Takeaways from Auburn’s 45-15 Loss to Ole Miss

The Auburn Tigers headed into Oxford this past Saturday looking to prove themselves once again as one of the SEC’s biggest wild cards, but fell to the No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels in blowout fashion, 45-15, marking the second straight week the Tigers have lost by 20 points or more.

The Tigers had several opportunities throughout the early and mid-game to take the momentum in their favor, but were ultimately unable to capitalize on Rebel mistakes throughout the game. The Tigers scored the fewest points of any game this season, while the Rebels scored more on the Tigers than any team has this season.

However, especially after a close start to the game, there is a lot we can learn from this loss.

Capitalization

Despite the final score, the Tigers had the game just one play away from being tied with just 6:20 left in the third quarter, as Byrum Brown rushed for a touchdown to make the game 17-15, one two-point conversion away from putting the Tigers right back in a threatening position. However, a false start turned what was once a two-yard attempt into a seven-yard attempt, and the Tigers were unable to score from that distance.

That wasn’t the only major missed opportunity for the Tigers, either; Alex McPherson had an extra-point conversion blocked after the Tigers’ first touchdown of the day, and Byrum Brown fumbled just two plays after AnQuon Fegans picked off Trinidad Chambliss, putting the Rebels in easy scoring distance.

Of course, not everything is going to go to plan–that’s football–but the Tigers absolutely need to be able to capitalize, or at least not shoot themselves in the foot, when given opportunities to swing the game’s momentum in their favor, as a different outcome on any of these plays could have easily made a massive difference in the outcome of the game.

Second-Half Struggles

At halftime, the score stood at 14-9 in favor of the Rebels, as the Tigers avoided their dreaded three-and-outs entirely, led in time of possession with 16 minutes to the Rebels’ 14 and had more total offensive production than Trinidad Chambliss and company.

Then, the second half happened. The Tigers went three-and-out to open the half, and the Rebels scored a field goal, and Auburn responded with a touchdown of their own. Then, the Tigers proceeded to go three-and-out on both of their following drives, while Ole Miss scored a touchdown on each of their next four drives.

The Tigers’ offense seemed to be almost completely ineffective in the second half, while the Rebels scored at will, which, needless to say, is not exactly a recipe for success for a football team. The Tigers have struggled notoriously to get going in second halves this season, but their showing against the Rebels was one of their worst this season.

Rushing Inefficiency

A recurring theme for the Tigers this season has been their struggles to rush the ball, especially in losses, and the Ole Miss matchup may be the perfect illustration of what happens when an offense begins to trend towards being one-dimensional. The Tigers passed the ball well in the first half, but their inability to run the ball allowed the Rebels to sit back on passes, making it much harder for Byrum Brown to find targets in space.

In total, the Tigers accounted for just 63 rushing yards on a total of 27 attempts, averaging just 2.3 yards per carry. Jeremiah Cobb, the Tigers’ RB1, carried the ball just seven times for 35 total yards, while Omar Mabson followed with six carries for 14 yards. Byrum Brown brought up the rear with 13 rushes for five total yards.

A one-dimensional offense is easy to stop–just ask the Rebels, who held Byrum Brown to just 62 second-half passing yards as the Tigers’ rushing attack continued to struggle, accounting for just 25 offensive yards. If the Tigers want to be competitive in the latter part of their schedule, figuring out how to run the ball effectively will be paramount to success.

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