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Cox helps Auburn cruise by Tennessee Tech

Nov 3, 2007 - 11:59 PM AUBURN, Alabama (Ticker) -- Brandon Cox kept up with Auburn's homecoming tradition.

Cox passed for 167 yards and a touchdown Saturday as No. 19 Auburn posted a 35-3 victory over Tennessee Tech of the Football Championship Subdivision.

The 6-2 Cox completed nine-of-11 attempts - all in the first half - for Auburn (7-3), which has won four straight home games. The Tigers also won their 16th consecutive homecoming game, running its record to 68-8-5 during that weekend.

In the first meeting between the teams, Cox guided Auburn to a 21-3 lead in barely over a quarter of play.

On their very first possession, the Tigers went 64 yards in eight plays capped by a two-yard TD run by Ben Tate.

After Henry Sailes returned a kickoff 67 yards to put the Golden Eagles in position for Justin Kraemer's 28-yard field goal, Cox struck quickly on Auburn's next drive to increase the margin even farther. The senior quarterback completed a 55-yard pass to fullback Carl Stewart to put the Tigers on the two-yard line.

"I was pretty wide open and Cox threw it out there where I could get it," Stewart said. "I tried to outrun their secondary, but they caught me just before I could get into the end zone."

That set the stage for Stewart, who burst over on the next play to make it 14-3.

Cox took it slow next time, marshalling the offense on a 14-play, 66-yard marathon that he finished by tossing a 16-yard score to Robert Dunn. Cox, who completed 4-of-6 passes on the drive was replaced by Kodi Burns on Auburn's next series.

"We would have liked to have played Brandon a little bit more," Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said. "We got up so quick, we wanted to get all the quarterbacks in there."

Dunn caught three passes for 42 yards and two touchdowns, including one from third-string quarterback Blake Field in the third quarter that made it 28-3.

"It feels really good getting my first two (scores of the season) today," Dunn said. "I knew I was going to get one, but I ended up with the two of them."

Defensive back Walter McFadden intercepted a pass from Golden Eagles quarterback Lee Sweeney in the final quarter, returning it 93 yards for a TD to give the Tigers a 35-3 advantage.

"It wasn't a very good dance (in the end zone), but it was a good interception," Tuberville said. "Walt is getting better. He has a lot of speed as he showed. He's played quite a bit this year, breaks on the ball well and is a smart player."

Sweeney went 19-of-26 for 168 yards and an interception for Tennessee Tech (4-6), which has lost five straight and is 0-20 all-time vs. Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

"As well as we moved the ball, we killed ourselves with turnovers and missed opportunities," Sweeney said. "We had a chance to score seven on our first drive, but we were only able to get a field goal and that was a big momentum-turner."