After a day to sit with Auburn’s Saturday showing, one thing still stands out: the Tigers keep finding ways to make the winning play when it matters. That happened again in their game against Vanderbilt, and it’s the second time this season Auburn has done it. There’s plenty that still needs cleaning up on both sides, but clutch has been part of this team’s early identity in 2026.
That said, if Auburn is going to win on the road - starting with Tennessee in the first true road game of the year - the starts have to get better. The Tigers opened with back-to-back three-and-outs against Vanderbilt, and slow beginnings have become a pattern. It didn’t hurt them against Baylor or Vanderbilt, but it was a big reason the Florida game got away from them before they could recover.
A lot of that ties back to the ground game. Auburn’s first-down runs to open drives have not been getting the job done, and it’s leaving the offense stuck behind the sticks too often.
At times, this team almost looks like it needs to flip the script: throw more on first down with shorter routes to pick up 5 or more yards, then lean on the run on second down. Right now, there are just too many second-and-longs for any offense to live with, especially away from home.
The defense has its own problem, and it’s not as simple as the third-down numbers might suggest. Auburn’s third-down percentages don’t look disastrous on paper, but the Tigers have also given up 11 of 16 on fourth down.
Only Texas State has allowed more through the first four games this season. That matters because it shows Auburn isn’t truly ending possessions, even when it gets close.
Against Vanderbilt, the Tigers gave up third-down conversions on 3rd and 9, 3rd and 7, and 3rd and 12. Yes, Auburn did record four third-down stops before Vanderbilt later converted on fourth down chances, but the larger issue remained the same: the defense still wasn’t getting off the field. The extra snaps kept extending drives and wearing on the unit.
You cannot expect to win games in this league away from home if you keep giving offenses extra plays.
In golf, Jackson Koivun just kept backing up the belief that he belongs on the biggest stages. When Brand Snedeker named him to the President’s Cup team, plenty of people questioned the pick, even after Snedeker pointed to Koivun’s early PGA Tour success and his match-play record at Auburn. This week, Koivun answered that debate in a big way.
He went 2-0-1 in his matches to help the American team win again in the event. The pressure peaked on Sunday in singles, and Koivun was one of the key names in the mix. At just 21, he had the job of taking on the International team’s top player, Si Woo Kim, who was ranked 14th in the world and had already collected 3 points for his side.
Koivun didn’t blink. Even after falling behind early, he settled in, fought back and eventually moved in front. He finished the match on 18 with a strong drive and a quality second shot to close it out.
It looks like there’s plenty more ahead for Koivun, and he’s making it hard not to keep watching.
In Other News...
Former Auburn Captain Rips Shane Beamer Over SEC Discipline Drama
South Carolinas handling of Dylan Stewarts outburst against Alabama has become a bigger talking point than the game itself, and former Auburn captain Chandler Wooten has jumped right into the middle of it. After the EDGE was suspended indefinitely by Shane Beamer, Wooten publicly said the punishment did not go far enough, adding another layer to a situation that already put the Gamecocks under an uncomfortable spotlight.
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 🡒]
Bo Nix Delivered In Prime Time When Denver Needed Him Most
Bo Nix has already given Denver a signature moment this season, and he did it under the lights when the Broncos needed it most. In Sunday nights 30-26 win over the Rams, the former Auburn quarterback threw two touchdown passes and then finished the job himself with a game-winning sneak in the closing seconds, capping a comeback that had the stadium leaning on every snap.
Nix talked afterward about the comeback and the final drive, the kind of postgame reflection that usually follows a young quarterbacks first true late-game test. Denver gets a short turn of the page now, with the 49ers up next, but this was the sort of prime-time finish that can change how a team and a quarterback carry themselves the rest of the way. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns First Road Test Comes With Real SEC Pressure
Auburns first true road test of the season comes with plenty of familiar SEC weight, and it lands in a place that holds some added meaning for head coach Alex Golesh. The Tigers are set to visit No. 17 Tennessee, a team that is trying to steady itself after a recent loss to Texas, and the trip sends Golesh back to Knoxville, where he previously worked as the Volunteers offensive coordinator.
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 🡒]