Auburn Football: Grading the Tigers Loss to No. 15 Georgia

The No. 24 Auburn Tigers (6-4, 4-3 SEC) traveled to Athens, Georgia this past Saturday to face the No. 14 Georgia Bulldogs (8-2, 6-1 SEC) in the 115^th meeting of the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry." The Tigers were hoping to earn their seventh win of the season and boost their bowl projections while the Bulldogs were battling for the SEC Eastern division crown.

The game started with the Tigers and the Bulldogs battling back and forth scoring two quick touchdowns within three minutes of each other. That would be the last time that the Tigers looked remotely close to keeping the game competitive.

Auburn was owned on both sides of the ball consistently by the Bulldogs as the Georgia offense made child’s play of the Tigers defense rolling to 528 total offensive yards, 304 of which were on the ground.

The Bulldogs defense was just as strong, holding the Auburn offense to 195 total yards offensively allowing only 51 yards rushing by the Tigers. The Bulldogs were also able to recover three total turnovers against the Tigers offense.

This past week was one of the worst showings the Tigers have had this season. Not winning the game is one thing, not appearing competitive is another. With one last look back to the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry,” here are the grades by position for the Tigers' loss to Georgia.

Quarterback: F

Clint Moseley had the worst start of his short career this past week against Georgia. Assuming that some of his inability to perform came from the lack of protection, the loss doesn’t fall solely on the shoulders of Moseley.

Moseley looked spotty with his throws against Georgia and threw one crucial pick six in the game. Georgia was clearly the better team from the onset, but the pick six changed the game from close to a route.

Moseley only completed 50 percent of his passes against the Bulldogs for a meek 140 yards. He threw zero touchdowns and one interception. This was the game that could have defined Moseley’s role for the future, but it did nothing to solidify the future of the quarterback position for Auburn.

Moseley needs to find a way to lead this offense to victory despite the adversity that was faced this past Saturday. This performance can’t be excused to being a rookie starter; those days ended three weeks ago.

Running Backs: F

Auburn pushed its way toward a laughable 51 total rushing yards against Georgia this past Saturday. The Tigers looked lost up front throughout the game's entirety, which made it impossible for the backs to find room.

When the dust settles however, the backs must also take a brunt of the blame. There was a severe lack of execution at times by the running backs to block in pass protection. There were also missed holes that could have led to bigger gains for the Tigers.

Michael Dyer was able to top the 1,000 yard mark in the game, earning 48 yards on 13 carries. He was unable to find his way to the end zone for the Tigers, further solidifying the difficulty that Auburn had trying to keep the game competitive.

Onterio McCalebb added 30 yards on five carries of his own, and also drew in three receptions for 19 yards. He was Auburn’s most formidable weapon against the Bulldogs, but that isn’t saying much with the day that the Tigers had offensively.

Receivers: D

The only reason the receivers manage a better grade than the rest of the offense is Emory Blake. It isn’t clear if Auburn’s remaining receivers are horrible or if Emory Blake is just that good. He seems to be the only pass catcher that can find his way into space or make plays consistently.

Blake topped the 100 yard mark, pulling in six catches for 101 yards. He was covered well on every catch, but was able to make the play over the defender.

The perimeter blocking for the Tigers was virtually non-existent. The way that no other receiver appeared to find space is also a major concern for the Tigers.

For the wealth of talent that is supposed to be suiting up for the Tigers on the perimeter, there has been a severe lack of underachievement this season. This game was no different as Moseley appeared to never have an option downfield outside of Blake. 

Offensive Line: F

Blame it on the youth, blame it on injuries or simply blame it on effort. Either way, the Tigers offensive line looks terrible. The Tigers seem to take strides backwards at times. Against Ole Miss, the Tigers looked aggressive and passionate about their play. Against Georgia, the Tigers looked like dirt kickers up front.

There has to be a concern for Auburn’s severe lack of execution at the line. At no point did Auburn look effective moving the ball on the ground and at no point did they look like they could protect Clint Moseley from the Georgia pass rush.

There have been hiccups along the way for the Tigers upfront this season with injuries and shakeups trying to find the right mix of players, but a lack of aggressiveness is inexcusable. This was a game that lacked not only execution, but effort.

The Tigers have to find a mean streak quickly or the Iron Bowl could get nasty.

Defensive Line: F

The Auburn defense got shredded for 304 yards on the ground against the Bulldogs. Auburn entered the game with what appeared to be a good game plan to stop Isaiah Crowell but left open the ground game to Carlton Thomas.

Thomas was able to carry 15 times for 127 yards against the Tigers. Once Thomas tuned up the Tigers front, Crowell took off in the second half and finished with 24 carries and 132 yards.

The defensive front was able to make it to the quarterback on a regular basis, but the Tigers couldn’t finish the plays with sacks. They allowed Aaron Murray to escape numerous sacks and make plays with his feet.

The Bulldogs were able to control the line of scrimmage for the majority of the day with Auburn looking ineffective and as if they were playing two hand touch at times. Auburn must get more aggressive up front for success to be found consistently. 

Linebackers: D

The linebacker play for Auburn wasn’t absolutely terrible, but it was nowhere near great either. The Tigers struggled to shed blocks and make it to the ball carrier consistently and there were some blown plays in the passing game.

One player that did stand out for the Tigers was Eltoro Freeman. Freeman has come on strong since the Arkansas game, finishing this week with a total of eight tackles, his second highest total of the season. He was consistently in the right position but unfortunately one linebacker playing well can’t float the whole unit.

Auburn was in need of playmakers in the second level, unfortunately they went missing this week. 

Secondary: F

The Auburn secondary performed a little better statistically than their fellow defensive brothers by only allowing Aaron Murray to gain 224 yards through the air, but the Tigers did allow him to roll up four touchdown passes and complete 77.8 percent of his throws.

Auburn looked lost consistently as they would outrun the receiver only to see the receiver stop and make the catch. Auburn didn’t play well on the outside and the safeties allowed deep throws to make it past them on numerous occasions.

For the secondary to be effective they have to pay closer attention to the player they are covering. Georgia’s receivers made the Auburn defenders look silly at times. Auburn had a major meltdown in the defensive secondary in this game. Losing T’Sharvan Bell to injury only adds to the pain.

Special Teams: D

Auburn didn’t have a lot of opportunities for their special teams to shine in the game against Georgia this past Saturday. One group that did play often was the kickoff return team. The return team looked almost as bad as they did against LSU.

What that meant for the kick returner was a guaranteed blasting at the hands of the Georgia coverage team.

Auburn didn’t attempt a field goal and punted on occasion. There wasn’t anything special about either the kicking or punting game that stood out. 

Coaching and Intangibles: F

The Tigers had two weeks to prepare for the Georgia Bulldogs and looked a little too rested and relaxed for the game against the Bulldogs. There was a lack of execution that was inexcusable and a seemingly severe lack of tenacity across the board.

The offensive game plan may have been one of the most expansive of the season as the Tigers tossed their only touchdown from a trick play early in the first quarter. The remainder of the game, the offense was so bad that it was as if the Tigers were only prepared for the first drive of the game.

There aren’t a lot of excuses that can come from the coaching staff after this abysmal loss at the hands of Georgia. The coaches looked like they had an unprepared team on the field and the game plan was far from perfect.

The basis of the lack of effectiveness could have a lot to do with Georgia’s athleticism and leadership, but overall the Tigers needed to have a better game plan as to how they could attack that athleticism. The Tigers coaches have won a national title, but 30-point losses after two weeks of preparation make it apparent that questions should be asked as to the direction this team is being steered.