The finale of Auburn's 2014 season came down to the deflection of a football, and unlike in 2013, the ball didn't bounce their way.
For a number of Auburn's playmakers, such as Nick Marshall and Cameron Artis-Payne, the bounce brought a disappointing end to a career that saw them drag a program from the all-time lows it reached in 2012.
Even with such a heartbreaking defeat, Artis-Payne said a lack of execution, and not poor fortune, was the main culprit in the Tigers' loss.
"I wouldn't call it luck when we win, I wouldn't call it luck when we lose, it was just a lack of execution at the end of the day," Artis-Payne said.
The Tigers once again failed to execute in a number of familiar areas: penalties and run defense.
Unfortunately for Gus Malzahn and company, their hopeful savior, recently hired defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, could do nothing more than watch from the press conference.
"That's some of the some stuff that we've done this year," Malzahn said. "It's a good thing we hired the best defensive coordinator in college football. He'll get it corrected."
Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon has been nearly impossible for most defenses to stop this season, and he was even more so for a defense that allowed over 30 points in its final seven games against FBS opponents.
Gordon, a 2014 Heisman finalist, rushed for 251 yards and three touchdowns despite a defense that focused heavily on his presence for four quarters.
"We were trying to focus on that guy," Malzahn said. "Our key was to try and stop him and obviously we didn't. He made some big plays and that was a big factor in the game."
In the end, there is little more than disappointment for Auburn's departing seniors. After starting the season 7-1, the team tumbled down the stretch, losing its last four games against FBS opponents.
And in the case of Texas A&M and now Wisconsin, those losses came down to the deflection of a football.
"We just didn't make the plays at the end of the game and they did, so give them credit for that," Malzahn said. "We have a lot of seniors and obviously we're disappointed we couldn't get those guys out on a positive note."
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