Many things went wrong for the Auburn Tigers in their SEC opener against the Florida Gators, ultimately leading to a crushing loss. However, the ceiling may be far from falling.
The Tigers outscored Florida 14-3 in the final 6:20 to cut the Gators' lead to 44-39, but several factors kept Auburn from winning. Starting in the 1st quarter, Auburn's Byrum Brown threw an interception, Auburn committed four penalties, and was held to just -3 yards of total offense, all in just over three minutes of possession time.
The Tigers did manage to shake off the slow start, however, by tying the Gators at 17-17 and fighting back from two separate 17-point second-half deficits before ultimately losing by five points. Auburn cleaned up its penalties by committing
just one in the second half, and the Tigers gained 237 yards of offense in the final 30 minutes.
Although the loss was disappointing, Auburn football has proven that it will refuse to quit until the final whistle. Auburn wide receiver Chas Nimrod believes this loss will make the team stronger and that its drive to be successful will continue to be powerful.
"We keep swinging regardless of the circumstances. We are going to come out and keep swinging," Nimrod said postgame. "Regardless of the time on the clock, regardless of the opponent – we all go out there and play to compete. It doesn't matter if it's the first quarter or the last quarter. Those were the circumstances, but we're going to come out and just keep swinging to stay together.”
What motivates Auburn never to yield? Auburn center Cole Best said the locker room's "family atmosphere" is unlike anything he has experienced as a college football player. From top to bottom, there is no finger-pointing or negative attitudes, just players picking each other up and having each other's back.
Linebacker Elijah Melendez echoed the sentiment, saying his team's knack for lifting each other will be important over the final nine games of the season.
"I think its the most important thing," Melendez said. "This whole team is a family, offense and defense, and we never go against each other. I honestly feel that is the most important thing, because, outside the building, everybody is always going to have something to say about us, but inside the building, it's tight like a family."
The Tigers will look to shake off their 44-39 loss to the Florida Gators when they host Vanderbilt next Saturday for a 3:15 p.m. CT kickoff on SEC Network. The game will be the final game of a three-game home stretch before the Tigers travel to Tennessee and Georgia, with a bye week mixed in, over the ensuing three weeks.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Why Auburn's late fight vs Florida points to a bright season
