What Auburn players said about Jarquez Hunter’s career night against Kentucky

Jarquez Hunter’s performance against Kentucky was unforgettable.

He set a new career-high in rushing yards, and his 278 rushing yards were the most by an Auburn player since Tre Mason’s 304 in the 2013 SEC Championship game. Most importantly, he helped Auburn win their first win since Week 3.

“I got tired of losing,” Hunter said after the game. “I tried to take advantage of the opportunities I had today. I tried to spend them.”

Hunter certainly wore out Kentucky and the only people who seemed to enjoy the performance more than him were his teammates.

“I can watch the play from behind. I haven’t seen someone so difficult to tackle when you hit him from the front,” Payton Thorne said after the game. “He’s incredibly strong and that’s a credit to him and his work ethic.”

Hunter’s performance made life easier for Thorne after the first quarter, as Auburn’s game spread over the final three quarters was 47 runs to 15 passes. Thorne also completed 15 of his last 16 passes.

Hunter’s big night was also rewarding for the defense.seeing their success pay off as Hunter helped put the game away in the second half.

“It gives us more energy to go out and give them the ball,” defensive end Keldric Faulk said after the game. “When they do something great, it’s like they’re feeding us energy. When we get stops on third down or force a fumble, that gives them energy. “They’re waiting to go out there and hit the ball into the end zone.”

For linebacker Dorian Mausi Jr., it was very special to see the player he regularly faces in practice show what he is capable of.

“Finally someone else can experience it. That kid is a running back,” linebacker Dorian Mausi Jr. said after the game. “I’m happy he’s doing something we see every day.”

For Auburn cornerback Kayin Lee, the performance left him in awe.

“I felt like I was watching myself play a video game,” Lee said. “He ran 270 yards; I’ve never seen that from anyone on my team before. “It was kind of crazy for me to see.”

Lee had a huge impact on the game, grabbing an interception near the goal line that sealed the game for Auburn. After the interception, Hunter had runs of 10, 11 and 46, putting an exclamation point on what was already an impressive night.

For weeks, Auburn couldn’t find the finishing blow to pull away from teams and finish games. In a game where he was “tired of losing,” Hunter was exactly that for Auburn against Kentucky.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X in @peter_rauterkus or send an email to [email protected]metro