One Thing To Continue, One Thing To Fix For Auburn Tigers After Georgia Win

Here's what Auburn needs to build on an improve on ahead of the rest of its hectic SEC schedule.

Oct 17, 2026; Athens, Georgia, USA; Auburn defensive back Kaleb Harris (8) knocks the ball away from Georgia wide receiver Craig Dandridge Jr. (81) during the third quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Auburn Tigers put the college football world on notice this past Saturday when they took down the top team in the land, the Georgia Bulldogs, in a shocking walk-off 27-24 win. The Tigers were coming off a bye week as they prepared for their matchup with the Bulldogs, and the fruits of their labor were almost immediately evident as they took the field at Sanford Stadium.

Of course, not everything was perfect–a quick 14-0 start from Georgia made that obvious enough-but the Tigers improved enough during the bye to take down the top team in the country. For me, one major aspect of their game stood out as a key difference in the game, though there is one aspect of the Tigers’ game that still needs fixing.

What are those aspects? Let’s break it down, starting with what went well for the Tigers.

One of the biggest differences between the Tigers’ win against Georgia and most of their other matchups–especially their losses-was how they controlled time of possession. Against Florida, the Tigers controlled the ball for just over 20 minutes, while the Gators held possession for nearly 40 minutes.

The differential in time of possession may seem insignificant on paper, but the more time a team’s offense is on the field, the more time their defense has to rest and recharge while the opposing defense is worn down, a crucial factor to winning in big-time SEC matchups.

Against Florida, the Tigers controlled the ball for just over 20 minutes, while the Gators held possession for nearly 40 minutes. Even in some wins, like against Vanderbilt, the Tigers held the ball for just over 22 minutes, while the Commodores held the ball for nearly 38 minutes. 

Against Georgia, however, time of possession was nearly a completely even split, with the Tigers controlling possession for 29:33, while the Bulldogs held the ball for 30:27. This difference can explain why the Tigers stayed fairly consistent on both sides of the ball throughout the matchup, stopping Georgia’s quick start and putting the game within reach for the Tigers.

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Tigers, who still struggled with an issue that has been plaguing them all season: penalties. Thankfully, most pre-snap penalties, which were a huge issue for the Tigers against Tennessee, seemed to be rectified in Athens, as the Tigers were called for just one false start throughout the entire game.

With that said, the Tigers still committed a whopping 11 penalties, gifting 85 free yards to the Dawgs, so there is still clearly some work that needs to be done as the Tigers prepare for their upcoming matchup with the LSU Tigers. 

With that said, the Tigers certainly appear to be trending in the right direction in that regard, but they’ll need to continue to improve as they face down the remainder of a brutal SEC schedule.

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