2: Auburn converted two of 12 third-down opportunities against LSU. Auburn has struggled with third downs thus far this season. The offense has only converted 14 out of a possible 50, good for sixth worst in the country. The biggest problem is lack of positive yardage on the early downs. Too many times does Auburn face third and long. This takes the focus off the run game and forces Kiehl Frazier to make a throw under pressure. Since that didn’t seem to be working, Chizik and Loeffler apparently decided they’d rather give the ball to the running backs—even if it’s third and 12. The holes may open more when the defense drops into what should be an obvious passing down, but besides not gaining first downs, the coaches are showing Frazier he can’t be trusted in pressure situations.
-1: For the fourth consecutive game, Auburn has lost the turnover battle, finishing with a negative one turnover margin. The defense managed to force two fumbles, but with a fumble and two interceptions by the offense, its effort was for naught. The turnover probably most ingrained in the minds of the Auburn faithful was the last-second interception thrown by Frazier. This season, Frazier has thrown nine interceptions versus two touchdown passes, and the team is third to last in the nation, averaging a negative two turnover margin per game. The plus side? Arkansas is last in the nation at -2.5.
3: Freshman backup quarterback Jonathan Wallace had three carries out of the Wildcat formation. While that’s not a lot of touches, what he did with them makes this addition to the offense worth noting. On three carries, Wallace got two of Auburn’s nine first downs and one of Auburn’s two third-down conversions. He also gained 15 yards on the three carries and was quick to pick out the hole and get through it. With Frazier continuing to disappoint, increases in Wallace’s playing time in coming games could signal a dual-quarterback system or complete replacement.
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