Will Auburn continue to rely on the running game after Harkes Hunter’s career success?

Harkes Hunter made life easier for Auburn on offense against Kentucky. He rushed for 278 yards and shortened the call sheet as the game progressed, running the offense through Hunter and the run game.

However, the game didn’t start that way. Hunter had just one carry in the first quarter, and the resurfaced frustrations of Auburn fans over Hunter’s lack of participation were louder than ever.

In an interview with the SEC after the first quarter, Freese said Auburn needed to get things going, and to say Auburn did that would be an understatement. When asked how the running game was different against Kentucky, Freese’s answer wasn’t complicated.

“We showed a few different things, but honestly it wasn’t anything special,” Freese said. “It was mostly interior zones that we just blocked really well. Then our guys missed the first guy and had some explosive runs.”

Freese gave credit to the offensive line, a unit that had a slightly different lineup against Kentucky. Dillon Wade started at left tackle and Bradyn Joyner at left guard after Percy Lewis was left out of the lineup in the loss to Missouri.

Wade finished the game with a blocking grade of 81.1, the highest on the team, according to Pro Football Focus. Right tackle Izavion Miller also performed well on the other side of the line, earning SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors.

Freese said Auburn’s reluctance to run the ball in the first quarter had to do with Kentucky’s run defense.

“Nobody really hurt them in the run game,” Freese said. “I always think we have a good plan and we have to be balanced and execute it, but I really wanted to start the game trying to throw the ball to them.”

The week before, Kentucky gave up 197 yards to Florida, but had not given up more than 145 yards in a game before that. Auburn rushed for 326 yards. The Tigers’ 6.5 yards per rush was also two more yards than any other team averaged against Kentucky.

Auburn has shown it can have great success running the ball, and this isn’t the first time Hunter has been effective. He currently leads the SEC in rushing yards, but Saturday marked only the second time this season he’s had 20 or more carries in a game.

When he gets the ball, he is dangerous, averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Because Auburn runs an RPO-heavy offensive scheme, many run or throw decisions are made by the quarterback.

Auburn seemed to demand smarter plays against Kentucky, and when the offensive line consistently wins, those simple plays are effective.

The offensive line and overall blocking efficiency for Auburn has varied from game to game, but even without great blocking, Hunter remains one of the best runners in the country after contact. He has an average of 6.4 fumbled/missed tackles per 20 carries, the highest in the SEC, according to Sports Info Solutions.

Freeze spoke at times about the balance between consistently getting the ball to Hunter, throwing the ball and making shots. The pass-heavy and rooted downfield passing game has given Auburn mixed results early in the season, creating many explosive plays but also causing turnovers.

When Auburn committed to giving Hunter the ball, it was unlikely to fail. It remains to be seen how much his 278 yards against Kentucky will impact the offense moving forward, but with the offensive line coming together and the conference’s leading rusher behind it, the plan for success may not be too difficult.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or write to him at [email protected]m