ORLANDO, Fla. — No. 14 Northwestern dominated a depleted Auburn Tigers team in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl, cruising to a 35-19 rout at Camping World Stadium Friday afternoon.
Quarterback Peyton Ramsey thrived in a balanced passing attack for the Wildcats (7-2), throwing for 291 yards and connecting with three different receivers in the end zone. Seniors John Raine, Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman and Riley Lees pulled in one touchdown reception apiece.
Ramsey and freshman running back Cam Porter punched in rushing touchdowns to pile on during the blowout win.
The Tigers (6-5) were missing All-SEC running back Tank Bigsby — who tallied 834 yards and averaged 6.0 yards per carry during his freshman season — along with backup quarterback Grant Loy and offensive lineman Brodarious Hamm, who were reportedly sidelined with COVID-19-related “medical absences.” Auburn defensive backs Devan Barrett and Roger McCreary opted out of the bowl game.
Northwestern roared to an early 14-point lead in the first quarter, which Auburn softened with a pair of second quarter field goals. The Tigers pulled within a single point at the start of the second half when quarterback Bo Nix threw a 57-yard pass to Elijah Canion.
The Wildcats’ offense exploded in response. A fourth-quarter fumble recovery by senior defensive end Earnest Brown IV sealed the victory for Northwestern, setting up Ramsey to sling the final touchdown pass to Lees for a 35-13 lead.
Auburn running back D.J. Williams managed a final touchdown in the waning minutes of play. Northwestern ultimately held Auburn to 61 rushing yards.
This is only the second time Northwestern has won a New Year’s Day bowl game, with its previous win coming in the 1948 Rose Bowl. The victory marked the end of a challenging season punctuated by canceled games and related COVID-19 limitations.
