HOWEVER ONCE AGAIN just like Georgia, just like Missouri, Auburn had the ball FIRST AND GOAL AT THE ONE and managed to BLOW IT AGAIN. SHOCKER another Xavier Chaplin procedure penalty! Auburn had to settle for the field goal AGAIN. It should have been 24-3 and yes I think that would have put Auburn over the top just like those other games. I have never seen a team blow so many opportunities on the goal line in a season in my life. I mean yes the offense was much better and we will get to that but when you have it first and goal on the one yard line against a good team you NEED TO SCORE A TOUCHDOWN. Yes I think it made that big a difference. I have never seen a worse coached team when it comes to procedure penalties in my life. Here is a suggestion for this open week, how about the offensive line work on this ONE THING till it is FIXED.
I am sorry I am not opening this post acting like Auburn just won the national championship because they looked better on offense like I have read many people doing. I am glad Auburn looked better but they still lost the game and in that goal line situation above they looked the same as the rest of the season. I was surprised Auburn was that good on offense but not surprised there was a major improvement even with no practice time. As a post I read during the game said, Auburn just started playing normal football, calling normal passing plays. I knew they did not need to do anything ground shaking. Auburn has a really good running back and some great wide receivers! I mean Hugh Freeze had to work really hard to make this offense as bad as it has been. He really should be sued for malpractice. This game was the final statement on the absolute utter incompetence of Freeze.
You really have to wonder about Freeze's sanity. If the guy just would have let Derrick Nix call plays like Durkin did Saturday he would have had to do less (and he could play more golf) and he would have been more successful and he would still be at Auburn???!!!??? Nix is also the only legitimate big-time coach on the offensive staff. It was a big deal Auburn was able to steal him from Lane Kiffin. One last time, how could Freeze not see how bad he was killing the offense and not make this move? Oh well enough, It does not matter anymore and Auburn is better off without Hugh Freeze. Unfortunately again I think a lot of people are taking Auburn's offensive success against a bad Vanderbilt defense a little too far. Auburn had a good game on offense but a better defense would have caused problems.
Ashton Daniels had a great game, statistically yard-wise the third best passing game in Auburn history. However Vanderbilt dropped a couple of interceptions and he also held that ball out like a loaf of bread while running and he was lucky it was not stripped. Also he scrambled easily for extra time against Vandy while most conference teams Auburn played this season would have stopped a lot of that as they stopped Jackson Arnold's scrambling. Again, I was as happy as anyone to see the offensive improvement but there are just too many people taking it way too far. I am also probably still grouchy because it also underlined in bold just how good Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton are and how Auburn has UTTERLY WASTED two of the best wide receivers ever to play at Auburn.
The Cam Coleman one-handed touchdown catch followed by another one-handed catch with the other arm (!!!) on the subsequent two-point conversion is one of the most amazing plays in Auburn history. I just wish it would have been in a win. Singleton while not as spectacular as Coleman also had a great game. I believe I heard it was the first time in history Auburn had two wide receivers with over a hundred yards in a game. That sounds correct to me. That is a big deal but again unfortunately it was in another loss. That brings us to the defense. Great job Coach Durkin with the offense but what happened to your side? The Auburn defense has been one of the best in the country in scoring defense but it is now apparent after this game that most of that success is due to Auburn not playing many great passing teams.
Vanderbilt like Baylor to start the season rolled up over 400 yards passing and 500 yards of total offense on the Auburn defense. I mean at times Auburn was just embarrassed on defense. Up 20-3 with less than two minutes in the first half Vandy scored in THREE PLAYS and a little over 30 seconds. There were also several instances of Vandy wide receivers running wide open including a big touchdown. D.J. Durkin is a good coach and he has done a great job bringing this defense together this season but like Auburn's last good defensive coordinator Kevin Steele he just gets undressed by good passing teams. Also I have used the term "third and Durkin" for two years now about Auburn propensity to give up plays on third and long. Any way these two facts spelled doom for Auburn Saturday.
Auburn now rolls into an open week with only Mercer and Bama left. The only drama surrounding the Mercer game is who will play quarterback? Current starter Ashton Daniels cannot play and still redshirt giving him an extra year of eligibility. I am not sure what Auburn does there. I would sure like to see what Deuce Knight can do although it sounds like he has already decided to leave Auburn at the end of the season. Regardless it all comes down to Bama, one chance at redemption. This is one season where a win in the Iron Bowl would literally make an entire season. Unfortunately I do not have the same optimism I had before Vanderbilt as I think Ty Simpson is right there with Diego Pavia as the best quarterbacks in the SEC and Bama's defense is miles ahead of Vanderbilt.
However I think Auburn's defense will be better at home as hopefully the Auburn faithful will get fired up one more time this season. Auburn has three weeks to get ready for Bama and beat a solid Mercer team. The Tigers finally showed what is possible on offense. Now the question is can this Auburn team put it together on both sides of the ball for the first time this season in the Iron Bowl?
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