Reality has hit Auburn’s offense the last two weeks and has exposed several issues that need to be corrected in the upcoming bye week.
Auburn dropped its second SEC game of the season on Saturday, a 16-10 loss to Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. The Tigers gained just 177 yards on Saturday, the lowest output of the Hugh Freeze era. Auburn’s main offensive identity through its first three games, the run game, was also held to under 100 yards for the second straight week.
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Outside of another frustrating effort from the run game, sacks played a role in yet another game. One week after allowing 10 sacks to the Oklahoma defense, Auburn’s combination of poor line play and quarterback Jackson Arnold holding the ball for too long bit them again as Texas A&M logged five more sacks, including three in the fourth quarter.
Saturday provided another crucial loss for the Auburn Tigers, and the bye week could not come at a better time. Here are three takeaways from Auburn’s 16-10 loss to Texas A&M:
Offensive line issues
The offensive line was a group that was suppose to be one of the most improved on the roster. The additions of Xavier Chaplin and Mason Murphy were suppose make an huge impact. That has proven to be the opposite. The group has given up 14 sacks over the last two weeks. The offensive line has also committed 13 false penalties this season. They have also struggled to open holes for the running backs the last two weeks. In those games they have gained just 119 yards combined. The first three games of the season Auburn rushed for 726 yards. If the offense is going to turn things around it will have to start with the offensive line.
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Jackson Arnold struggles
A big question or concern for this Tigers team coming into the season was the quarterback position. Auburn brought in Arnold in hopes a change of scenery would do him good. While he has good for the Auburn run game, he is still not where he needs to be as a passer. It is not from a lack of ability though. Those 14 sacks given up the last two games are not all on the offensive line. Arnold has not had a good mental clock of when to get rid of the football. There are chances he is missing with receivers Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr. in single coverage. On Saturday versus Texas A&M Arnold was 18 of 33 for 125 yards. Arnold along with the rest of the offense struggled on third down. They converted zero times on 13 opportunities.
Defense could not save the day
The defense tried to win the game, but was not able to save the day. While they did give up 414 yards, the Aggies did not score another touchdown after their opening drive. The defense forced the Aggies into five field goal attempts with Ricky Bond making three. Early in the fourth quarter when Xavier Atkins returned an interception 72 yards it seemed Auburn had gained all the momentum. Jackson Arnold followed the interception with a one yard touchdown. It was a performance where if Auburn could have put up an average offensive performance they would have won. “Offensively, that was unacceptable”, said Freeze. “Our defense played their tails off, well enough to win the game.” The Auburn defense also collected four sacks and six tackles for loss. Atkins led the way with 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn football: Three takeaways from Saturday’s loss to Texas A&M
