Final Week 3 thoughts: Auburn frustration and college football chaos

Final Week Three Thoughts From Auburn and Across the Land

Auburn vs. Florida

• For the third consecutive week, the Auburn offense was slow out of the blocks. Unfortunately, the Tiger defense played its worst game of the season, and Head Coach Alex Golesh sincerely hopes, its worst of the year. Florida Offensive Coordinator Buster Faulkner put together a masterful game plan, and DJ Durkin’s unit seemed powerless to stop the Gators’ ground or air attacks. Auburn missed over 20 tackles and surrendered over two football fields of yardage on third and fourth downs, alone. Golesh rightly took responsibility for the loss saying, “the expectations were to win and we didn't.” However, for a frustrated fan base that continues to amaze with their attendance and their energy, patience will probably be in short supply for the type of performance they endured Saturday night.
• Our own Caleb Jones posted on X after the game that it had been 665 days since Auburn walked off of Pat Dye Field victorious against an SEC foe. As astounding as that is, some of the home losses since 2024 have been truly bizarre. Last season, Auburn lost to Missouri in overtime, after its most accurate kicker in program history missed his only field goal attempts (3) of the entire season. The year before, Auburn lost to Oklahoma, surrendering an 11 point fourth quarter lead with possession of the ball inside the Sooners 35. Then, there was the infamous 4th and 31 disaster in the 2023 Iron Bowl. Auburn’s team and it’s supporters desperately need an end to that streak. The Tigers host Vanderbilt for homecoming Saturday before hitting the road for three of their next four against Tennessee, Georgia and Ole Miss sandwiched between hosting LSU on October 24th.

Vanderbilt vs N.C. State

• Nashville, Tennessee has been the site of miracle finishes before. The one that always comes to mind is when Kevin Dyson took a lateral from Frank Wycheck and scampered all the way for a touchdown on a kickoff return to shock Wade Phillips’ Buffalo Bills in route to Super Bowl 34. The Vanderbilt Commodores might have just topped that. With seven seconds remaining in the game at their own 3 ½ yard line, NC State faced a 4th down, leading Vandy 31-28. They decided to run around in the end zone with the goal of taking a safety and winning 31-30. However, Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey fumbled and Vandy recovered, winning in the most unexpected and preposterous way I have ever seen. Vanderbilt now comes to the Plains this Saturday looking to win their third game in a row against the Tigers.

Ole Miss vs. LSU

• The Lane Kiffin train derailed in Oxford on Saturday night. The Rebels came out on fire, jumping out to a 17-0 lead. Credit to the Bayou Bengals for fighting back and making a game of it, but karma and Ole Miss superstar quarterback Trinidad Chambliss were too much for Kiffin and company, who walked out of Oxford a loser, just months after abandoning that same team smack in the middle of a playoff run.

Kentucky vs. Texas A&M

• It was an embarrassing afternoon in College Station for the 10th ranked Aggies, after being dispatched by the visiting Wildcats 31-21. It really does seem to be two steps forward then one back for Mike Elko’s program. Elko didn’t mince words in his post game press conference. “There are no positives…they beat our (expletive deleted)”

Louisville v SMU

• The Cardinals salvaged what could have been a forgettable first three weeks of the season by defeating conference opponent SMU at home on Saturday. It was as a big win for Jeff Brohm and a missed opportunity for a second conference road victory for Rhett Lashley and his Mustangs.

Colorado took it on the chin against Northwestern a week after Deion Sanders ripped his team following a convincing win over Weber State. To make matters worse, several Buffalo players mocked the Wildcat’s stadium before being run out of it to the tune of a 41-7 shellacking. A wise coach once said the less you say, the less you have to take back.

Arizona State defeated conference opponent Kansas on Saturday. Their respective campuses are over 1000 miles apart, so of course they played each other in London, England. The unfortunate march of college football towards the NFL model continues. I find that sad.

Until next week...