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Final Week Five Thoughts from Auburn and Across the Land
Auburn
· For the second time in SEC play, the Tiger defense was shredded by an opposing team's running back. Tennessee's DeSean Bishop rushed for 220 yards and scored all three of the Volunteers second half touchdowns. He is the first Vol this decade to rush for 200 yards in a game. That is quite an honor for Bishop and quite a blight on DJ Durkin’s unit. The Auburn offense did not help matters by turning the ball over twice while the game was still there to be won. The maddening slow starts by the offense continued in Knoxville. Auburn did not get their first 1st down until the second quarter. That included four consecutive three and outs. Possessions are finite in a football game and squandering several of them to start games is a recipe for defeat. Back to the defense. I do not know if the problem is scheme, execution, fatigue, or some combination of those and other factors. I do know the porous run defense we have seen is stunning to Auburn’s players and coaches. It was particularly remarkable Saturday since Tennessee functionally abandoned its passing attack and basically dared the Tigers to stop its tailback. They could not. Much has been said and written about Head Coach Alex Golesh’s 4th and a foot call, with 6:34 to play in a 3-point game, when he chose to pitch the ball to the perimeter instead of simply sneaking it with Quarterback Byrum Brown. Golesh offered his explanation that the play was called to break Auburn’s tendencies in those situations and to exploit Tennessee’s aggressive defensive ends. Obviously, it did not work, but the Tigers early offensive futility coupled with its second half defensive collapse were the reasons for the result on an overcast afternoon in eastern Tennessee. Auburn has an opportunity to search for answers and make improvements during this bye week. It had better do so because things do not get any easier for the Tigers. Arch-rival Georgia looms on October 17th, followed by LSU and Ole Miss to round out a grueling October slate.
Florida
· A week after getting one of their biggest wins in many years and sporting a #8 national ranking, the Gators strolled into Columbia, Missouri and took one right on the chin. Elijah Drinkwitz's Tigers boat-raced Jon Sumrall’s squad 45-17. The game was so out of hand that the Missouri stadium video crew played Gainsville native Tom Petty’s "I Won't Back Down" while showing visiting Florida fans on the big screen. The win puts the Tigers in good position to control their destiny in the SEC with Georgia and Texas still on their schedule. Florida will likely get back on track this Saturday as struggling South Carolina comes to the swamp.
South Carolina
· Speaking of the Gamecocks, the Shane Beamer era might be drawing to a close. Carolina blew a 17-0 lead against Kentucky Saturday. The comeback was aided by Beamer’s decision to forgo a fourth quarter field goal that would have extended his team’s lead. Instead, the wildcats stuffed the fourth down run and ultimately won the game in overtime on a 2-point conversion. Beamer is not the first coach to lose a game in this era of analytics by forgoing easy points in a tight game, but he could ill afford it given the shaky ground he is on in Columbia.
Kentucky
· Kentucky, for its part, returns home to welcome Lane Kiffin and LSU this Saturday. Lexington has been the site of some remarkable history when these teams meet. In 2002, the Miracle on the Bluegrass delivered Nick Saban’s Bengal Tigers a stunning victory over Guy Morriss’s Wildcats after Morriss had already been given the celebratory Gatorade bath. Kentucky returned the favor in 2007 by knocking off Les Miles’s #1 LSU squad.
Virginia Tech
· Controversy in Blacksburg. The Hokies lost to Pitt by inches when their last-second field goal attempt was ruled no good by officials. Multiple replays appeared to show the ball cutting inside the upright which would have won the game for James Franklin's team. The play was not reviewable because the ball passed above the upright. It seems inconceivable with today’s technology that the determination of whether a kick is good or not remains a judgment call.
Iowa
· Former Auburn Quarterback Hank Brown could not pull off another heroic performance against a Big10 heavyweight Saturday. Ohio State dismantled the Hawkeyes in Iowa City 31-14. The Buckeyes are a top the conference standings but still have road trips to Indiana and USC, as well as home games against Oregon and rival Michigan. Iowa's season is far from over despite the loss. The Hawkeyes have no currently ranked teams remaining on their schedule. They do have a short turnaround this week, as they will fly to the Pacific Northwest for a Friday showdown with Washington.
Other headlines
· The clock struck midnight for Umass as Eastern Michigan handed the Minutemen their first loss of the season.
· The slipper still fits for North Dakota State as the Bison shutout Wyoming to remain undefeated in its maiden FBS season.
· Mike Norvell and FSU secured a much-needed win by pummeling Virginia 38-7. Former Auburn Quarterback Ashton Daniels rushed for all five Seminole touchdowns.
· Air Force won the first leg of the Commander in Chief trophy with a 14-9 victory over Navy.
· UAB beat Samford 33-14.
· Baylor has now won 4 in a row after losing to Auburn in week 1. The Bears embarrassed Arizona State in Tempe 55-19.
Until next week...
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
