This time Auburn was up 17-6 and went on a seven minute plus drive and ended up 1st and goal at the Mizzou 10. A touchdown pass was dropped and then quarterback Payton Thorne takes a 12 yard sack... That was a huge turning point in the game. Auburn threw incomplete on third down and Auburn kicker Town McGough missed another critical kick. It was only a thirty-yard kick and he should have made it but the sack on 2nd down never should have happened. Auburn threw on first down and missed it, they should have ran the ball on 2nd down. It is not a huge missed call by the coaches but they continue to show they just do not have good feel for the game. That is one of the biggest reasons Auburn continues to lose. The coaches definitely tried harder to do a better job but there were still quite a few not-too-smart calls.
On top of that, I cannot defend quarterback Peyton Thorne anymore. I have put most of the blame on the coaches and that is correct but you need your quarterback to step up and also make smart plays to help win the game. He has just not done that. He has taken some sacks that he could have thrown the ball away to avoid in my opinion and he just cannot make the play when needed under pressure. Yesterday Auburn punted twice in the fourth quarter before Missouri made their winning touchdown drive. On third down for one of those drives Mizzou sent the house and Auburn called a pretty good play that had now little-used tight end Rivaldo Fairweather WIDE OPEN. I know Thorne was under a heavy rush but all he had to do was give Fairweather a chance and he sailed it far over him. Thorne just never makes the big-time play to help win the game.
I will say that in spite of all that the Auburn coaches did not allow Thorne to throw the back breaking pick this time and made Missouri march the length of the field. You have to give Missouri credit for a clutch drive because they looked worse than Auburn to me most of the day. The over-the-shoulder pass Missouri quarterback Brady Cook threw to receiver Luther Burden on 4th down was impressive. They made the plays and Auburn did not. Auburn's season now lies in tatters and a cloud of hopelessness has descended over most Tiger fans. I know that is how I feel. I guess in one way things get a lot simpler at this point, you forget all the preseason goals and expectations and you just try to win a game. You have Kentucky on the road and other than a win over Ole Miss they are as down as Auburn. They are not a juggernaut and Auburn will probably be the underdog.
There is nothing that can save this season from being a colossal disappointment BUT Auburn can get a win next week and at the very least enjoy a happy locker room for a few moments. I have seen these type seasons in different sports and at younger levels and a win just makes everything better. Again it does not fix the season or stop the landslide of criticism but again for a few moments those players that have worked so hard can sit down, smile, and have some relief. That is where we are at. The Auburn football players and coaches need to just focus on getting a win at Kentucky. I think that may involve using a different quarterback although I do not believe Auburn's future has anything to do with Hank Brown either. Whatever, the job is simple, beat Kentucky and hey it is a lot easier in football than it is in basketball!
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