This season hasn't gone entirely according to plan for Auburn football. Hugh Freeze and company started the season just 2-5 and were seriously sliding after a disheartening loss to Missouri.

Auburn really struggled to run the ball against Missouri, even with star running back Jarquez Hunter in the backfield. Hunter couldn't get anything going in that one, finishing with just 57 yards on 19 carries as Missouri pulled out a 21-17 win even with an injured Brady Cook at quarterback.

Hunter responded in a massive way on Saturday, as Auburn kept its hopes of a bowl game alive with a very impressive 24-10 win against Kentucky on the road. Against the Wildcats, Hunter racked up 278 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries to drag Auburn over the finish line and secure the victory.

After the game, Freeze said that Hunter apologized to the team for his performance against Missouri, according to Max Olson of ESPN.

“(Hunter) said, ‘I didn't carry us tonight,'” Freeze said, per Olson. “Just to see him have that kind of success after feeling the way he did last week, for a kid that's worked as hard as he has, is gratifying.”

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It's safe to assume that Auburn will be forgiving Hunter and then some after his heroic effort in the win on Saturday. The star running back broke a 10-10 tie in the third quarter with a one-yard touchdown run, punctuating a 14-play drive where he touched the ball 10 times. In the fourth quarter, Hunter broke the game open with a 45-yard touchdown run that put the score out of reach.

Hunter's versatility was on display in this one as well. He was a factor in the passing game, catching four balls for 19 yards and picking up a huge first down through the air before his final touchdown of the night.

Auburn needs to finish 3-1 in its final four games in order to reach a bowl game, but the schedule isn't super forgiving. Three of the Tigers' final four opponents — Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Alabama — are ranked in the AP top 25, with Louisiana Monroe in there as a non-conference game.

Beating one of those quality opponents will be no easy task, but if Hunter is able to string together a few performances like he had on Saturday, he is capable of carrying Auburn to an upset or two.