Report Card: Grading Auburn’s loss vs. Ole Miss
Auburn has played seven games this season and the offense is still searching for an identity as they continue to struggle to move the ball. This time they went silent in a 28-21 loss to Ole Miss inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The Tigers entered halftime tied at 14 but managed just 135 yards of offense after the break and were unable to take advantage of another strong showing by the defense.
Auburn falls to 3-4 with the loss and has now lost four straight conference games as they search for their first SEC win of the Hugh Freeze era.
Here are the grades for every positional group as well as the coaching staff.
Quarterback: F
Auburn continues to rotate Robby Ashford and Payton Thorne but it doesn’t seem to matter which one is in as the passing attack is non-existent and defenses know to sit on the run.
Running Back: C
Jarquez Hunter ripped off a 53-yard run in the first quarter to tie the game up and punched it in from the one-yard line in the second quarter to keep Auburn in the game. He and Brian Battie averaged 5.3 yards per carry but with defenses constantly crowding the box it is tough sledding for them and they struggled to consistently move the ball.
Tight End: C
Rivaldo Fairweather finished the game with five receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown as Auburn’s top receiving threat. Brandon Frazier being flagged for offensive pass interference wiped away a completion and little first-half production prevents this grade from being higher.
Wide Receiver: F
Auburn’s wide receivers once again struggled to get open and finished the game with just three catches for 28 yards. Auburn tried a new starting group but it made no difference as this group is still looking for a playmaker to step up.
Offensive Line: C
The group weathered the loss of veteran center Avery Jones but was unable to open up holes in the running game and the lack of any offensive success hurts the grade.
Defensive Line: B+
The defensive line did a great job winning the battle in the trenches and getting into the backfield. Marcus Harris was dominant and finished with 1.5 sacks and Keldric Faulk showed why he is the future at defensive end.
Linebacker: C+
Auburn’s linebackers were flying around and made several good plays but a costly late hit on Eugene Asante and the Rebels’ success on the ground hurt the grade.
Secondary: B
The secondary did a great job slowing down an exploding Ole Miss passing attack and continued to force turnovers with Donovan Kauffman’s interception setting up Auburn’s second touchdown.
Special Teams: B
Auburn’s special teams unit committed two penalties but outside of that, it was a strong showing. Oscar Chapman averaged nearly 50 yards on seven punts, Alec McPherson made his extra points and they didn’t allow any big returns.
Coaching: D
The defense responded after a tough start and had a great plan to slow down the Ole Miss offense and was once again the strength of the team. However, the offense was once again terrible and dragged this grade down.
Hugh Freeze keeps pointing out the talent deficiency at wide receiver, and while there is one, that does not justify Auburn’s inability to have any success through the air. The quarterback rotation does not appear to be helping anyone and needs to be adjusted moving forward.
