In this week's Auburn football notebook, sports writer Harrison Tarr opines on the final stretch of Auburn's 2019 season after two losses in October.
The Auburn Tigers entered what was widely considered to be their most important game to this point of the season against LSU in Death Valley on Saturday afternoon, and — despite being 12-point underdogs — managed to hold the Bayou Bengals to a mere 23 points. It was Auburn’s inability to move the ball on offense that would be blamed for the team’s 23-20 loss.
So what have we learned from this weekend’s display in Baton Rouge?
In short, the offense needs help. A lot of help.
Auburn posted 283 yards of total offense, generated 16 first downs, and allowed quarterback Bo Nix to be sacked on three occasions. Nix played about as well as one would assume for a true freshman to play in one of college football’s most hostile environments. The former 5-star recruit completed 15 of his 35 pass attempts, and threw an interception
However, the struggles of the Auburn offense cannot be placed solely upon him, as the Tigers hurt themselves through dropped passes and by committing eight penalties.
The offensive positives from Saturday?
True freshman running back D.J. Williams had the opportunity to touch the ball, and was effective. Williams gained 130 yards on only 13 attempts and appears to be healthy and ready to step up in the absence — or limited role — of sophomore running back JaTarvious Whitlow.
So, if the offense played so poorly, what does this game show us about the Auburn defense?
That this group is very, very good.
Despite spending 33 minutes on the field and playing 92 plays, the Tiger front seven continued to make plays. Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson dominated again, while Owen Pappoe and K.J. Britt stepped up when it came to holding the explosive LSU offense to minimal yardage.
Now, what does this loss likely mean for the Tigers?
Auburn no longer controls its own destiny. Gus Malzahn and company now sit at 3-2 in the SEC and must now rely on a combination of improbable scenarios to pave their road to a potential SEC Championship birth. If the Tigers are to keep any Playoff dreams alive, they will need to win out and to do so in convincing fashion.
The orange and blue will end their season with a four-game homestand, playing host to Ole Miss, No. 9 Georgia, Samford and No. 2 Alabama.
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