10.15.23 Football Articles

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al.com

Hugh Freeze said there were two keys to beating No. 22 LSU and Auburn failed at both of them

Updated: Oct. 14, 2023, 11:56 p.m.|Published: Oct. 14, 2023, 11:35 p.m.

5–7 minutes

Hugh Freeze had some spryness to him on Monday morning during his weekly press conference.

He and the Auburn Tigers were coming off the bye week, which came on the heels of Auburn pushing the No. 1 team in the country to the brink the Saturday prior.

Freeze gave a funny-sounding impression of former Ole Miss head coach Johnny Vaught and talked about how much he liked Garth Brooks and hearing “Callin’ Baton Rouge” played at LSU’s Tiger Stadium.

Auburn’s head coach was light and loose, despite an approaching game against the 22nd-ranked team in the country at a place that he’d never won a game at as a head coach.

But it didn’t take long for reality to come in the form of a haymaker Saturday night in Baton Rouge as Auburn dropped its third straight game of the season in a 48-18 loss to No. 22 LSU.

All week, between comments about Garth Brooks and answering questions about what he learned about his team during the bye week, Freeze gushed about quarterback Jayden Daniels and LSU’s offense.

If he were on the Heisman committee, Daniels would be one of his frontrunners, Freeze said.

Freeze also went on to – in a way – wave the white flag and admit that stopping Daniels and Co. would be unlikely and that holding the Bayou Bengals to field goals and winning the time-of-possession battle would be Auburn’s focus when the lights kicked on Saturday night.

After winning the coin toss, Auburn elected to defer to the second half and give Daniels and Co. the ball first – meaning Auburn’s defense would have its gut checked quick.

LSU needed just four plays to travel 75 yards and eclipse the goal line on its first offensive possession.

In Auburn’s first drive, Payton Thorne and the Tigers’ offense ran three plays, had to burn a timeout, went backwards 10 yards and used up just 1:15 of game clock – meaning through one series of defense and one series of offense, Auburn was 0-for-2 on accomplishing either of the goals Freeze mentioned earlier in the week.

“That’s not what we needed,” Freeze said after the game. “That was certainly not a good way to start.”

The Auburn defense successfully held LSU to a field goal in the unit’s second trip out onto the field, but Thorne and the offense didn’t hold up on its end of the bargain and once again went three-and-out on a drive that traveled just two yards and used up just 1:13 of play clock.

After the Auburn offense’s drive to nowhere, the Auburn defense once again gave way to Daniels and the LSU offense, which orchestrated a six-play, 65-yard scoring drive to give LSU a 17-0 advantage.

The three-score hole Auburn found itself in was the result of the Tigers going 1-for-5 in their efforts to hold LSU to field goals and win the time of possession battle, with holding LSU to a field goal in its second drive being the lone success.

By halftime, LSU scored a pair of touchdowns and a pair of field goals during its six full possessions, which ate away at 17:48 of the first half game clock.

Of the two keys of the game Freeze laid out early in the week, Auburn wasn’t succeeding at either of them through one half of play.

And things didn’t get much better in the second half.

Though Auburn was able to close in on the time of possession battle some in the third and fourth quarters as Thorne and Robby Ashford were able to sustain longer drives with the Tigers’ offense, Daniels and LSU still finished with the upper hand.

At game’s end, LSU’s offense had possession of the ball for a total of 34:13, while Auburn’s offense had possession for just 25:47.

“I felt really good about the plan. I felt like we had a chance to maybe get some long drives and keep our defense on the sideline,” Freeze said. “We just never found any consistency, so it’s disappointing, for sure.”

Meanwhile, Auburn’s defense folded like a lawn chair in the second half, allowing Daniels and the LSU offense to score touchdowns in each of their four second-half possessions. And also meaning Auburn didn’t hold LSU to a single field goal in the second half.

The 48 points LSU scored Saturday night were the most Auburn has ever given up to the Bayou Bengals.

“Obviously a difficult night for us,” Freeze said after the game, hands folded across his chest. “They beat us every way that you could. We had no answers defensively for them.”

The tone in which Freeze spoke with Saturday night was far different than the one he spoke with Monday morning, Wednesday afternoon and Thursday night during his weekly media availabilities.

Then again, the result of Saturday night’s game was likely far different than what Freeze envisioned throughout the week as he formulated what he thought might be a successful two-key gameplan to combat LSU.

But then a heavy dose of reality struck as offensive inconsistencies spurned hopes of winning the time of possession battle and LSU’s defense proved to be the exact unstoppable force piloted by a Heisman hopeful that Freeze feared it would be.

That spryness that Freeze displayed Monday had disappeared.

But hey, at least “Callin’ Baton Rouge” was an enjoyable experience.

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Auburn’s stubborn Thorne-Ashford QB rotation continues in 48-18 loss to No. 22 LSU

Updated: Oct. 14, 2023, 11:48 p.m.|Published: Oct. 14, 2023, 11:35 p.m.

5–7 minutes

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne (1) carries on a keeper for a long gain in the first half of an NCAA college football game against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)AP

Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA isn’t an easy place for visiting quarterbacks.

That lit-up yellow “Welcome to Death Valley” sign behind the south endzone seems to stare down from its upper deck perch for all the years of offenses that have been beaten down on the field below. And even in a year where this No. 22 ranked LSU team isn’t quite the group of so-called killers the stadium’s nickname may imply, it still caused a struggle for Auburn’s already hapless offense.

