AUBURN, AL (EETV)- Despite Auburn’s commanding performance in most aspects of their matchup against 21st-ranked Oklahoma, 88,000 Auburn faithful watched in dismay as their beloved Tigers let an 11-point lead slip in the fourth quarter.
Auburn had an admittedly shaky first quarter, as the offense turned the ball over on downs despite just needing to score from the one-yard line immediately after the defense allowed a 48-yard rushing touchdown. Thankfully, Auburn quickly found their footing, limiting the damage to just a 7-0 trail as the first quarter came to a close.
The Tigers came out strong in the second quarter, though, as a Cam Coleman 34-yard reception put Auburn into Oklahoma territory, from which KeAndre Lambert-Smith scored his sixth touchdown this year on an incredible 31-yard bomb, tying the game at seven. Minutes later, Payton Thorne found true freshman Malcolm Simmons on a 48-yard touchdown to put Auburn up 14-7 with 5:47 in the half, a score that held through halftime.
Auburn’s defense came up clutch in the third quarter, holding Oklahoma to only a late third-quarter field goal despite Oklahoma running five plays inside the Auburn five yard line. The Tigers were quick to respond, though, as Payton Thorne almost immediately connected with Cam Coleman for a 42-yard gain just before the quarter came to a close.
After a successful Auburn fourth-down conversion on the two-yard line to open the quarter, senior TE Luke Deal made an absolutely unbelievable, gravity-defying catch despite defensive pass interference to put the Tigers up 21-10 with 14:12 left in the game.
Unfortunately, that was the end of the good news for Auburn fans, as after Towns McGough missed his second field goal of the day, Oklahoma QB Michael Hawkins, Jr. connected with JJ Hester on a 60-yard bomb that the Sooners followed up with a two-yard rushing touchdown. The Auburn defense did hold on the two-point conversion, so with 8:32 left in the game, Auburn led 21-16.
To fans’ dismay, Payton Thorne followed this with an interception that was returned for a touchdown, so after Oklahoma QB Michael Hawkins, Jr. flew into the endzone on a two-point conversion, Oklahoma suddenly found themselves with a late lead: 24-21 with just 4:01 left in the game.
Things went from bad to worse as Auburn failed to convert a fourth down on their next drive, leaving Oklahoma in easy field goal range, so with 0:54 left in the game, Oklahoma, now winning 27-21, kicked off to Auburn.
Payton Thorne was unable to make the throw to the endzone from the Auburn 45, and though Rivaldo Fairweather was able to catch the ball, he found himself 13 yards from being a hero. Final score: Oklahoma 27, Auburn 21.
For the most part, Payton Thorne played well, completing 21 of 32 passes for 338 yards (a career-high for his time at Auburn) and three touchdowns with only one interception. Completions were dispersed among nine targets, though KeAndre Lambert-Smith was by far his favorite target; they connected seven times for 77 yards and a touchdown. Questions have begun arise about Thorne’s ability to perform under pressure, so it will be up to Coach Freeze to decide how to proceed.
The Auburn defense, headlined by stellar play from freshman Demarcus Riddick, held a usually high-flying Oklahoma to just 291 yards and a remarkable 2-for-10 third down conversion rate. Riddick, although new to the team, led the team in tackles while recording his first sack in the second quarter– one of only two the team recorded.
For the vast majority of this matchup, Auburn controlled every aspect of the game: whether it be special teams, offense, or defense. Auburn led Oklahoma in almost every offensive stat, including (but not limited to) total yards, pass yards, rush yards, third down conversions, fourth down conversions, first downs, plays, time of possession, and yards per play (rushing and total).
Coach Freeze was quoted as saying “I really thought we could win this football game” during his press conference after the game, echoing the sentiment of the 88,000 strong in Jordan-Hare.
The Tigers will look to bounce back and manufacture a statement win in this coming Saturday’s matchup against second-ranked Georgia in Athens.
