“I was tired of losing”: An inside look at Jarquez Hunter’s 278-yard performance against Kentucky

Jarquez Hunter was fed up.

The All-SEC running back, who lit up an otherwise weak Auburn team for seven weeks, wanted his personal success to translate into team success.

That hasn't been the case in four straight games, but against Kentucky, Hunter had the best game of his career, rushing headfirst for a career-high 278 yards and scoring Auburn's first Power 4 win of the season.

It looked like Hunter was running away in anger. Kentucky continually battled the defenders and usually won the battle. He had a hard time finding an answer. When asked if he had any additional motivation, Hunter answered simply.

“I was tired of losing,” he said. “I told the coach, 'We're going to find a way to win this game and it doesn't matter how we do it or how it's done.'”

That’s exactly what Hunter and Auburn did. After a 10-0 loss in the first quarter, Auburn outscored Kentucky, with the offense gaining 498 yards, including 326 on the ground.

Hunter's 278 rushing yards were the fourth-most in Auburn history and the most by an Auburn player since Tre Mason's 304 in the 2013 SEC Championship Game.

“It's a phenomenal night and the credit goes to the guys up front and of course Damari made some good runs as well, as he did in the other tailbacks,” Hugh Freeze said after the game.

Hunter averaged 12.1 yards per rush and broke off runs of 45, 46 and 50 in the game. He was everything Auburn needed for its rushing attack, consistently converting in short-yardage situations while breaking off big runs.

“If he gets the dirty three when he needs it and then makes a big one,” Payton Thorne said, “that makes things easier.”

While Hunter ended up being the story of the game, Auburn's slow start meant he barely got a chance on offense.

He carried the ball once in the first quarter when Auburn trailed 10-0 and was outrebounded by Kentucky 115-38. Once Auburn started running the ball, the offense found a rhythm.

The Tigers averaged eight yards per carry on their first touchdown drive, and once Freeze and the offensive staff figured out what worked, they didn't back down.

Over the final three quarters, Auburn ran the ball 47 times compared to just 15 passes.

Freeze said after the game that they emphasized passing the ball early on because of Kentucky's often good rush defense, but knew it was important to establish the run. Auburn did once. Kentucky couldn't stop it.

“I think it speaks highly of our O-line, our running backs, our tight ends and our coaching staff,” Freeze said.

It was also only the second time in Hunter's career that he had 20 or more carries in a game. Freeze has sometimes talked about needing to get the ball to Hunter more often, and on Saturday he showed what Hunter is capable of when he gets regular touches.

For Hunter, patience was a big part of the accomplishment.

“That’s the big key to the running game,” he said. “You have to allow the blocks that are given to you by the O-line and the tight ends to develop.”

However, it wasn't just about being patient in the backfield. In previous losses where Hunter's touches were limited, he had to be patient to allow a play like this.

Hunter did, and both he and Auburn were rewarded.

Peter Rauterkus reports on Auburn Sports AL.com. You can follow him on X below @peter_rauterkus or send him an email at [email protected]M