It’s back to the drawing board for Texas A&M. A split of their first four games, with losses to the No. 1 and No. 8 teams in the country and victories over a pair of cupcakes, have left Aggieland scratching their collective heads.

There was a lot not to like about Saturday’s 28-20 home loss to Auburn, but there were a few things to like. Here are three things I liked about the SEC opener, and five things I didn’t like.

Things I liked

1. No quit

Again, regardless of the score or the situation, the Aggies would not give up. Not when they were down 21-3 and absolutely nothing was working or going right for them. And not when they found themselves down 28-10 in the fourth quarter. The Aggies might be a year or two away from competing, talent-wise, with the best in the SEC. But the will to win is there now and has been since the arrival of head coach Jimbo Fisher.

2. Mann returns to form

All-America punter Braden Mann returned to form. On six attempts, Mann averaged 56 yards per boot, including a long of 68 yards. He also nailed two punts inside the 20-yard line.

3. Between the 20s

The Aggies moved the ball between the 20s, amassing 391 total yards — nearly 100 more than Auburn’s 299. They had a 23-16 advantage in first downs and won the time of possession battle (31:38). Between the 20s, the Aggies had the better of it.

Aggies wide receiver Jhamon Ausbon makes a one handed catch during the second quarter. Photo by: John Glaser-USA TODAY Sports

Things I didn’t like

1. Mistakes

The Aggies made too many mistakes to overcome a team as good as Auburn. Whether it was a fumble by a true freshman, unforced penalties, dropped passes or muffed punts, there were simply too many of them to overcome. The talent level at Texas A&M is not yet to a level that it can simply brush off that many errors, both mental and physical.

2. Finishing drives

The Aggies compiled nearly 100 yards more of total offense but couldn’t convert when it counted most. On the Aggies’ two longest drives, they managed only three points combined. They went 13 plays on their initial drive and came up empty with a missed field goal. The other was a 12-play drive late in the game, on which the Aggies had to settle for another field-goal attempt. And though it was successful, three points on your two longest drives isn’t going to get it done. In addition, a 64-yard march ended in a field goal. True, they scored on all four red-zone opportunities, but only two were touchdowns.

3. Small FG woes

Seth Small missed a pair of field goals that might have made a big difference. In a game as evenly matched as this one was, you can’t squander any scoring opportunities. Granted, the miss just before the half was from 52 yards out, but he also hooked a 47-yard attempt on the Aggies’ initial drive of the game. That sort of set the tone. A good effort, just not good enough.

4. Line blocking

Granted, Auburn has one of the best, if not the best, defensive lines in the country. But the Aggies’ offensive line got pushed around. The group yielded seven tackles for loss, including three sacks, for a total of 27 yards in losses. In a close game, that can be the difference.

5. Mond under pressure

At some point in his career, you’d expect to see the deer-in-the-headlights look leave the face of Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond. That hasn’t happened yet. When pressured in big games, Mond becomes a different quarterback. The effort is certainly there, and the raw talent is well above average. Last year’s games against Clemson and LSU are a testament to that. But more often than not, Mond’s big-game performances have come up short.