Auburn is in front of Vanderbilt at the half, but the Tigers still have work to do if they want to finish the job.
The cleanest path in the second half starts with Auburn’s offense finding some kind of early rhythm. That means getting the first first down of a drive, something the Tigers emphasized all week.
They couldn’t do it at the start of the game, and the result was another sluggish opening stretch. Auburn’s first possession ended with a punt.
The second ended with a Byrum Brown interception. Once the Tigers finally moved the chains on their first first down, the drive finished with a Byrum Brown touchdown pass to Chase Nimrod.
Even so, Auburn never really settled in beyond that scoring series.
On the other side of the ball, Auburn has to keep leaning on the pressure against Jared Curtis. The Tigers have tried to make the freshman uncomfortable in Jordan-Hare Stadium, and that has shown up in how often Curtis has been forced to move outside the pocket.
He has looked uneasy at times, and Auburn needs that to continue. That matters even more because Alex Golesh has praised Curtis’ ability to create, saying that is an area where the quarterback has continued to improve.
The Tigers also need a cleaner night in space. Missed tackles hurt Auburn badly against Florida, and while this game has looked better in that department, it is not spotless.
Auburn has delivered some hard shots, but Curtis has also slipped away from a few would-be stops. DJ Durkin addressed the issue earlier this week, pointing to missed tackles and the explosive plays they allowed against Florida.
There is also the run game, which Auburn still needs to get moving. The Tigers’ backs did not have much success against Florida, but the commitment to running the football has been there in this game. Auburn has stayed with it more than it had in previous weeks, and the staff made it clear to reporters that there was a major emphasis on running the ball in practice.
And finally, Auburn has to keep Curtis contained. Golesh’s comments about his quarterback’s ability to create were backed up by what Auburn saw in flashes in the second half.
The Tigers cannot let Curtis start turning his legs into a steady source of production. If he gets active and keeps extending drives, or turns those plays into points, Auburn’s lead gets a lot shakier.
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It was the kind of incident that can linger long after the final whistle, especially when it involves on-field punches, an argument with coaches and a head coach trying to manage the fallout in public. For Auburn fans, Wootens criticism also lands with some weight because he knows the SEC landscape well, and his comments only deepen the sense that South Carolina is dealing with more than a simple discipline issue. [Read more 🡒]
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Auburns First Road Test Comes With Real SEC Pressure
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The matchup also puts Auburn in front of another true freshman quarterback, Tennessees Faizon Brandon, which gives the Tigers a new version of a challenge they have already seen recently. For Auburn, it is the kind of early conference road game that can shape the mood around a season, especially with the noise, speed and pressure that come with playing in the SEC away from home. [Read more 🡒]