Whatever hopes Auburn had of reaching the SEC Championship ended Saturday night. The Tigers’ normally potent offense sputtered to one of the worst performances in recent history, and they dropped a 13-7 loss to a Georgia team they in all likelihood should’ve beaten.
Here are some post-mortem notes from the Tigers’ disappointing loss:
Offense was bad
Auburn entered holding a 7-0 lead. The Tigers had accumulated 132 yards, and were due to receive the second-half kickoff. Then the second half happened.
They didn’t record a single first down in the final two quarters. All but two drives ended in three and outs, and that’s only because Sean White threw a pick-six on one, and Auburn went four-and-out on the other.
It was not a good job by the offense.
Defense was pretty good
On the other hand, if Auburn’s offense had been able to provide almost anything in the second half, the Tigers likely would’ve walked away from Athens with a win. The defense kept Georgia out of the end zone the entire game and allowed just two field goals. That’s normally a recipe for success, but alas.
Carl Lawson is up to 9.5 sacks for the season, and Tray Matthews even got an interception against his former team. Jacob Eason was able to work the sidelines some and fit some good throws in pretty tight windows.
Daniel Carlson is always good
Carlson didn’t kick a field goal Saturday night, but he did convert an extra point. He’s made 133 in a row, which is the most in Auburn history and the third-most in SEC history.
He’s second in Auburn history in scoring, and he’s just 41 points behind Wes Byrum for the all-time lead.
More bad news: Injuries continue to mount
Kamryn Pettway didn't dress out for this game. Gus Malzahn didn't get into specifics, but he said Pettway wasn't able to go. Whatever injury Sean White's struggling with is really affecting him, and it was clear at several points in Saturday's game that he probably shouldn't have been out there.
Stanton Truitt came up limping on a run and had to come out and get taped up. Josh Holsey left the game for a bit with what CBS called a knee injury, but he returned later on. Deshaun Davis looked banged up later in the game, and Chandler Cox got 'nicked up' as well.
Auburn gets Alabama A&M at home next week, so the Tigers might be able to get some rest for everybody before heading to Tuscaloosa the week after.
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