Hugh Freeze and Auburn’s staff had a bye week to find answers at quarterbacks and on this offense. Yet nothing seemed to change.

Though, in the small moments when Auburn’s offense found any momentum in the first half where it was ambushed by a far superior LSU offense to an eventual 48-18 loss, that spark came largely from backup quarterback Robby Ashford.

So, with the margin at just a two-score game at halftime, still fully within reach, head coach Hugh Freeze had Ashford start the second half — the first time Freeze has done that all year.

He too believed Auburn’s offense looked its best with Ashford at the helm.

“Well, his package worked really in the first half,” Freeze said after the game. “We were only two scores down to start the second half, so you want to start with the good stuff. I felt like that was our best option.”

Ashford proceeded to lead Auburn to one of its better drives of the game, going 55 yards down the field on eight plays and ultimately resulting in a field goal. Auburn was all suddenly within 10 points of LSU.

Ashford started Auburn’s next drive, before starter Payton Thorne came back in on a third down play. After that, Thorne started Auburn’s remaining drives. Ashford came back in for spot roles including throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Brandon Frazier.

Yet it’s this kind of stubborn quarterback back-and-forth Auburn has devolved to so many times this season despite Freeze frequently speaking on how much he doesn’t want it. Freeze’s responses to questions about Ashford largely involve some comment about how Ashford has a role and a package within the offense, but how he must also balance that with making sure he doesn’t disrupt a rhythm for Thorne.

However, this rotation in Baton Rouge mimics what Auburn has done in its two previous road games — each leaving Auburn with question marks at quarterback.

In the first half, Auburn came out with Thorne and leaned heavily on throwing the ball — where Auburn has been dreadful all season long. The passing was largely still dreadful in the first half. Auburn had the same slow start it has had in each of its road games this season.

Auburn’s first two drives were both three-and-outs and netted negative 8 total yards. They included a botched snap, a costly penalty and a burned time-out because Auburn couldn’t line up right on its first possession after a bye week.

“We just never found any consistency, so it’s disappointing, for sure,” Freeze said.

But it seemed Auburn was committed to continuing to shove the square of its passing game into a circular hole. Thorne had six straight incompletions at one point in the first half. Ashford’s small sparks on offense were enough of an improvement to give him that second-half start.

It appeared at first that Thorne had been benched for a second-straight SEC road game, but then he came back. He came back briefly against Texas A&M for a third down play where he nearly turned the ball over, but then wasn’t seen again that day.

The return to Thorne at LSU didn’t appear to make much sense at first. But he did find success when Auburn began to use a more up-tempo offense later in the second half and completed seven of eight passes between the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth.

Thorne became the first Auburn quarterback to pass for more than 100 yards against a Power 5 opponent this season and it was the first time Auburn passed for more than 100 yards against a Power 5 team since late October of last season, nearly a full calendar year ago.

Thorne’s final stat line rested at 12-23 passing for 102 yards. Ashford was 3-4 for 52 yards and a touchdown. Both quarterbacks had five carries and Thorne ran for eight more yards.

So, Auburn again leaves a road game with quarterback questions. Does it continue with the up-tempo offense that Thorne had more rhythm with? Or does it expand Ashford’s role to give him more opportunity to find a rhythm at all?

Thorne still appears Auburn’s safe choice, but Ashford the more dynamic. It’s the same debate that has lingered after every game of inconsistent quarterback play. And Auburn is yet to have a consistent option.

As Freeze begins his trip back to Alabama tonight, the Tiger Stadium overhead flood lights turned off around 90 minutes after the game. One light remained: Those words that loomed over Auburn still shone yellow.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

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al.com

3 takeaways from Auburn’s 48-18 loss on the road to No. 22 LSU

Updated: Oct. 14, 2023, 10:28 p.m.|Published: Oct. 14, 2023, 9:30 p.m.

6–7 minutes

Coming into Saturday night, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze had only ever coached at LSU’s Tiger Stadium wearing an Ole Miss logo on his chest.

As the Rebels’ head coach from 2012 to 2016, Freeze went 0-3 within the confines of Tiger Stadium.

After a 48-18 loss to Brian Kelly’s 22nd-ranked LSU Tigers (5-2, 4-1 SEC) on Saturday night — the most points Auburn has ever allowed LSU — Freeze is now 0-4 under the lights of Death Valley.

In his first year as head coach of the Auburn Tigers (3-3, 0-3 SEC), Freeze is also winless in the SEC and has yet to see Auburn put together an even decent-looking game on the road.

Here are the takeaways from Auburn’s third-straight loss of the season.

Auburn’s stage fright on the road still evident early

Prior to Saturday night’s game at Baton Rouge, Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers had yet to put together anything that remotely resembled a complete game on the road.

Auburn was slow to shake awake when it was out west in Berkeley, Calif. during Week 2 and fell on its face at College Station on Sept. 23.

And everyone figured a night game at LSU’s Tiger Stadium wouldn’t do Auburn in favors as it looked to shake off its road game woes. But, boy, Auburn’s start Saturday night couldn’t have gone any worse than it did.

After winning the coin toss and electing to defer, the Auburn defense folded to the explosiveness of Jayden Daniels and LSU’s offense, allowing the Bayou Bengals to put together a four-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Malik Nabors.

Come Auburn’s offense’s turn on the field, the showing mirrored that of road games of the past: ugly.

Auburn’s first offensive snap never got off before it was halted by a false start as Payton Thorne and Co. started their first drive directly in front of LSU’s student section.

