Auburn Loses Winnable Game as Freeze Era Nears End

The Auburn Tigers waited until the second overtime to send the Jordan-Hare Stadium fans home, losing to Missouri, 23-17. Once again, the offense lacked cohesion.

Mistaken Blame

As subpar as Jackson Arnold played, head coach Hugh Freeze needs most of the blame. Despite a stable of excellent wideouts and a strong running game, Auburn's offense cannot get traction. That said, credit Missouri for stepping up and playing strong defense when it mattered. However, as mentioned by many, Freeze chose Arnold to run the offense, signing him to a contract worth millions.

For all of his talent, Arnold does not show up in big moments, whether it's the playcalling or poor situational awareness. The junior struggles with the spotlight. At the same time, Freeze's reputation as an offensive wizard does not look well-earned, as he wastes the eligibility of various skill position players.

New Leader

Defensive tackle Keldric Faulk possesses the highest ceiling of an Auburn defender. Meanwhile, linebacker Xavier Atkins is playing the best football on the defense. Once again, he excelled, tallying 11 tackles, two sacks, and two tackles for loss. Atkins finds a way to get the ball carrier to the ground. Whether he uses instinct or vision, the linebacker times his approach in concert with the offense's movements.

Defining Moment

In the second overtime, Auburn needed Freeze and his menagerie of playcallers to scheme something to win the game.

What people saw was Jeremiah Cobb on an attempted run through the right side on third and six, losing two yards. That was Freeze's go-to play, which he believed would move the chains. Freeze may have lost the locker room and the backing of the remaining support system inside his program. "Inexcusable" feels like a flimsy word to describe the coaching malpractice that occurred on The Plains.

Overview

Auburn held Ahmad Hardy to 58 yards rushing. Granted, two touchdowns, but Hardy did not break any long gains, except for a 17-yard scamper. Quarterback Beau Pribula completed 57.5% of his passes, with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. The defense kept Auburn active in the game.

Yet, once again, like so many games this season, Freeze failed to construct a viable plan that would generate yards. Instead, the offense looked feckless and lost. At this point, the argument doesn't reside with blaming them, as one person maintains absolute say on what the team will do with the ball. Auburn lost its fourth in a row, and that bowl invite looks precarious. Another game fell through their grasp.

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