end the season on a high note ahead of the Iron Bowl.

And who knows what could happen against Alabama? Jordan-Hare Stadium is the great equalizer in the rivalry, and Auburn's offense showing a pulse against Mississippi State doesn't make beating the Crimson Tide feel as unbelievable as it did over the last month.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: There's good reason to be optimistic about Auburn football