I’m not sure if it was due to the fact that Auburn really isn’t playing for anything other than pride and proving things are getting better, or if it was the fact that Auburn was playing UL-Monroe, but my worry level was exactly zero going into the game. You could barely tell there was a game going on by the tailgate and walk to the stadium. It was just going to be a fun day (that ended up being less fun due to the November Summer we are currently experiencing).
Early and often Payton Thorne found Cam Coleman and Co. and ended up playing one of his best games at Auburn. Was it due to the opponent? Probably. But he and his receivers and Auburn as a whole did what they were supposed to do against a Sun Belt team. And truth be told, it really isn’t a terrible Sun Belt team.
Jarquez Hunter hit 1000 yards on the season, yet somehow still only has five touchdowns. Cam Coleman scored more touchdowns (3) than he had all season (2). He made a one-handed catch that made Odell Beckham cry. KLS, who had been locked down the last few weeks, made a nice catch and ran it in. It was just a good, simple easy day for the Auburn offense.
Remember back when Auburn destroyed Alabama A&M and it looked like we were in for a treat? It almost felt like that. It was easy. It was impressive. It showed that Auburn is actually better than somebody on the scoreboard.
But how about that Auburn defense? There was one drive with a busted play in the secondary that ended up being the only real score for the Warhawks, but it’s hard to keep a team under 250 yards for the day and they did it. In fact, it would’ve been under 200 yards without a defensive back falling down and giving them a pointless score at the end.
Otherwise, Riddick is a beast. Faulk continues to be the best player on the team. They’re all young and they’re good. This is the season we all look back on. This is the season we make sad videos about before the championship game.
Anyway…
It was UL-Monroe. Is it an impressive win? Not really, but they did what a good, better team does to teams like that. It looked like what Auburn can and should be, and despite the record, what Auburn is.
Auburn is literally 4-5 plays from 7-8 wins. The stats don’t line up with the results. Whatever the reason is, the team isn’t bad. It’s just a year of bad luck and not finishing
There are two games left and they are two of the three toughest opponents we’ve had all season. Auburn started the last three games with a nice performance. Hopefully the release of negativity and some positive momentum will help them finish strong.
