The Positives
Auburn has battled through four football games this season, and three of the meetings have resulted in losses, including two conference games. However, all three teams the Tigers have lost to this season are currently ranked, and their combined record is 11-1. There are plenty of things wrong with the record and on-paper statistics, but there are also things to be optimistic about.
Auburn’s defense looked like a competitive, strong SEC defense against LSU last weekend. The Tigers looked sharp and held one of the best teams in the nation to 10 offensive points. Onterio McCalebb added spark to an otherwise stagnant offense and had two golden opportunities to give Auburn the lead last week, but a missed running lane and a one-hand jersey tackle prevented him from taking the ball to pay dirt on two separate occasions. Overall, however, the result against LSU showed the team still has potential.
The Negatives
Auburn has averaged only 17.5 points each game this year, but will look to boost that statistic next week against Arkansas, a team that gives up more than 36 points a game.
The Tiger offense is not functioning nearly as productively as most teams’. This fact can sting the Auburn faithful more than usual because only two years ago Auburn’s offense was one of the best in the nation.
There are a few things to remember, though.
Quarterback Kiehl Frazier is only a sophomore. He is going to get better and smarter as he gains more experience in what is undoubtedly the best defensive league in the nation. This is offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler’s first year at Auburn. Loeffler is using offensive players who were recruited to be in Gus Malzahn’s spread offense in his pro-style offense. As the year goes on, the offensive players, especially Frazier, will grow more accustomed to this foreign style of play until it becomes second nature. That is not to say this offense will be incredible, but it can only get better after last week’s performance.
Surprise of the season
The surprise of the season so far is the unexpected difficulty of Auburn’s first four games.
The Tigers began the season against Clemson, a team that was supposed to be a contender for the ACC title. Clemson lost to fourth-ranked Florida State last weekend, but will still be an ACC title contender with a bit of luck.
Auburn played its second game against Mississippi State, who at that point had not beaten the Tigers since 2007. Mississippi State could be a legitimate SEC West contender and has a relatively favorable schedule this year.
Louisiana at Monroe, who was fresh off a huge upset against Arkansas, came to Auburn in the third week and took the Tigers to overtime. Auburn prevailed, but only by three points in what many thought should have been an easy win.
Then there was LSU last week. This was a team whose quality was never in question, yet Auburn lost by only two points.
There is a bit of silver lining for Auburn this year, but the young team needs confidence and to gain confidence they need to win. They will look for both against Arkansas Oct. 6 after an extra week of preparation.
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