Auburn was feeling good heading into its rivalry game with Georgia on Saturday, the momentum that came with vanquishing Texas A&M making them feel like they could have a nice finish to this disappointing season. However, the Georgia Bulldogs forced the Tigers to face facts, that Auburn’s program is still not back to former glory.

Here’s an analysis of Auburn’s 20-13 loss to Georgia:

5 TAKEAWAYS

  • For now, Jeremy Johnson is a slightly better option than Sean White: As soon as White came in at quarterback, Auburn’s three-and-outs started. And even after White took some hits and his limping became pronounced, White stayed in as quarterback despite looking like he was playing on one leg. The decision to keep White in the game under that condition was puzzling, even with Johnson starting to make the poor throws that defined the start to his season.
  • No Jovon in the second half: In the first half, Jovon Robinson tore up the field as he had in the past few games, running for 23 yards and 33 yards on two separate plays. However, Robinson only carried the ball four times in the second half for a paltry 17 yards. If Robinson had gotten the ball more during those possession when Auburn was struggling, would the Tigers have struggled as much?
  • Fumble trouble: White lost a fumble while still deep in Auburn’s own territory which led to a Georgia field goal. On Auburn’s subsequent possession, Ricardo Louis fumbled right at the goal line, squandering a crucially important scoring opportunity.
  • Auburn’s defense did not regress: While the offense was struggling, the defense stayed steady. Georgia was only able to convert five of 14 third downs, and no single Bulldog player broke 100 yards. Notable among them was Greyson Lambert, who only threw for 97 yards, and Sony Michel, who only rushed for 77 yards. Auburn held Georgia to only 243 total yards.
  • Auburn was embarrassed: Even though the Tigers put up a good defensive performance, there’s no way around it. They were shown up by a Georgia team who has also struggled during the course of this season. Auburn outrushed Georgia by 67 yards and held Georgia to their second-lowest yardage total of the season, but still lost the rivalry game.

REPORT CARD

Offense: (D) – In the past few games, Auburn’s offense has started out in fine form and scored on its first possession. But against Georgia, Auburn’s offense slowly regressed as the game progressed until it actually was unable to move the ball at all. Auburn’s second-half possessions were ugly. They had four punts (one returned for a touchdown), two fumbles, and one field goal.

Defense: (A-minus) – Senior linebackers Cassanova McKinzy and Kris Frost were integral in disrupting Greyson Lambert’s game, with Carl Lawson and Montravius Adams lending a big hand. By anticipating Sony Michel runs, Auburn’s defense controlled the line of scrimmage for a large portion of the game.

Special teams: (D) – While usually reliable, punter Kevin Phillips delivered several short punts against Georgia, setting the Bulldogs up with excellent field position. The punt-return touchdown by Isaiah McKenzie was the dagger that got Auburn beat.

Coaching: (B-minus) – Playing Sean White before he was completely recovered from a knee injury wasn’t necessarily a bad call, but keeping him in for more than two possessions was. Overall, the coaching staff knew when to employ trickery and when to stay conservative.

Overall: (C-plus) – Auburn’s second half performance doomed the Tigers to their fifth loss of the season, and a severe slide from how well they played just last week.

GAME PLAN

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said after the game that playing both quarterbacks was the plan going into the game.  Neither did much, however, and it had a huge impact on the offense. A late field goal were the only points the Tigers could muster in the second half.

GAME BALLS

  • RB Jovon Robinson: Auburn’s new leading running back again contributed nicely, rushing for  93 yards on 12 carries.
  • K Daniel Carlson: Carlson has made 13 field goals in a row, counting the two he kicked on Saturday. His long was a 42-yarder.
  • WR Isaiah McKenzie (Georgia): Not only was McKenzie responsible for both Georgia’s touchdowns, but his punt-return touchdown was responsible for permanently swinging momentum the Bulldogs’ way.

INJURY REPORT

  • C Austin Golson limped off the field during Auburn’s first possession after halftime
  • S Tray Matthews dressed for the game, and wanted to play, according to Malzahn. However, he did not see the field.
  • Even though QB Sean White played on Saturday, his limping made it clear that his knee is still not completely healed.
  • CB Carlton Davis was tended to early on in the game, but was able to return to the game soon after.