Playing with a 7-0 lead in the second quarter and in prime position to get another stop against one of the nation's most explosive offenses, all the Auburn defense had to do was stop No. 7 Oklahoma from converting on 3rd-and-22. Kevin Steele's unit, to that point, had been playing with the same tenacity and stinginess that defined it throughout the regular season.
There was just one problem: the Tigers forgot to cover running back Joe Mixon out of the backfield. Mixon ran a wheel route and hauled in Baker Mayfield's pass for 32 yards.
It was all downhill from there for the Tigers.
The drive resulted in a 13-yard touchdown strike from Mayfield to Mark Andrews. That drive sparked a run where five of seven Sooner drives ended in the end zone, with the other two resulting in the end of the first half and a missed field goal.
The Big 12 champions rolled up 524 yards of offense — 296 from the arm of Mayfield and 228 on the ground — and spent much of the last three quarters facing little resistance from a usually stout Tiger defense. The Sooners rolled past Auburn, 35-19.
“It’s really disappointing," said tearful defensive tackle Montravious Adams. "Being a senior, you can’t take your brothers and lead them out and leave them with a great feeling.”
Mayfield's elusiveness presented problems for Auburn all night. He consistently scrambled around, buying time for his talented weapons to create space. One play in particular in the first quarter stood out as a showcase for Mayfield's talent. Dropping back to his own goal line, he avoided being sacked for a safety by defensive linemen Jeff Holland and Andrew Williams before throwing the ball away.
That was the beginning of the 90-yard drive that drew Oklahoma level.
“I’m not going to make excuses," Holland said. "That’s me, I’m supposed to make the sack. But next year, I promise I’ll execute and help my team win. That’s going to motivate me, and from this day, it’s not going to happen again.”
Auburn's defensive line is accustomed to wreaking havoc, making its inability to sack Mayfield all the more frustrating.
Leaving money on the field, that’s what we say when we miss a play, it hurts, but it’s a lesson at the end of the day." Williams said. "We’ve got to get them next time, so we’re going to get them next time.”
On the night, Mayfield only attempted four rushes for 34 yards. However, his Johnny Manziel-esque scrambling ability in the pocket made the task of stopping the explosive unit that much more difficult.
While the Tigers recognize the former walk-on quarterback's natural talent, they don't see that as an excuse for letting him escape as often as they did.
“It’s just us," said defensive lineman Marlon Davidson. "We messed up. It’s not hard to bring a guy down because he’s a man at the end of the day. That’s our fault and we’re going to get that corrected.”
The defensive line was far from the only level of the Auburn defense to struggle in New Orleans. The secondary had a difficult time containing Oklahoma's explosive receivers and pass-catching running backs. They knew the challenge of facing Heisman finalist Dede Westbrook and the Sooners' other dynamic athletes, but actually containing them was another story entirely.
Safety Tray Matthews, who has graduated from the university, announced after the game that he would return for his final season of eligibility. He wants one more chance to wash the taste of this defeat out of his mouth.
“This is nothing but motivation, so it will definitely help us out," Matthews said. "Of course we wanted to get the win, but this will make us very hungry in the offseason. We’re going to get after it and try to top the defense that we had this year.”
Fifth-year senior safety Joshua Holsey doesn't have the luxury of returning that Matthews does, but he feels confident that the Tigers will learn from this experience and correct course.
"Coach Steele's going to get those guys great," Holsey said. "We've got a lot of guys coming back, so our defense is going to be another top 20 or top 10 defense next year."
The player that everyone's keeping an eye on as far as his future is defensive end Carl Lawson. Lawson had a strong senior season while remaining healthy, boosting his NFL Draft stock and likely sealing his status as, at worst, a second-round pick.
Lawson said after the game that he hasn't made a decision about his future and will consult with his family before announcing his intentions. When he does make his decision, he said it would likely come on social media.
But whether he stays on the Plains or moves on to the pros, he believes the defensive line will continue to be strong in 2017.
"They've got a lot of talent in the defensive line," Lawson said. "We've got a great coach in coach (Rodney) Garner. The talent is there and they'll be great."
It was a disappointing end to the season for the Tigers. Injuries ultimately hijacked the offense after Auburn's six-game winning streak and all of the facets of the team suffered for it. For all the progress the program made during the 2016 season, it will go down as yet another 8-5 campaign, the second in three years.
But despite a sour end to the year, Matthews took the opportunity to vouch for the potential of the 2017 squad, one that could change the fortunes of the program.
“Mostly everybody’s coming back," Matthews said. "We’re hungry, we’ve got Sean White coming back and we’ve got (Baylor transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham) coming in. Everybody better get ready.”
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