The more things change, the more things stay the same. At least, that’s how it’s seemed for Auburn over the Tigers’ last handful of games to close the 2016-17 season.
In the month leading up to the Sugar Bowl, Auburn was able to rest up its injured players to prepare for Oklahoma. Sean White’s shoulder was fine, and Kamryn Pettway’s quad injury was a thing of the past.
And for the opening drive of Monday’s game, it looked like the Auburn of old — the one that, when healthy, reeled off six straight wins in the heart of the season and fielded a potent offense that featured a bruising ground game and a precise, efficient passing attack.
But the injury bug reared its ugly head when White broke his forearm trying to dive for a first down near the goal line on Auburn’s first possession, and the Tigers were back to the offensive quandary they faced against Georgia and Alabama.
The offense stalled again and again, and the defense — which had bottled up Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma for a bit — wore down and became another victim of the Sooners’ explosive offense, and Auburn fell in the Sugar Bowl, 35-19.
“Right now, I've got a locker room full of disappointed players,” said Auburn coach Gus Malzahn. “...We are disappointed we didn't win. Give those guys credit. They played a very good game.”
John Franklin III replaced White, as he had in the past, and he was relatively effective. But then he got hit on the arm and, according to him, was unable to grip the ball. As a result, Jeremy Johnson played in his third straight game.
With the backup quarterbacks in, the offense struggled.Oklahoma began playing its safeties closer to the line of scrimmage, which slowed down running backs Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson. Pettway led everyone with 101 rushing yards, but he wasn’t ever able to break a long run or repeatedly batter the Sooners’ front seven like he had to previous opponents.
It resulted in several three-and-outs, which kept the defense on the field longer against Mayfield, Dede Westbrook, and Samaje Perine. Oklahoma started finding ways to work against Auburn’s stout defense, and the Tigers couldn’t keep up forever. They blinked, and Oklahoma was up 35-13.
“We had a great week of practice,” said receiver Kyle Davis. “We came out, we executed everything well in practice, we just had, like, a lot of confidence coming into the game. I’m not exactly sure what happened, maybe we just didn’t execute as well.”
Mayfield finished with 296 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns en route to winning MVP honors, and Oklahoma outgained Auburn 524-339.
“We knew going into the game (Mayfield) was very elusive, he made plays with his feet, and he knew how to escape pressure,” said safety Nick Ruffin. “Just going through practice, always keeping that in mind. Coaches had us doing drills, letting the quarterback scramble around a little bit, but it’s nothing compared to the real thing.”
The real thing torched Auburn, putting a damper on an otherwise stellar season for the defense. It wasn’t all somber in the locker room, though.
When the confetti finished falling and the sting of losing subsided at least temporarily, some of the Tigers were able to reflect on the season and realize how much of a leap they made from last season, going from the Birmingham Bowl to playing in a New Year’s Six bowl.
“It tells us we’re definitely headed in the right direction, slowly but surely figuring it out and getting back to where Auburn football should be,” Ruffin said. “Albeit we didn’t get the outcome we hoped for, it’s definitely a step in the right direction.”
Next season, a young team will be a year older, and they’ll take the Sugar Bowl loss with them. With quarterback transfer Jarrett Stidham entering the fold and vying for the starting job, the offense is oozing with potential.
“We’re going to feel this loss at the beginning of next year,” said Kerryon Johnson. “We’ve gotta take it out on somebody on the schedule.”
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