GAME THREAD: NCAAF: TENNESSEE TECH (4-5) at AUBURN (6-3)

AUBURN, Alabama (Ticker) -- Brandon Cox kept up with Auburn'shomecoming tradition.


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


The 6-2 Cox completed nine-of-11 attempts - all in the firsthalf - 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 a21-3 lead in barely over a quarter of play.


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

After Henry Sailes returned a kickoff 67 yards to put the GoldenEagles in position for Justin Kraemer's 28-yard field goal, Coxstruck quickly on Auburn's next drive to increase the margineven farther. The senior quarterback completed a 55-yard passto 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 couldget it," Stewart said. "I tried to outrun their secondary, butthey caught me just before I could get into the end zone."

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


Cox took it slow next time, marshalling the offense on a14-play, 66-yard marathon that he finished by tossing a 16-yardscore to Robert Dunn. Cox, who completed 4-of-6 passes on thedrive 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, wewanted 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 thethird quarter that made it 28-3.


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


Defensive back Walter McFadden intercepted a pass from GoldenEagles quarterback Lee Sweeney in the final quarter, returningit 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 agood interception," Tuberville said. "Walt is getting better.He has a lot of speed as he showed. He's played quite a bitthis year, breaks on the ball well and is a smart player."

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


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