2024 GAME 10 REVIEW: Operation "Keep Cam"

Auburn 48  Louisiana Monroe 14.  It is obvious that earlier this week the Auburn football coaching staff met and talked about what I talked about in my post last week, i.e. the sharks circling Auburn's current roster.  They figured out that obviously star receiver Cam Coleman would be at the top of many teams' wish lists.  This is the point where head coach Hugh Freeze finally showed some actual smarts when he must have told whoever was putting the game plan together and quarterback Payton Thorne to "GET CAM THE BALL".  He then cut off any response that was not "yes sir" with "GET CAM THE BALL".  Luckily for Freeze and Auburn Louisiana Monroe is terrible and the Auburn offense was pretty much able to do whatever it wanted.  Quarterback Payton Thorne threw for a career high five touchdowns, Auburn had two wide receivers over 100 yards (!!!) in Coleman and Keandre Lambert-Smith plus Jarquez Hunter got to 100 yards as well.  All in all as good a day as Auburn has had this season.

Coach Freeze can continue to brag about Auburn's offensive stats as this game will help inflate them as the Alabama A&M and New Mexico games did.  I mean you take those games away and Auburn's offensive stats especially the passing stats go down A LOT but hey that is what these games are for and at least Auburn took care of business in all the easy ones this season.  It is hard though to be real happy when you know that all those plays where Thorne got to stand back there forever and hit his receiver would never happen against anyone any good.  It is also hard to be real happy when everyone knows that with just a little good coaching Auburn would have a winning record and would already be in a bowl game regardless of these last two games.  Instead Auburn is 4-6 and looking at 4-8. 

I still think Auburn does have a small chance against Texas A&M at home.  Now the Aggies are tied at the top of the conference with their hated rival but even as bad as Hugh has coached, he and Auburn are just due to luck up at some point.  It will not be in Tuscaloosa so next week is it.  I have no doubt it will likely be a close game but Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has already proven to be a pretty good coach... which means Auburn will likely lose another close game on a turnover or a stupid coaching decision.  It has happened in every other close game this season.  I guess the hope is that Auburn showed enough yesterday and can show enough in the last two games to help the staff not lose too many players or recruits.  That is where Auburn is at.  There will not be a bowl game.  There is only keeping the roster intact and adding to it as the season ends for this team and staff.

I am having a hard time coming up with anything else to write...  A few weeks ago I thought that Auburn could beat Vandy and then have a great chance against Texas A&M... but then Auburn lost to Vandy. After that I have a hard time seeing this team knock off Texas A&M.  Again I think Auburn has a small chance next week but a very small one.  This has been a very close and competitive series since the Aggies joined the SEC and it is currently knotted at 6-6 during that time.  There have definitely been some big wins for both sides.  Johnny Manziel and company ran Auburn out of its own stadium in 2012 while the great 2013 Auburn team knocked him off the next season.  Auburn went to College Station and beat current NFL star Kyler Murray in 2015 but A&M and another huge NFL star in Myles Garrett returned the favor in Auburn the next season.  Auburn then won three in a row followed by two in a row by the Aggies.  The teams have split the last two seasons.  

The Aggies are the clear favorites and are playing for high stakes while this Auburn team has one last chance to show some magic in Jordan Hare this season.  One last chance.