3 Takeaways from Auburn's Heartwrenching Overtime Loss at Vanderbilt

The Auburn Tigers dropped a heartbreaker in Nashville on Saturday evening, as they fell to 4-6 on the season after a 45-38 loss to Vanderbilt in overtime.

In their first game since former head coach Hugh Freeze was fired, interim D.J. Durkin and company posted one of their best performances of the season. However, despite boasting a 17-3 lead in the first half, the Commodores were able to bounce back from an early punch in the mouth and claim their eighth victory of the year.

This is Auburn 🦅

Played for each other.
Gave everything for Auburn.#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/BudwqxpJan
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) November 9, 2025

But although the Tigers ultimately added another tally to the losing column, there were a couple of aspects of the game that could be viewed as positives, while others were devastating, given the common trends that have been prominent throughout 2025.

Let’s take a look at three takeaways from Auburn’s loss at FirstBank Stadium on Saturday night.

One Play-Caller is Better than Three

One thing is for sure: the offense looked significantly better against the Commodores without Freeze on the sidelines.

There was chatter leading up to the season that Auburn had three separate coaches calling plays for the offense – one for first downs, one for second downs, and another for third downs. It became a point of humor and laughing stock for opposing fans and some national media, but it was apparent on Saturday that whatever Freeze was doing was far from successful.

Whether Freeze called all plays or there were truthfully three play-callers, the Tigers looked considerably more organized than the first nine games of the season. Offensive coordinator Derrick Nix took over play-calling duties for the first time in Freeze’s absence, and Auburn totaled 563 yards of offense and scored the most points since its season opener at Baylor.

Quarterback Ashton Daniels seemed poised and more comfortable under center, and the offense was able to get into a noticeable rhythm multiple times. Daniels went 31-of-44 passing for 353 yards with two touchdowns through the air, plus two more touchdowns on the ground. There’s no telling what Freeze’s philosophy or in-game strategy was, but it was evident that the Tigers’ performance heavily improved in Nix’s system.

Auburn’s Game Plan Looked Intentional

Additionally, Auburn’s game plan simply looked more intentional than in previous games and seasons. The Tigers ensured to get the football into the hands of their most dangerous weapons, and it seemed as if the coaching staff had a well-communicated plan to attack a solid Vanderbilt defense.

The offense was extremely balanced, recording 353 passing yards and 210 rushing yards. Jeremiah Cobb received 16 touches for 115 yards, averaging 7.2 yards per carry, while Daniels also contributed on the ground, posting 89 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.

Wide receiver Cam Coleman had back-to-back spectacular one-handed grabs in the back left corner of the endzone to tie the game, including a 23-yard touchdown pass with 5:27 remaining in the fourth quarter. He followed it up with another one-handed reception to convert the two-point conversion, which evened the contest at 38-38. The sophomore phenom finished with 10 receptions for 143 yards.

HOW DID CAM COLEMAN CATCH THIS FOR THE TD? 😱

All tied up on SEC Network and the ESPN App pic.twitter.com/X2c5kSD8FA
— ESPN (@espn) November 9, 2025

The other half of the Tigers’ elite wide receiver duo, Eric Singleton Jr., also shined in Nashville. The game plan in the early stages of the afternoon was very clearly to get the ball to Singleton, and that’s exactly what Daniels did. The Georgia Tech transfer notched a career-high 11 receptions for a season-high 102 yards and a touchdown.

There had been criticism towards Freeze earlier in the year for not utilizing Coleman and Singleton enough, so to see Nix and Durkin feeding arguably Auburn’s two best players consistently was refreshing.

A Different Story on Defense

This marked one of the more impressive offensive showings Auburn fans have seen in recent memory, but just to their luck, the one time the Tigers find success and score points, the defense struggles heavily.

If someone said that Auburn was going to score 38 points on Saturday, most people would likely have predicted the Tigers to emerge victorious. However, Durkin’s defense wasn’t able to contain Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who rushed for 112 yards and one touchdown on 18 scrambles.

Tight end Eli Stowers, one of the best in the nation, also presented trouble for the Tigers. Stowers recorded 12 receptions for 122 yards and was an extremely reliable option for the Commodores in crucial downs and important moments.

Despite the defense being Auburn’s consistent force throughout the season thus far, this outing was much different, as Vanderbilt’s 45 points marked the most it has scored against a Power Four team in 2025. The Tigers gave up 377 yards through the air, and the Commodores scored a touchdown on four of their final six drives of regulation.

It could be due to Durkin’s focus fluctuating between the offense and defense as interim head coach, but whatever the reason is, they need to figure out how to clean it up before the Iron Bowl.