Just two plays after the false start, Freeze was forced to burn a timeout to avoid another pre-snap penalty, only for his offense to nearly turn the ball over out of the timeout as center Avery Jones sent a snap flying at Thorne, who evidently hadn’t called for the snap as the ball ricocheted off his hands.

Fortunately for Auburn, the fumbled snap was recovered by running back Jarquez Hunter, allowing Auburn’s Oscar Chapman to flip the field.

Auburn’s defense forced Daniels and LSU to settle for a field goal in their second possession – a win considering the potency of LSU’s offense.

However, giving up points – no matter how few – still spells trouble when wearing the same jerseys of a struggling offense.

In Auburn’s second possession, Thorne and the Tigers traveled a mere two yards on three plays before being forced to punt it away again.

While LSU traveled 141 yards and scored 10 points on its first two drives, Auburn managed to go eight yards backwards and was forced to punt twice on its first pair of drives.

If you combine Auburn’s first two offensive drives in each of its three games away from home this season, you come away with just 33 yards of offense, five punts and a fumble.

Not exactly the starts a team wants when playing in enemy territory.

Jayden Daniels and LSU’s offense is as advertised

Freeze endorsed LSU’s offense time and time again in the days leading up to Saturday’s game in Baton Rouge.

“I think to this point — and I haven’t watched the future opponents, so nobody… somebody will use it for bulletin board material — but to this point, it’s the best offensive personnel I’ve seen in this league, to this point,” Freeze said of Daniels and Co. during his Monday morning press conference.

And against Auburn Saturday night, the LSU offense operated exactly as advertised: a well-oiled machine capable of combusting at any moment.

Daniels, who Freeze believes is more than worthy of being in the Heisman conversation, had his way with the Auburn defense.

With his legs, Daniels tallied 93 yards. However, it was Daniels’ ability to extend plays with is legs and later make throws that really spurned the Auburn defense.

Through the air, Daniels finished 20 for 27, good for 325 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

Malik Nabors lived up the hype of being LSU’s leading receiver and tallied six catches for 89 yards and a touchdown.

Meanwhile, LSU running back Logan Diggs toted the ball 18 times for 97 yards and a touchdown.

Auburn’s quarterback rotation returns in Baton Rouge

If Auburn fans thought Freeze and the Auburn offense had put the quarterback rotation on the shelf for good, they were mistaking.

Two weeks ago, Thorne took the vast majority of snaps against No. 1 Georgia, while backup quarterback Robby Ashford had a much more passive role against the top-ranked Bulldogs.

The one-quarterback approach was different than what the Auburn offense had used to that point as Thorne and Ashford both took a handful of meaningful snaps in each of the four games leading up to the Georgia game.

But Auburn’s two-quarterback rotation returned against LSU as both Thorne and Ashford shared duties under center against the No. 22 team in the country Saturday night.

Like every game this season, Thorne was Auburn’s starter, but Ashford got his fair share of action – especially in the red zone and early in the second half.

Primarily used for his athleticism, Ashford rushed for 19 yards, while Thorne also added 19 yards on the ground.

Together, the tandem finally snapped Auburn’s six-game streak of not passing for more than 100 yards against FBS teams as Thorne and Ashford combined for 154 passing yards and a touchdown.

Thorne was Auburn’s leading passer as he went 12-for-23 for 102 yards.

Meanwhile, Ashford added 52 passing yards on a 3-for-4 passing effort, including a big 39-yard pass and a 3-yard touchdown pass – both going to tight end Brandon Frazier.

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Rewinding Auburn’s 48-18 loss at LSU

Updated: Oct. 14, 2023, 9:30 p.m.|Published: Oct. 14, 2023, 5:30 p.m.

9–11 minutes

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This is about as good an atmosphere as it gets in the SEC. Auburn renews its rivalry with LSU and does so in a night game at Tiger Stadium.

After a bye week, Auburn comes to Death Valley in a two-game losing streak to open SEC play. Auburn lost last year’s game to LSU but has won two of the last three in the series.

Auburn has yet to put together a convincing display of offense on the road this season, and while LSU’s struggling defense may seem like a game to get right, doing so in the Tiger Stadium crowd is always a challenge.

Depending on the platform, most oddsmakers have Auburn listed between a 10.5 and 11.5 point underdog. Kickoff is set for 6 pm and the game will be aired on ESPN. Make sure to refresh the page for live analysis from Baton Rouge.

Pregame

- Kickoff has been pushed back to 6:10 due to the Oregon-Washington game on ESPN

- Auburn appears generally healthy all things considered. All of the questionable players other than Damari Alston (Ja’Varrius Johnson, Malcolm Johnson, Jaylin Simpson) all appear to be good to go. Alston doesn’t appear to have made the trip. He was not spotted on the sideline. He is dealing with a shoulder injury.

- Auburn won the kickoff and deferred to the second half.

1st Quarter

- LSU just put on a show with its offense. It’s not hard to see why Hugh Freeze spoke so highly of them. LSU takes fewer than two minutes to score, driving 75 yards in four plays for a touchdown. It’s loud in Baton Rouge.

LSU leads 7-0

- Auburn looks just the same as how Auburn has looked on the road all season on its first drive. Auburn goes three-and-out, picks up a penalty, has to burn a timeout because it couldn’t get lined up and then has an errant snap. That was a mess. It’s the way Auburn’s offense has come out on the road every time this season.

