Takeaways from Auburn's collapse

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Takeaways from Auburn football's collapse against Mississippi State

Zac Blackerby

2-3 minutes

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Auburn’s collapse against Mississippi State on Saturday upset every Auburn fan watching.

Everything was going so well in the first half as Bo Nix led the offense to a 28-3 lead. Then Mississippi State scored 40 unanswered points to help them win the game 43-34.

Here are some takeaways from the game.

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Unacceptable. This will be a game that fans talk about for a long time.

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If Auburn had won, this game might have been referred to as the “Kobe Hudson” game. Sadly, that’s not the case.

AP Photo/Butch Dill

Jackson has battled consistency issues throughout the season but did fine on Saturday.

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Despite leading 28-3, Auburn’s offense quit moving the ball and the defense got worn down. For Auburn to take the next step as a program, that can’t happen.

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn’s defensive game plan didn’t really seem to change much over the span of 60 minutes. It took Mississippi State scoring 40 unanswered points for Auburn to start blitzing more defenders.

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Auburn entered the game with no Owen Pappoe, Hudson missed time due to an injury, Bo Nix was battling an ankle issue, and Austin Troxell had to leave the game. Was it the reason Auburn lost? No. But it certainly didn’t help matters.

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He had a great run off of an RPO that went for a score but it wasn’t enough to help the offense in the second half.

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Fans can’t watch a collapse like that and nothing changes. If you want to generate any type of injury going into the season, the Tigers need to change some things up moving forward.

Auburn Tigers safety Smoke Monday (21) celebrates a pass breakup against Mississippi State at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.
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Mississippi State’s quarterback threw for 415 yards and six touchdowns. It doesn’t matter what type of offense they run, that’s not okay.