OFFENSE: B

Nick Marshall completed 15 of 21 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown, and Cameron Artis-Payne had a career day rushing for 221 yards on 30 carries. The offense did its part in the loss to Texas A&M, again putting forth a balanced effort. The Tigers threw for over 200 yards and rushed for over 350 yards en route to 582 total yards of offense. Auburn took a big hit in the first when leading receiver Duke Williams was hit low on a crossing route. He likely will miss the remainder of the season. What knocks this grade down to a B, however, is the three fumbles lost. Two of those came on the Tigers’ final four plays from scrimmage, which would ultimately seal the win for Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies.

DEFENSE: D+

Statistically, Auburn’s defense played well. Texas A&M gained 453 yards, but when you watch the tape, you see a much different story. The Tigers couldn’t tackle all game, allowing the Aggies extra opportunities. The secondary — which has not had a consistent starting lineup all year — got torched by true freshman Kyle Allen who threw for 277 yards and four touchdowns. Even the Tigers’ run defense, which has been the strength of the unit all season, got gashed by Tre Carson, Trey Williams and Brandon Williams. During its last four games, the Auburn defense is allowing more than 20 points more per game and more than 185 yards more per game, a harrowing downward trend for a unit that looked improved in the Tigers’ first five games of the year.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C+

Texas A&M blocked a field goal at the end of the first half that was scooped and retuned for a touchdown by Deshazor Everett gave the Aggies a ten-point swing and a 35-17 lead at the break. Quan Bray, after being told to kneel, decided to bring the ball out on a first half kickoff return and was tackled inside Auburn’s own 15-yard line.

COACHING: C

The nation’s No. 3 team looked flat all afternoon, and seemed to be caught looking ahead to next week’s matchup at Georgia. It wasn’t until late in the second half did the offense begin to operate with tempo, while the defense looked lost. We won’t chalk this loss entirely on the coaching staff, but for a team desperately seeking a spot in the playoff, the Tigers did not look prepared to play.

OVERALL: C-

This was an inexplicable loss for the Tigers, there’s no way around it. With the way the season has unfolded, no one really circled this game, and Auburn did not either. Auburn’s playoff hopes and SEC championship hopes are dashed, and now Gus Malzahn’s team is relegated to the role of spoiler as dates with Georgia and Alabama loom. The Tigers are still positioned for a very good season. A good bowl game is still within reach, but this team must rally together. Otherwise, we could be looking at a four-loss team.