- LSU is driving again. It has 144 yards to Auburn’s -5. Jaylin Simpson eventually came in during this drive after not playing but it doesn’t seem like Auburn can slow let alone stop this LSU offense so far.

- Well, Auburn did slow them a bit. Don’t forget Auburn has the best redzone defense in the SEC based on percentage and top 15 in America. That is going to matter. Auburn holds LSU to three. Auburn’s defense holding firm in the redzone will be a huge key, the offense just has to keep up at least a bit. It’s going to get a second chance here.

LSU leads 10-0, 6:39 left in the first quarter

- Auburn has gone three-and-out for a second time and still has not ran a rushing play yet. LSU’s pass defense has been awful this season, but it doesn’t make a whole of sense to not even bother to attempt to establish a run game. And Payton Thorne absolutely should have had his third down pass intercepted. He is incredibly lucky. That pass on third down was thrown into double coverage.

- LSU chugs down the field again largely on the back of a 49-yard screen pass to John Emery Jr. LSU faked a handoff to him and no one followed him as he ran into the flat leaving easily 30 yards before he was even near a defender. Emery Jr. later scored on after a video review showed he broke the plane. Auburn is quickly in a big-time danger zone. Auburn is being outgained 216 to -3.

LSU leads 17-0, 2:16 left in the first quarter

- Auburn still leaning heavily on the pass here, and this drive having success. It has added a least a few rushing attempts, too. The drive was started by two straight first downs on slants to Camden Brown, who had only one catch this year before today. Auburn has drove down into the redzone but face a third down as the first quarter comes to an end. All of that and Auburn totaled 45 yards in the first quarter. With the field switch, Auburn will now face third down going into the student section.

End of the 1st Quarter: LSU leads 17-0

2nd Quarter

- Well not only did Auburn pick up that third down, but it pulled out some funky plays there. Robby Ashford came in on third down and picked it up by throwing a pass. That’s regardless a good thing because it helps keep defenses less able to predict him running, but also to keep an Auburn drive alive — though it has thrown the ball on three straight third downs. Auburn then scored the next play on a direct snap to Jarquez Hunter. That’s a huge drive to give Auburn some momentum and put a halt to this LSU run.

LSU leads 17-7

- LSU with another long deep down the field and Auburn does hold Auburn to 3, which is a small win. But Auburn still shows no sign of being able to stop LSU. LSU has 278 yards across its first four drives. It has scored on all of them. It averaging 9.9 yards per play and LSU has already picked up 11 first downs. Auburn’s redzone defense has helped, but as a whole Auburn is getting gashed. That probably was to be expected, but maybe not to this extent.

LSU leads 20-7, 10:21 left in the first half

- Auburn stalls out in response after just five plays. Totaled 17 yards. Auburn is committed to passing, passing and more passing today. Sure, LSU’s defense has been bad against the pass and Auburn is behind, but it’s interesting to see Auburn continue to pass in key situations like third down plays of not overly long distances.

- Auburn’s offense continues to look the same as it has in every other bye week. If the idea was building off Georgia and becoming more competitive in the second half. That hasn’t happened. It continues to be the same sputtering inept group. To have that happen against this LSU defense is incredibly telling.

- Well that’s one way to stop an LSU drive. With a little under three minutes left in the first half, Jaylin Simpson gets an assist on an eventual D.J. James interception, tipping the ball up as he nearly picked off the ball himself before James caught it. Simpson just always seems to be around the ball.

Halftime: LSU leads 20-7

It’s hard to get past the fact that Auburn is just seeing the same recurring problems over and over. It cannot figure out this offense on the road or at home. The same tropes of difficulties repeat themselves in every game. At some point, it begs the question of why Auburn doesn’t try something new. The defense started out poorly but held things together by the end of the first half all things considered. The problem is this offense isn’t good enough to keep up.

3rd Quarter

- It appears Payton Thorne has been benched. And it’s the right call. Robby Ashford starts the second half. He has given Auburn’s offense so much more energy. It’s the first time Auburn hasn’t been stubborn today.

- Ashford has led a good drive here to start the second half highlighted by a good deep ball to tight end Brandon Frazier for 39 yards. The drive stalls after no one blocked Harold Perkins on third down, which is impossible to understand how that happened. Alex McPherson made the kick.

LSU leads 20-10, 11:35 left in the third quarter

- Huge 64-yard LSU kick return is pretty much exactly what Auburn can’t give back to such a good offense. LSU goes back down and scores yet again. The bit of offensive momentum Auburn got swings right back the other way. LSU already has 350 yards of offense and retakes a 17-point lead.

LSU leads 27-10, 8:00 left in the third quarter

- Auburn does send Robby Ashford out again to start the second drive and goes nowhere. So come a third down that needed a pass, Auburn went back to Payton Thorne. That doesn’t seem to make a ton of sense. At that point, Auburn has a two-QB system which is exactly what Hugh Freeze has said he doesn’t want. This is eerily similar with what Auburn did against Texas A&M and it was confusing then too.

- LSU goes right back down the field easily against a tired Auburn defense at this point. Freeze talked about winning time of possession and Auburn is losing that by six minutes. The defense looks gassed. Auburn crosses the 400 yards of offense mark. Can’t see Auburn getting to 34 points.

LSU leads 34-10, 3:53 left in the third quarter

- Auburn went back to Payton Thorne again to start this drive. And well, it worked. Auburn goes 84 yards in 10 plays to get back down and get in the endzone for the second time today in a drive that spanned through the end of the third quarter and another player of Callin Baton Rouge.

