Auburn expected more out of its 2014 campaign after catching fire last season with an SEC Championship and berth in the final BCS title game. It didn’t happen for the Tigers who lost four of their final five games to finish an underachieving 8-5.

Here’s a glance at some of the highs and lows that defined the season:

5. Early-season road win at nationally-ranked Kansas State: It was a performance most of us nationally needed to see out of the defending SEC champs, an early signature victory against a competitive Power 5 team. The Tigers forced three crucial takeaways to turn away potential scoring chances for the Wildcats and clinched the win late in the fourth quarter when Nick Marshall found D’haquille Williams down the seam for a 39-yard gain on 3rd-and-9. Three snaps in the victory formation followed.

4. First chink in the armor comes at Mississippi State: The first BIG game of the SEC season came in Starkville, a No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchup that marked Mississippi State’s arrival moment nationally. The Bulldogs won their third consecutive game against a Top 10 opponent despite four turnovers and moved to No. 1 with the victory. After this outing, the Tigers (5-1) knew there was no margin of error and that they had to win out to capture the West and still have a shot at a College Football Playoff berth.

3. Tigers hold off Ole Miss, regain upper hand in West: Another colossal matchup in the SEC, Auburn took out Ole Miss, 35-31, thanks to a fumble recovery in the end zone with 90 seconds left on a play that ended sophomore sensation Laquon Treadwell’s season for the Rebels. Marshall’s four total touchdowns paved the way for the Tigers. After the much-needed win, Auburn junior linebacker Kris Frost said the game had a Playoff-like feel and ultimately eliminated the Rebels from contention.

2. Record-setting performance goes for naught in Iron Bowl: Auburn’s furious passing game from Marshall to Sammie Coates and D’haquille Williams left Kirby Smart’s defense exhausted during a 55-44 shootout loss at Alabama, one featuring an Iron Bowl for combined total yards of offense (1,169). The tigers jumped ahead 33-21 early in the third quarter following Marshall’s third touchdown pass of the contest (career-high 456 yards through the air), but the Crimson Tide scored 34 of the game’s final 45 points to win.

1. Malzahn’s magic fades after miscues aplenty lead to consecutive SEC losses: After falling behind 35-17 at halftime to Texas A&M inside Jordan-Hare on Nov. 8, the Tigers stormed back to cut the deficit to three points with 6:42 remaining but twice lost fumbles inside the Aggies’ 10 in the final three minutes. The loss, Gus Malzahn’s first at home as Auburn’s coach, spoiled a fantastic 221-yard, multi-touchdown outburst from Cameron Artis-Payne. Auburn felt the hangover effect the following week, falling flat with three turnovers during a 34-7 loss at Georgia. Auburn faced the hard reality this season hadn’t gone as planned.