Jackson Kilgore threw two touchdowns, ran for another and the Auburn defense did the rest as the No. 2 Tigers steamrolled to a 39-14 victory over No. 3 Hoover in a Class 7A showdown Friday at the Hoover Met.

Auburn (1-0) was forced into a three-and-out on its first three possessions, but eventually took a 3-0 lead on a 55-yard field goal from Towns McGough, capping a 12-play, 52-yard drive right before the end of the opening frame.

The Bucs responded with their own scoring drive, marching 80 yards in seven plays and scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run from Jonah Winston. Auburn attempted to swing momentum on a 68-yard kickoff return, but Kilgore was picked off by Hoover’s Cooper Darty on the first play of the possession.

Auburn forced a punt out of the Bucs on the ensuing drive and retook the lead on an 8-yard touchdown run from Tyler Flakes, closing out a 10-play, 58-yard drive. The Tigers ended the half on a 40-yard field goal by McGough and took a 13-7 advantage into the break.

The Bucs opened the second half with the ball, but it was short-lived as Noah Schuback threw an interception to Jackson Mills, who returned it 34 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the second half.

Hoover (0-1) scored on its next possession, a 35-yard touchdown run from Winston, but managed to cross midfield only once afterward due to an inspired defensive effort led by Deuce White, who tipped a Schuback pass to himself for a pick between bookend sacks of the Hoover quarterback.

“It was an adrenaline rush,” White said. “I tried to get out but my teammate got in the way. I was trying to get 6 but we got a win and that’s all that matters.”

Following the Bucs’ score, Auburn scored on its next three possessions and held Hoover to a punt, an interception and a turnover on downs to close out the contest.

Kilgore connected with Cody Palmer for a 9-yard touchdown pass near the end of the third quarter, called his own number on a 22-yard scoring run early in the final period and tossed a 14-yard touchdown to Ean Nation for a 39-14 lead with 7:41 left in the game.

Star(s) of the game: Deuce White. The 6-foot, 290-pound defensive tackle had two clutch sacks in the second half, ending Hoover drives each time, and tipped an interception to himself on the Bucs’ first possession of the fourth quarter.

“Deuce is unbelievable,” Auburn coach Keith Etheredge said. “He’s a guy we have to practice against every day. I told the guys, ‘You can’t make me believe it’s going to be tougher than what we go through practice.’ Iron sharpens iron.”

Key sequence: Trailing 13-7 to open the second half, Hoover was stopped for a loss on its initial play of the opening possession before Schuback threw an interception to Auburn’s Jackson Mills, who returned it 34 yards for a touchdown and 20-7 lead over the Bucs.

By the numbers: 60, the number of passing attempts by both teams combined. …8, the number of punts combined by both teams in the first half. …2, the number of wins for Auburn in the three-game series.

Stat sheet: Auburn – Kilgore was 21-of-30 for 203 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while also adding 25 yards and a score on six carries. Flakes led the rushing effort with 62 yards and a score on 15 attempts, followed by Omar Mabson with 10 carries for 21 yards and Mykel Ammons with four attempts for 20 yards. Palmer had five receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown and Nation had seven catches for 36 yards and a score. Tight end Griffin McLean added four receptions for 57 yards. Hoover – Schuback finished 13-of-30 passing for 162 yards and Winston had three rushing attempts for 39 yards and two touchdowns. Kamal Amerson had nine attempts for 45 yards, along with a 20-yard reception.

Coachspeak: “We knew it was going to be hot, but we trained for this and thought it might be something we could use to help us win the ballgame. Everybody got a little bit hot, everybody got a little tired and they just kept fighting. We started off rough, new quarterback and offensive linemen, but defense kept us in the game early. We got a long way to go and, hopefully, we get better each week.” — Auburn’s Keith Etheredge

They said it: “Honestly, chemistry is a huge part of that. Having a lot of chemistry, as we do, can beat just about any team you play no matter the talent. We have a great chemistry on this team.” — Kilgore

“Our defense is going to be strong suit this year. We always have a good defense but I feel we’re going to be great this year.” — White

What’s next? Auburn plays host to Enterprise, while Hoover remains home to play Oak Grove, Miss.