End of the third quarter. LSU leads 34-10

4th Quarter

- Robby Ashford threw the touchdown pass, finding Brandon Frazier for both the touchdown and two-point conversion.

LSU leads 34-18, 14:56 left in the game.

LSU tacks on another score by Josh Williams, LSU leads Auburn 48-18 with 2:26 left in the game.

The clock runs out, LSU beats Auburn 48-18, up next for Auburn, is Ole Miss next Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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247sports.com

Frazier steps up as playmaker for Auburn offense in loss to LSU

Jason Caldwell

6–8 minutes

Auburn tight end Brandon Frazier had a career night against LSU.

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana—In a 48-18 loss where the game was never in doubt, it’s hard to find positives for the Auburn Tigers. There was a big positive for Hugh Freeze’s team however, the play of senior tight end Brandon Frazier.

Entering Saturday’s game with just four career receptions for 32 yards in 33 career games, the Texas native had three grabs for 52 yards and a touchdown and also added a two-point conversion on a night when Auburn was looking for someone to step up.

"Happy for him," Freeze said. "Those tight ends, they go to work every day in that room. Great leadership in that room by those guys. They're really vital to us; it's one of the better rooms we have. It's good to see Frazier get some balls come his way."

It was far from enough for Auburn to put a scare into LSU, but it was a huge step in the right direction for a player that came into the program with so much promise. On Saturday night, he finally delivered.

“We’ve always had a really good position unit,” Frazier said after the loss to LSU. “There’s a lot of talent in our room and everyone knows that. Whenever you get a chance to make a play, just go make it. I got an opportunity and I’m not going to let that go to waste. We always talk about, especially this whole week, coach kept telling me, ‘You’re going to get in the end zone. You’re going to get in the end zone.’ And I was like, ‘Alright, I’m here for it.’ It finally happened so I’m excited.”

One of Auburn’s most experienced players, Kam Stutts waited his time before finally getting on the field for the Tigers. He said to see Frazier finally get his shot was exciting.

“Definitely proud of him,” Stutts said. “He had a great game. He's a hard-working man and it's great to see him go out there and have some success."

Part of a tight end group that has been one of the bright spots for the team the last few seasons, Frazier joined his mates into the touchdown club after scoring against LSU. Unfortunately, it wasn’t part of a victory for Auburn. That makes it tough to swallow, finally having a big night but doing it in a loss.

The good news for Frazier and the Tigers is that there’s another opportunity next week. While it won’t be easy against the Ole Miss Rebels, the big tight end said they have to keep pushing forward because they’re finding some things to build on each week.

“I was the last one in the tight end group to do so,” he said of getting his touchdown. “At least I've got a 2-point conversion in my name and they don't. It was fun to get the ball. Tough team. It's just tough. We keep improving. We're trying to find what works and what doesn't work. Coach keeps emphasizing the details of routes and doing all the right stuff. Yeah, I think we're definitely on the right track. I know tonight didn't really show that. But I know the players in the facility know that. I think everyone's starting to buy into what we can be.”

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Soul-searching time after LSU torches Auburn defense

Auburn fell to LSU 48-18 on Saturday night.

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana—Just minutes after walking off the field following his team’s 48-18 loss to the LSU Tigers, Auburn’s Hugh Freeze said he didn’t think his team had the same “juice” as it has had through the first five games of the season. That was especially the case on defense with Jayden Daniels and the LSU offense running around, over and through Auburn for score after score in the easy victory.

After playing well to start the year, Auburn’s defense allowed 563 yards of total offense and 25 first downs as LSU punted the ball just once in the victory. It was a performance that Freeze said started with the effort he saw on the field.

“Obviously Mosiah (Nasili-Kite) is a really good 4i anchor against the run and losing him certainly didn't help,” Freeze said of the way Auburn played the run on Saturday night. “But didn't think we played with the same intensity, but they're really, really talented. You've got to give them credit too.”

The sparkplug for Auburn’s defense this season, linebacker Eugene Asante agreed with his head coach about the play of the defense. To say he was surprised was an understatement.

“It’s surprising, but the biggest thing is just owning what’s on the film and not playing the blame game,” he said. “Every man has to look within themselves and answer the questions.

“I think we started out very slow. It’s on a lot of people to get the defense up. We need to be more juiced and ready to play the game and more excited to play the game. This is a big game. We want to perform at the highest level. The effort level was low just to begin and it was fading in and out. It was very inconsistent tonight.”

One of Auburn's team captains, Elijah McAllister, backed up what had already been said following the game.

"I felt like as a defense, and that’s what I can speak on, the effort wasn’t to our standard," he said. "Obviously, we didn’t execute to our standard as well and there are some things as a whole, especially me, going into next week. I felt like we just didn’t play to our standards today as the score reflected."

With an opportunity to face off against one of the best players in the country, Auburn’s defense had the chance to show what they were made of. Instead, Daniels torched the Tigers for over 400 yards of total offense. Asante said for him it all came down to just execution and doing your job.

“Jayden is a great player,” Asante said. “We knew that going into the game. Coach Freeze said he’s a Heisman candidate, and I really, truly believe that. I think the biggest thing was rush integrity and not getting too high on Jayden Daniels and just collapsing the pocket. We had to do that more consistently. We have to put our best foot forward. We just have to play sound football. We can’t come out here and play hero ball.”

