Game 4 Review: So Close Yet So Far Away

LSU 12  Auburn 10.  So close yet so far away for the Auburn Tigers.  On the good side, with LSU being overrated and making mistakes plus Auburn's defense playing better Auburn had a chance to win.  On the bad side, Auburn's offense is a bad high school offense and the special teams or to be more specific Quan Bray threw away Auburn's best chance to win the game on a muffed punt.  I have to say that the game sure did not go how many including me thought it would go.  It was a very strange game that brought out some of the best and worst of both teams.

THE GOOD
Auburn's defense played much better.  LSU's conventional power offense brought out the best in Auburn's defense.  The much maligned defensive tackles played their best game of the season or last two seasons for that matter.  The linebackers even made a few plays and the secondary actually delivered a few hard hits.  The Auburn defense played inspired and it was good to see.

However LSU could have easily been up 14-0 if they do not fumble near the goal line on their first drive where they went right down the field.  The LSU mistakes breathed life into the Auburn defense and gave over the momentum.  LSU not only stopped themselves but gave the Auburn offense their only touchdown of the game on another fumble.  LSU also had nine penalties for 80 yards.

THE BAD UGLY PART #1
I sat their watching the game for awhile not believing.  Even as Auburn took a 10-9 lead in at halftime I did not believe.  However after Auburn stopped LSU deep in their territory late in the third quarter and it looked like we would get the ball back at midfield I finally started to believe we could win this game.  Then came the punt...  and Quan Bray fumbled away Auburn's only real chance to win the game outside of two near breakaways by Ontario McCalebb. 

I praised the special teams last week for not making any of the horrible gaffes Auburn's other units had made.  Well forget that.  We are back to where we have been since Boulware took over on punt returns and that is just hoping we don't fumble it.  It seemed like every punt return in 2009 was an adventure, Quindarious Carr almost gave away the greatest comeback in SEC history against Bama in 2010 and now this.  I wonder if Auburn will ever have a punt return threat again.

THE UGLY PART #2
Auburn only managed 183 yards of offense.  They were held under 100 yards rushing and pashing.  It was a far cry from the last time LSU visited and Cam Newton and company gashed the Bayou Bengals for almost 450 yards rushing and almost 600 yards total offense.  The Auburn offense is just a disaster.  It is very hard to watch.  They are so bad. 

I like Kiehl Frazier.  He appears to be a great kid.  I just do not know if he will ever be a decent drop back quarterback.  He sure will not till this offensive line grows up.  They were absolutely manhandled by the LSU defensive front.  As the stats indicate Auburn could do nothing.  I think running inside behind our All-American fullback and more experienced center and guards would be the better choice but our coaches continually tried to run outside.

They did almost accomplish their goal of springing Ontario McCalebb once but it came at the cost of second down and long nearly every other series.  Auburn continually put Frazier in tough spots against a very good defense.  It was a no-win scenario.  I think Auburn should have worked harder at getting something positive on first down.  When you see the game going the way it did you go back to simple field position football.  It is as old as the game itself.

Auburn has a few decent offensive players but nobody seems well suited for the offense being run.  It is just a complete train wreck.  Auburn is now about the worst rated offense in the entire NCAA FBS statistically.  I honestly do not see it getting much better.  It should be something to see when Auburn's awful offense meets Arkansas' porous defense in two weeks. 

THE LAST WORD
I read and heard a lot of arrogance from the LSU side this past week.  Even when Auburn was very good I never took a win over LSU for granted as they appeared to do this year.  They were lucky to get out of Auburn with the win.  You do not ever disrespect or underestimate a rival like they did this past week.  LSU appears vastly overrated to me.  Zach Mettenburger was ordinary to say the least.  He did not appear to play well under pressure.  LSU's offensive line had a lot of problems with Auburn's pass rushers.  They have a long way to go in my book.

As for Auburn, they will meet the only SEC West team having more problems than them in two weeks.  Auburn has a bye week while Arkansas will likely give Texas A&M their first SEC victory.  I would have to say this upcoming game for Auburn is an absolute must-win.  There is no way around it.  The loss to LSU can be understood.  Losing to this Arkansas team at home would not.