Auburn’s 45-15 loss to Ole Miss did more than add another defeat to the ledger. It put a spotlight on a bigger issue for Alex Golesh: this isn’t just about lacking talent.
The Tigers were still hanging around into the third quarter before the game unraveled, which is exactly why the final score stings so much. Auburn has obvious roster work ahead, and Golesh inherited a program that has been struggling for years. Nobody should expect a full turnaround overnight.
But the same mistakes keep showing up.
Against Ole Miss, Auburn hurt itself with penalties, questionable choices and missed chances. A special teams breakdown left the Tigers backed up at their own 1-yard line. A penalty also disrupted a two-point conversion try and turned what could have been a shot at six points before halftime into a field goal instead.
Those are not talent issues. They’re execution issues.
After the game, Golesh pointed straight at Auburn’s inability to close things out.
"That's the part that's making me sick is the lack of finish," Golesh said.
That frustration makes sense. At some point, though, Auburn has to stop repeating the same postgame conversation and start showing cleaner football on the field.
That burden doesn’t sit only with the players. The staff has to keep finding ways to cut down the errors and put the roster in better spots.
Golesh did shuffle Auburn’s offensive line against Ole Miss, and that looks like a move in the right direction. Still, the questions aren’t going away. Every spot on the line has seen some turnover except Cole Best at center, and that issue is now overdue for a real answer.
The concerns stretch beyond the front. Auburn’s secondary has now had trouble in back-to-back games, and the run game remains a problem.
Jeremiah Cobb averaged around five yards per carry against Ole Miss, yet he got only seven carries. That raises a simple question: why isn’t Auburn creating more chances for him?
Golesh doesn’t need to rip everything up. He’s building a program, and some fixes only come with time and reps. But when something keeps failing, the staff has to be willing to adjust.
That makes Auburn’s next three games especially important. Arkansas, Mississippi State and Samford are still on the schedule before Alabama.
A win this weekend would also help Auburn avoid another ugly streak. The Tigers have dropped the last two meetings with Arkansas at Jordan-Hare Stadium and haven’t properly defended home turf in that rivalry since 2020.
Golesh deserves time to rebuild the roster. But pre-snap penalties, special teams mistakes and sloppy execution shouldn’t require multiple recruiting classes to clean up.
The next three games will go a long way toward showing whether Auburn is actually moving forward.
In Other News...
Auburns Ole Miss Collapse Drew A Pointed Response From Alex Golesh
Auburns trip to Ole Miss ended with a 45-15 loss that left Alex Golesh sounding every bit like a coach who knows his team is running out of margin for error. Afterward, he pointed to the Tigers lack of finish, noting the offense never found enough consistency to keep pace and that the running game never got going, with Auburn held to just 63 rushing yards.
Golesh also talked through offensive line changes and the kinds of costly mistakes that can swing a game off course, including penalties that made life harder throughout the afternoon. With bowl eligibility still in play, he challenged both players and coaches to clean things up quickly, because Auburn cannot afford many more second-half fades like the one it suffered against the Rebels. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Delivered The Kind Of SEC Road Finish Fans Love
Auburns trip to Fayetteville on Oct. 25 had the feel of a classic SEC road test, the kind that asks plenty of questions before it gives any answers. At Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, the Tigers handled Arkansas 33-24 behind a mix of contributions from Cam Coleman, Jackson Arnold, Ashton Daniels and Jeremiah Cobb, a balanced showing that gave Auburn enough offense to keep control through the finish.
For Hugh Freeze, it was the sort of result that can travel well in conference play, especially with Auburn getting production from multiple spots instead of leaning on one player alone. Arkansas interim coach Bobby Petrino was on the other sideline as the Tigers closed out a win that should resonate with fans who value a tough road finish, even if the bigger picture in the SEC still has plenty of work ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Faces A Dangerous Arkansas Team With Everything To Prove
Auburns next opponent is arriving with a point to make after a rough night in Columbia, where Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield made it clear he was not pleased with the way his team prepared for a 34-10 loss to Missouri. The Razorbacks were pushed around on both sides of the ball, giving up major ground on the ground while also struggling to generate much of a rushing attack of their own.
Silverfields frustration adds a little extra edge to what is already a tricky matchup for Auburn, because teams coming off a performance like that tend to treat the next week like an opportunity to reset. The question now is whether Arkansas can turn that dissatisfaction into a sharper showing, or whether Auburn catches a team still trying to find its footing after a game that exposed plenty of issues. [Read more 🡒]