It doesn’t get any easier for Auburn’s defense with the high-scoring Ole Miss Rebels up next. There’s no time to hang your head, Asante said. Instead, it’s all about digging deep and answering the bell.

“All I know, from here on out we have to put our best foot forward,” he said. “That’s demanded from us out of the coaches and that’s demanded of the players. Everyone has to buy in. Every man must search their soul. We have to put the best foot forward from here on out and play the way we know we can play. I have to do a better job and the leaders on the team have to do a better job.”

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247sports.com

 

Soulsearching time after LSU torches Auburn defense

Jason Caldwell

~4 minutes

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BATON ROUGE, Louisiana—Just minutes after walking off the field following his team’s 48-18 loss to the LSU Tigers, Auburn’s Hugh Freeze said he didn’t think his team had the same “juice” as it has had through the first five games of the season. That was especially the case on defense with Jayden Daniels and the LSU offense running around, over and through Auburn for score after score in the easy victory.

After playing well to start the year, Auburn’s defense allowed 563 yards of total offense and 25 first downs as LSU punted the ball just once in the victory. It was a performance that Freeze said started with the effort he saw on the field.

“Obviously Mosiah (Nasili-Kite) is a really good 4i anchor against the run and losing him certainly didn't help,” Freeze said of the way Auburn played the run on Saturday night. “But didn't think we played with the same intensity, but they're really, really talented. You've got to give them credit too.”

The sparkplug for Auburn’s defense this season, linebacker Eugene Asante agreed with his head coach about the play of the defense. To say he was surprised was an understatement.

“It’s surprising, but the biggest thing is just owning what’s on the film and not playing the blame game,” he said. “Every man has to look within themselves and answer the questions.

“I think we started out very slow. It’s on a lot of people to get the defense up. We need to be more juiced and ready to play the game and more excited to play the game. This is a big game. We want to perform at the highest level. The effort level was low just to begin and it was fading in and out. It was very inconsistent tonight.”

One of Auburn's team captains, Elijah McAllister, backed up what had already been said following the game.

"I felt like as a defense, and that’s what I can speak on, the effort wasn’t to our standard," he said. "Obviously, we didn’t execute to our standard as well and there are some things as a whole, especially me, going into next week. I felt like we just didn’t play to our standards today as the score reflected."

With an opportunity to face off against one of the best players in the country, Auburn’s defense had the chance to show what they were made of. Instead, Daniels torched the Tigers for over 400 yards of total offense. Asante said for him it all came down to just execution and doing your job.

“Jayden is a great player,” Asante said. “We knew that going into the game. Coach Freeze said he’s a Heisman candidate, and I really, truly believe that. I think the biggest thing was rush integrity and not getting too high on Jayden Daniels and just collapsing the pocket. We had to do that more consistently. We have to put our best foot forward. We just have to play sound football. We can’t come out here and play hero ball.”

It doesn’t get any easier for Auburn’s defense with the high-scoring Ole Miss Rebels up next. There’s no time to hang your head, Asante said. Instead, it’s all about digging deep and answering the bell.

“All I know, from here on out we have to put our best foot forward,” he said. “That’s demanded from us out of the coaches and that’s demanded of the players. Everyone has to buy in. Every man must search their soul. We have to put the best foot forward from here on out and play the way we know we can play. I have to do a better job and the leaders on the team have to do a better job.”

[aubiefifty 18,259]

auburnwire.usatoday.com

Instant Analysis: Auburn has no answer for Jayden Daniels, LSU offense

Taylor Jones

4–5 minutes

The final game between Auburn and No. 20 LSU for the foreseeable future could not have gone more horribly for the orange-and-blue-clad Tigers.

Auburn struggled to keep up with LSU’s high-octane offense as they were outgained 563-293 in their 48-14 loss to the Bayou Bengals at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Auburn had to pluck many thorns out of its side on Saturday night, but the biggest of all was LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who accounted for 418 total yards and three touchdowns. He connected with eight different receivers, with his top targets being Malik Nabors and Kyren Lacy. Nabors hauled in six passes for 89 yards, while Lacy reeled in 111 receiving yards on four catches.

Auburn struggled in the passing game on Saturday, as Payton Thorne was able to connect on just 55% of his passes. Robby Ashford completed three of four passes for 52 yards. All three of Ashford’s completions were to tight end Brandon Frazier. The visiting Tigers gained 139 yards of rushing, with neither of Auburn’s five rushers gaining more than 69 yards a piece.

Defensively, Eugene Asante led the team in tackles with 12.

LSU struck first on a Daniels touchdown pass to Nabors with 13:21 remaining in the first quarter. The scoring drive ended quickly, as it needed just four plays and 75 yards to complete.

After an Auburn punt, LSU used an 11-play drive to extend their lead to 10-0. Damian Ramos’ 30-yard field goal capped a 66-yard drive with 6:39 remaining in the opening quarter.

The final score of the first quarter came with 2:15 remaining when LSU running back John Emery Jr. scored from two yards away to extend the Bayou Bengals’ lead to 17-0. LSU outgained Auburn, 216-45 in the first quarter, and split their passing and rushing output in half, gaining 109 yards in both categories.

Auburn’s luck quickly changed, as they were the first team to score in the second quarter. Auburn completed an eight-play, 75-yard drive that began in the 1st quarter with a two-yard rush by Jarquez Hunter. Auburn cut into LSU’s lead, 17-7, with 14:22 remaining in the first half.

