Going into Saturday's contest against the Georgia Bulldogs, Auburn fans thought maybe, just maybe the Tigers could pull off a major upset, and in the first half, it actually looked possible.
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At one point, the Auburn Tigers were leading Georgia 10-6, but then the light came on for the Bulldogs, and they literally ran the Tigers out of Athens, defeating Auburn 27-10. Nothing worked for Auburn, especially in the second half, and this is how they graded out on a major November test for the program.
Offense: C
Auburn's offense jumped out of the gates to a good start, and quarterback Jarrett Stidham was doing a good job, but per usual, the offense bogged down because of a lack of a running game. The Georgia defense stuffed the Tigers limiting their running game and forcing Stidham to take over the game, which as we have seen recently, does not seem to work well for Auburn.
Defense: D
The Auburn defense tried to hold up their end of the bargain, but of course that didn't last long. Bulldog running backs Elijah Holyfield and D'Andre Swift bashed the Auburn defense, but especially Swift, who had 229 total yards, and 186 of those came on the ground. Part of Swift's 186-yard total came from a 77-yard touchdown run. To say the Auburn defense had a rough night would be an understatement. The Tigers did manage to keep Bulldog quarterback Jake Fromm somewhat in check, but overall, not a good night for the Tiger defense.
Coaching: D
The offensive game plan didn't improve, and the defense struggled overall — In other words, it was a typical Auburn game. No imagination on offense, plus a non-existent running game. The problem on offense continues to be the offensive line who cannot seem to block for the Tigers running backs, which is not going to serve them well against Alabama in the Iron Bowl in two weeks. Gus Malzahn seemed to recognize during the game he may be trouble, which the ESPN cameras caught him saying, "They better not fire me."
Auburn should bounce back this weekend against Liberty, but then they head to Tuscaloosa to face the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide, who will be seeking revenge after last year's poor performance and a loss in Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
