‘It was a lot of fun’: Inside Cam Coleman’s breakout game against Lousiana-Monroe
Through nine games, Cam Coleman showed flashes, but couldn’t quite find the complete game that everyone inside the Auburn football program knew he was capable of.
He had 82 yards against Oklahoma, 53 against Cal, 62 and a touchdown against Alabama A&M, but never had more than four catches in a game.
He finished with eight catches for 100 yards and three touchdowns, with seven catches, 78 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
“It was a lot of fun, because seeing the smiles on everybody’s face, it really just creates the energy on the sideline. It was really fun,” Coleman said after the game.
The three touchdowns were more than Coleman had all season through nine games, but the big game wasn’t unexpected by many of his teammates. Starting corner Kayin Lee — a player who often gets the task of guarding Coleman in practice — was one of those teammates who saw it coming.
“I told him last week during the bye week, ‘I need three more.’ He went and got it today,” Lee said with a smile. “We be going at it every day in practice. Iron sharpens iron so that’s fun with that kid.”
Coleman was targeted early and often against ULM, running everything from quick outs and crossing routes to goal line fades and jump balls. His first touchdown came on a quick out where he broke a tackle before trotting easily into the endzone, followed by a goal line fade where he connected with Payton Thorne.
No play from anyone in the game stood out more than Coleman’s third touchdown, though.
On a fourth-and-four, Auburn drew ULM offside, creating a free play and giving Thorne a chance to launch a ball toward the endzone. He did exactly that, identifying Coleman in single coverage and delivering a ball only he could catch.
Except it didn’t even look like a pass Coleman could catch. As the pass seemed to be sailing out of bounds, Coleman contorted his body, grabbed the ball with one hand and got his right elbow down just before his left hand landed out of bounds.
“All I seen was the ball in the air, and I was just adjusting, and God took over from there,” Coleman said recounting the play. “It was a crazy catch.”
It was the type of play fans have long heard about Coleman making in practice, but the first time it was on display to the watching world.
He and Thorne seemed to be more in sync than in any other game this season as the fifth-year quarterback had a career high of his own in touchdown passes (5).
“He only needed one hand today. So that was sweet,” Thorne said of Coleman. “But yeah, he’s obviously a great athlete, and it’s fun playing with him.”
Coleman and his Auburn teammates hope that this performance is the first of many, especially with two tough Southeastern Conference games against Texas A&M and Alabama to close the regular season. Auburn will need to win both games to be bowl eligible, but for Coleman, the goal is simple.
“The theme of the week was, ‘Finish strong,’“ Coleman said. ”We’re going to use that throughout the rest of the time that we’re here for this year.”
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m