LSU scored on its fourth possession with 10:21 remaining in the half thanks to Ramos’ second field goal of the game. He connected on a 35-yard field goal to extend LSU’s lead to 20-7. That score would hold as both teams entered the locker room at halftime.

Auburn’s first drive of the second half had promise but fizzled out at the LSU 20-yard line. Auburn drove 55 yards in seven plays, but Ashford was sacked on third down, which forced them to kick a field goal. Alex McPherson connected on a 38-yard field goal to trim LSU’s lead to 20-10 with 11:35 to go in the 3rd quarter.

As LSU has repeatedly done, they responded to Auburn’s score with one of their own. Following Auburn’s field goal, Daniels tossed his second touchdown pass of the game with 8:00 remaining in the 3rd quarter. His connection with Kyren Lacy pushed LSU ahead, 27-10.

It would not take long for LSU to extend their lead. Five minutes after linking with Lacy, Daniels threw his third touchdown pass of the night to Josh Williams to push the LSU lead to 34-10 late in the 3rd quarter.

Auburn’s 4th quarter started similarly to its 2nd quarter, with a quick touchdown. Ashford connected with Frazier for the third time with 14:56 remaining in the game, but the first for a score. The three-yard score cut into LSU’s lead, 34-18.

LSU’s next score came with 8:51 remaining in the game. Running back Logan Diggs scored his first touchdown of the game from five yards out to extend the Tigers’ lead to 41-18. Diggs ended the game with 97 yards on 18 carries. The final blow would come with 2:28 remaining in the game when Josh Daniels ran one yard to push the lead to 48-18.

Auburn’s hunt for its first SEC win of the season will continue next week at Jordan-Hare Stadium when the Tigers host No. 13 Ole Miss. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be televised by ESPN.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

[aubiefifty 18,259]

si.com

Takeaways: Auburn falls to LSU on the road

Zac Blackerby

3–4 minutes

Here are a few takeaways from Auburn's loss against LSU.

The offense still isn't where it needs to be as the LSU Tigers defeated Auburn 48-18.

Auburn fans waited two weeks in hopes that after a solid performance against Georgia, the Tigers would be able to build on it after a bye week and give LSU a good fight. That didn't happen. 

Here are some takeaways from the action.

The quarterback situation

The rotation between Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford still isn't flowing as it should. Like previous weeks, I think you can make the argument that neither is benefitting from how the usage went Saturday night. 

Ashford was driving in the final minutes of the first half, Thorne was rotated in once Auburn had to pass the ball. It didn't do well. 

In what looked like Ashford getting the nod in the second half, Thorne was put in for an obvious passing situation to cue the LSU defense what was coming. 

Two quarterback systems are tough to nail down. Auburn hasn't reached that point yet.

The passing game isn't getting much better

The combination of Auburn coming out of a bye week and LSU having one of the worst defenses in the country, many expected Auburn's offense to have more of a presence through the air. That didn't happen anywhere close to the level where it needed to be.

Auburn's quarterback rotation probably isn't helping. Wide receivers Shane Hooks and Thorne seem to be on different pages on timing routes. Rivaldo Fairweather didn't have a reception until the second to last play of the third quarter. 

Auburn kept fighting...

...until the defense broke.

Can't question the resolve of this group. A quick 17-0 jump for LSU early in the game and it looked like we were about to watch a one-sided beatdown. Auburn's squad didn't back down on the road and was able to force some stops and put together a few drives to keep them alive until the LSU offense started to wear down Auburn.

This will be the toughest road test for Auburn on the season. Maybe this fight and resolve will hold up when Auburn heads to Arkansas and Vanderbilt later this season.

Oddly enough, Auburn can still be fine...

...depending on what your expectations were on the season. Many expected a 7-5 record, myself included. Entering the season, I predicted Freeze to lead his team to a 7-5 season during his first year on the Plains. I also predicted that Auburn would drop four in a row to Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss. Sadly, we are three-fourths of the way through that becoming true. 

After that stretch, games against Mississippi State, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and New Mexico State all seem winnable, more winnable than the recent slate of opponents for Auburn.

It's not pretty. Auburn has a long way to go. But very few people expected Auburn to beat Texas A&M, Georgia, and LSU going into the season.

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[aubiefifty 18,259]

saturdaydownsouth.com

What Hugh Freeze said after Auburn’s crushing loss to LSU

Andrew Peters | 2 hours ago

~3 minutes

Auburn still stood a chance heading into the second half against LSU, but a second-half surge from the LSU led the Tigers to a dominant 48-18 win.

The loss for Auburn marks its first 0-3 start to SEC play since 2012 when the Tigers went 3-9 on the year and 0-8 in conference play. Hopefully for Auburn it won’t have the same fate as that 2012 team, but things aren’t looking great at the moment.

And things don’t get easier for the Tigers as they take on Ole Miss next week.

After the game, Hugh Freeze didn’t sugar coat it, giving LSU credit for the dominant performance.

“They beat us every way that you could,” Freeze said in his postgame press conference.

Freeze came into the game confident from the bye week. Ultimately, his game plan didn’t translate against LSU.

“I felt really good about our plan,” Freeze said. “Felt like we had a chance to get some long drives and keep our defense on the sideline. We just never found any consistency. It’s disappointing, for sure.”

Auburn was still well within striking distance in the third quarter, but Freeze thought that his team lacked effort as LSU piled on a slew of points to pull away late.

“I didn’t think they fought as hard, and that’s something I gotta own,” Freeze said. “It’s my job to get them to play hard.”

