Auburn shows it’s just not on Alabama’s level in Iron Bowl defeat

Auburn kept it close for a half, but the Tigers couldn’t prevent their in-state rivals from pulling away and capturing a victory in the Iron Bowl.

Here is an analysis of Auburn’s 29-13 loss to Alabama on Saturday:

5 TAKEAWAYS

• Better than the beginning, but not good enough: Auburn has come a long way from the mess it was in earlier this season. Jeremy Johnson was benched for Sean White, Duke Williams was released from the team, and the defense suffered  immensely without Carl Lawson. In the latter half of the season, Auburn was able to stiffen up on defense and find a way to make the offense work with Johnson. Not surprisingly, all that improvement wasn’t enough to take down No. 2-ranked Alabama.
• Dropped passes end up sealing Auburn’s defeat: Dropped passes first made a big impact a month ago when Auburn lost to Arkansas. With two big drops by Melvin Ray on Auburn’s second-to-last possession, the Tigers’ final chance to turn things around against Alabama vanished.
• Auburn’s run game in the second half evaporated: Jovon Robinson, Auburn’s lead rusher, carried the ball twice for minus-2 yards in the second half. Malzahn spoke to this during the postgame press conference, mentioning that “the situation” was the reason why Robinson didn’t see the ball much and why the Tigers eased up on the run game. Whatever the reason, Auburn gained a total of one rushing yard after halftime. I think this Auburn beat writer sums it up nicely:
  

  Um…That’s bad right? https://t.co/GkgvizTph3

  — Matthew Stevens (@matthewcstevens) November 29, 2015

• Daniel Carlson, a.k.a. Legatron, has been a blessing for Auburn this season: Even though he missed a 48-yarder just before the end of the first half, Carlson has been a reliable point-scorer for the Tigers all season. After his first two field goals of the game, Carlson had made a record 16 in a row.
• Will Muschamp is an angry man: Those who have followed his coaching career already know this. However, Muschamp’s rage took on a whole new level during the Alabama game, to the point where he was flagged 15 yards for his yelling at the referees. And even after the penalty, he continued to aggressively express his opinions. Good thing assistant coaches were there to hold him back.

REPORT CARD

Offense: (C-minus) –  Auburn’s offense never completely got off the ground. While it was able to put together some extended drives, and the up-tempo nature kept Alabama’s defense on its toes, red zone woes prevented Auburn from getting anything but field goals.

Defense: (C) – Despite giving up 465 yards of total offense and letting Derrick Henry alone run 271 yards, Auburn’s defense was able to limit Alabama to field goals during the first half. The Tide was also only able to convert 5 of 16 third downs. However, missed tackles in the backfield spoiled opportunities for sacks and tackles for losses. That ultimately allowed Alabama to gain momentum on big plays, which carried the Tide through to the end of the game.

Special teams: (A) –  Kevin Phillips was called on five times to punt. He was able to down three within the 20. Alabama hardly ever had the opportunity to return punts or kickoffs.

Coaching: (D) –  With a sideline warning, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and unbalanced offensive play calling during the second half, there was much to be desired from the Auburn coaching staff during this game.

Overall: (C-minus) – Auburn just wasn’t on the same level as Alabama.

GAME PLAN

With Jeremy Johnson starting at quarterback, Auburn’s offensive plan did not change against Alabama. The Tigers kept it quick, and got the ball to multiple different backs and receivers. When the run became ineffective during the second half, Malzahn and Rhett Lashlee attempted to rely more heavily on Johnson’s passing ability, which was not always accurate.

GAME BALLS

• WR Jason Smith: He only had two receptions, but one of them was an incredible 77-yard touchdown catch which Smith tipped to himself.
• RB Jovon Robinson: Robinson once again made some key runs to extend drives. He finished with 14 carries for 51 yards.
• RB Derrick Henry (Alabama): One of the most formidable running backs in college football, Henry set a record with his 46 carries against Auburn. His longest run was for 30 yards, and he also accounted for a touchdown.

INJURY REPORT

During the postgame press conference, Malzahn stated that QB Sean White did not play because he was not healthy.

Christine Wang

Christine Wang is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. She covers Auburn, Arkansas and Ole Miss.