Auburn’s debut under Alex Golesh produced a moment that will follow the Tigers around for a while.
Late in the third quarter against Baylor, Auburn was ahead 10-7 and facing 4th-and-5 at the Bears’ 36-yard line. Instead of sending out the field goal unit or simply lining up the offense to try to move the chains, Golesh brought out the punt team.
Baylor didn’t seem remotely fooled. The Bears left no return man deep and lined up in their normal defense, and Omar Mabson II took the direct snap and tried to pound it straight ahead.
It went nowhere. Mabson was stopped for a two-yard gain, and Auburn turned it over on downs.
In practical terms, the Tigers likely would have been in about the same spot had they just gone for it with the regular offense. Instead, they handed the internet a gift.
Reaction on X came fast and brutal. “Auburn Defense pitching a shutout essentially and you fake a punt at midfield??
Maybe I was wrong about Golesh…” one user wrote. “Dumbest punt fake of all time from Auburn lol.
They were pretending to punt from the opponents 30, did they think they were gonna drop back to set up a big return???” wrote another.
“Auburn might win this game but Golesh might be in over his head,” a third remarked. “Omg Golesh just ran the most obvious fake punt on the Baylor 36 yd line.
No one punts on the 36 yd line wtf.” “Why did Auburn run a fake punt from there?
If you’re going to go for it, just go for it. No need to get cute.”
“Auburn with an extremely obvious fake punt. Baylor didn’t even have a return man out there.
Tigers fail to convert.”
Golesh arrived at Auburn after a three-year run at South Florida that was, by the numbers, pretty successful. He went 23-15 there, won two bowl games, and brings 20 years of coaching offenses at the college level.
One strange call won’t define a career. But plays like this have a way of sticking, especially when they’re as easy to spot as this one.
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