Ultimately, Freeze believes his team still has a long way to go before it can compete with some of the top offenses in the conference like LSU and Auburn.

“I don’t know that we’re built to be in a scoring match right now with LSU, or Ole Miss next week,” Freeze said.

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247sports.com

Blowout loss at LSU breeds more quarterback questions for Auburn

Nathan King

5–6 minutes

On paper, Auburn’s matchup with LSU seemed like the perfect opportunity for a get-right game.

Payton Thorne and the Tigers’ passing game had more than their fair share of struggles through five games, but LSU entered the game with the SEC’s second-worst passing offense.

There were moments, sure, but after a 48-18 loss in Baton Rouge, Auburn is still searching for consistency throwing the football this season, despite what could be some of its lightest defensive opposition of the season.

Thorne was just 5-of-13 passing for 36 yards before Hugh Freeze opted to make the change to backup Robby Ashford out of halftime.

“We were only two scores down to start the second half, so you want to start with the good stuff,” Freeze said of the decision to start Ashford to begin the second half. “I felt like that was our best option.”

Auburn’s offense was spotted a 17-0 hole by the time it got the ball for the third time, after two three-and-outs to open the game. Two early penalties, a mistimed snap that led to a 12-yard loss and an overall lack of execution early in the game was certainly disappointing for a team coming off a bye week.

“I felt really good about the plan,” Freeze said of Auburn’s offensive start, as the Tigers had -3 yards after two possessions. “I felt like we had a chance to maybe get some long drives and keep our defense on the sideline. We just never found any consistency, so it's disappointing, for sure.”

Thorne found some mojo to open Auburn’s third series, hitting receiver Camden Brown on back-to-back receptions of 15 and 12 yards to spark a touchdown drive to trim the deficit to 17-7. Thorne then threw six straight incompletions, though, as Auburn couldn’t carry any sort of offensive momentum through the rest of the first half. After the touchdown drive, Auburn punted on its next three series.

As usual, Auburn’s inefficiency through the air wasn’t all on Thorne. As was also the case against Georgia, Freeze said, particularly in the second quarter, Auburn’s pass-catchers had opportunities with the ball in the air. Thorne’s reads to throw fade balls on the outside when LSU was in press coverage were correct, Freeze said.

“We're not winning those battles,” Freeze said. “We were 0-for-3 on (fades), so we quit throwing them. It sure would be nice to win some of those because that's how that play is designed. I couldn't tell; all three of those were on the other sideline, and I couldn't tell if the routes were good or if the balls were good. I couldn't tell. Those were all three drives that put us in third-and-long, and that's just not a spot we're very good at right now.”

Ashford generated a spark for the offense when he was inserted, both at the end of the first half and at the start of the second half. He completed 3-of-4 passes for 52 yards and a short touchdown to Brandon Frazier, as Auburn’s most impressive completion of the day was his 39-yard shot to Frazier on third down at the beginning of the third quarter.

Ashford also had the offense moving with some confidence toward the end of the first half, following D.J. James' interception. But when Thorne was reinserted, the result was two straight incompletions, then a sack on third down.

Thorne had some late-game success, though, when he checked back in late in the third quarter and completed 4-of-5 passes for 57 yards on a drive that ended with Frazier’s short touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter. Thorne finished 12-of-23 for 102 yards, as he's now completing just 54 percent of his passes against Power Five opponents this year.

The Tigers played with a bit more tempo at that point in the game, facing a large deficit and looking to trim the lead before it was too late. It’s not as simple as playing with that pace all the time, though.

“That's a really tough balance and something we're debating,” Freeze said. “Do we say we're going to be a tempo offense and know that's going to cost us more plays on a defense that's very, very thin, and doesn't have much depth? That's a tough decision for sure. Tempo does help you. But you've just got to try to balance that and do what's best for our team.”

As Freeze admitted, something has to change for Auburn offensively — with the inconsistencies in the passing game at the center of things — considering the SEC’s No. 2 scoring offense is next, when the Tigers host Ole Miss next Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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[SaltyTiger 8,579]

Thanks for the replay of the fan getting tackled…..about all I care to revisit this morning. Have a great day Fiddy.

War Damn Eagle anyway.

Edited October 15, 2023 by SaltyTiger

[aubiefifty 18,259]

1 hour ago, SaltyTiger said:

Thanks for the replay of the fan getting tackled…..about all I care to revisit this morning. Have a great day Fiddy.

War Damn Eagle anyway.

half the season is over salty so i have little hope of us getting much better. we just do not have all the pieces and i think we made a mistake of what all freeze could deliver his first year. we failed to take next step after going toe to toe with jawja. and people are out of patience after the last year or two of gus and them the scorched earth regime of harsin. i am not sure we get six wins now and we need those practices. but if we continue to recruit well i think coach gets us there. and as always i love me some auburn tigers.

[SaltyTiger 8,579]

2 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

half the season is over salty so i have little hope of us getting much better. we just do not have all the pieces and i think we made a mistake of what all freeze could deliver his first year. we failed to take next step after going toe to toe with jawja. and people are out of patience after the last year or two of gus and them the scorched earth regime of harsin. i am not sure we get six wins now and we need those practices. but if we continue to recruit well i think coach gets us there. and as always i love me some auburn tigers.

Same here. I did expect more offensive production than we are seeing. Really disappointing. Not real happy with the direction of college football as whole these days. Different time than we grew up enjoying.