On Saturday night, the Auburn Tigers could not keep up with the Florida Gators and dropped their first game of the season 44-39. It is too early in the season to label this game as a must-win entering Saturday, but for Auburn, an opposite result would have set them up for potentially seven or eight wins. Now the Tigers have questions to answer after their first loss of the season.
The defense was the storyline following the loss on Saturday night. Auburn gave up 495 total yards to Florida, with 252 through the air and 243 on the ground. The Gators also controlled the game with time of possession, holding the ball for 39:16 versus Auburn's 20:44. Now, Auburn does what to play with pace, but the Tigers' defense was on the field way too much in the game.
The lack of defense made Florida quarterback Aaron Philo look like a veteran SEC quarterback in the game. He was 15 of 22 for 204 yards and one touchdown. The team had zero answers for Gators running back Jaden Baugh, who put up 162 yards and three touchdowns. For any chance at a win, Auburn had to limit his production.
Another key statistic was that the Gators were 7 of 15 on third down, and they were perfect on three fourth-down attempts. When it mattered the most, the Auburn defense could not get off the field to give the ball back to the offense. Florida averaged 11 yards per pass attempt and consistently made big plays in the passing game. Adjustments will need to be made in the secondary for this team moving forward. Even in the win over Baylor to open the season, Bears quarterback D.J. Lagway passed for 333 yards in the game.
On the offensive side of the ball, it is evident that the offensive line is still an issue. Byrum Brown was sacked seven times in the game, and Auburn could not get the rushing game going with the running backs. Jeremiah Cobb and Bryson Washington had only 40 yards on 12 carries, with Cobb getting the one touchdown. The carries number was low due to two factors: not possessing the ball much and then getting behind by 17 points in the second half. For the rest of the season, Auburn is going to need to find a way to be more successful in the traditional run game.
It was not all negative for Auburn in the loss. This team on offense did show a lot of fight at the end and continued to put pressure on the Florida offense. Brown did have a rough start in the first quarter with an interception, but overall, he had a solid individual performance. Brown passed for 271 yards and three touchdowns, with the final one to Chas Nimrod to give Auburn a chance with an onside kick with 24 seconds remaining. Brown was the leading rusher with 65 yards and one touchdown.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Jordan's Review: Auburn Tigers can't keep up with Florida Gators
