Peyton Barber rushed for five touchdowns, including a decisive 36-yarder, and Auburn beat San Jose State 35-21 Saturday to snap a two-game losing streak.
The Tigers (3-2) forced four turnovers to help overcome Tyler Ervin’s 160 rushing yards.
The Spartans (2-3), who lost last year’s meeting 59-13, wouldn’t go away. Ervin darted for a 2-yard touchdown after Auburn missed a short field goal to pull to within one score with 5:38 left in the fourth quarter.
The onside kick failed and Barber scampered 36 yards for touchdown No. 5 after four short ones. The Tigers’ workhorse ran for most of his 147 yards in the second half and came up one TD shy of Carnell Williams’ school single-game record for rushing touchdowns set against Mississippi State in 2003.
The nation’s leader in all-purpose yards, Ervin followed up a 300-yard rushing game with 27 carries.