Bigsby honored by SEC

Published 12:01 pm Wednesday, December 16, 2020

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By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

Auburn’s Tank Bigsby, who is in the midst of a phenomenal debut season for the Auburn Tigers, has been named the Southeastern Conference freshman of the week for the second time this fall.

Bigsby ran for a season-high 192 yards on 26 attempts, an average of 7.4 yards per carry, in a 24-10 win over Mississippi State.

“I was able to do that because of my O-line. I give them credit,” Bigsby said. “(It’s) coaches believing in me, giving me the ball, running behind my pads and playing football, playing the game I love.”

One of the offensive linemen Bigsby ran behind was red-shirt freshman Keiondre Jones, who is also a Callaway High graduate.

Jones, who didn’t play last season, has settled in as a starter this season, and he has helped Bigsby put up impressive numbers.

Those two were teammates from the 2017 to 2019 seasons, and they were a part of two state semifinal teams.

Bigsby has 834 rushing yards this season, making him the second most prolific freshman running back in Auburn history, and he has passed Bo Jackson on that list and trails only Michael Dyer, who had 1,093 yards in 2010.

Bigsby arrived at Auburn following an extraordinary career at Callaway highlighted by a junior season when he ran for more than 2,000 yards.

During a senior season when he missed a handful of games with an injury, Bigsby ran for 1,636 yards with 27 touchdowns.

In his final high-school game, a 39-35 loss to Brooks County, Bigsby ran for 270 yards with two touchdowns.

Bigsby was limited to 46 yards on 14 carries in his first two games this season, but he broke out for 146 yards on 20 carries against Arkansas.

Bigsby has surpassed 100 yards in a game three times since then, and he likely would have already have 1,000 yards if he hadn’t missed most of two games with an injury.

Bigsby, after carrying the ball 23 times in his previous three games, had a season-high 26 carries against Mississippi State.