Saturday, September 28, 2019

2019 The Mississippi State Game

Kickoff from Jordan-Hare at 6 pm on ESPN.
After last year's embarrassing 23 to 9 drubbing in StarkVegas we need to win this one.
The Tigers start the season 4 and 0.
Auburn is a 10 point favorite.

FIRST QUARTER

MSU receives to start the game and we push them back to punting from their end zone.  Tutt takes the punt to the State 30.

First play from scrimmage Boobie Whitlow runs untouched around right end to the end zone.
What a quick start by the Tigers!

Auburn 7  State 0

State is three and out again and from the State 42 the Tigers march quickly again for the score.  Nix on the zone read around right end from the nine untouched for the touchdown.  Nothing to it!

Auburn 14  State 0

State fumbles the kickoff.  Auburn recovers at the State 18.
What a start by Auburn!
Second play from the 13 Schwartz sweeps left end untouched.  Unbelievable.

Auburn 21  State 0

8:59 left in the first quarter.  This must be the fastest start in Auburn history.

State finally mounts a drive crossing into Auburn territory.
First down to the AU 23.
We move to fourth and one.
First down to the 11.
Touchdown pass from the 8.

Auburn 21  State 6

2:20 left in the first.
PAT no good.

The quarter ends with AU just out of the Red Zone.



SECOND QUARTER

Four possessions and now four touchdowns.
Whitlow in the wildcat between the tackles from the three for the TD.

Auburn 28  State 6

Back comes State with their shifty running quarterback.
The Bulldogs are having too much success running the ball.
First down the Auburn 11.
We move to third and 11.
The drive ends with a short field goal.

Auburn 28  State 9

Make that 5 possessions and 5 touchdowns.
The Tigers drive methodically again the score coming on a 39 yd. completion to a wide open Seth Williams for the score.  Easy pickings!

Auburn 35  State 9

No dice for MSU and Auburn resumes possession on their 34 after the punt as the second quarter winds down.

Completion to Seth Williams but he fumbles trying to pick up extra yardage and State has the ball at our 48.  Tough break.

First play State pass to our one including a face mask penalty on our defender.
Next play after a five yard walkout STATE FUMBLES AND AUBURN RECOVERS.
We get a celebration unsportsmanlike and start on our 8.
What a stand by our defense.  One of our defenders punched the ball out of the hands of their ballcarrier.  Auburn recovered in the mad scramble for the ball.

1:56 left in the half.

Facing third and 10.
Fourth and 10 after a short pass attempt is dropped.
Targeting call on State.  First down Auburn.
The Tigers are out beyond the 40.
There is a long completion to Schwartz to the three.
Whitlow in the wildcat walks in around the right side.
Wow, oh wow!
Seven possessions, six touchdowns.
I have never seen anything like this.
Here is our explosive offense.

Auburn 42  State 9

328 total yards in the first half.

Auburn is up 42-9 at the half.

THIRD QUARTER

The Tigers march right down the field to start the half.  Unbelievable!
The score on a long pass to Seth Williams.
I have never seen an Auburn offense this potent.

Auburn 49  State 9

13:28 left in the half.  That did not take long, did it?

There is a promising drive but Martin fumbles and State recovers at their 35.

That's two lost fumbles in this game, the only negative so far.

State goes three and out.  Our defense has been just as outstanding as the offense.
The punt rolls dead at the AU 13.

We move to fourth and one and Auburn is punting for the first time tonight.
State fair catches at their 35.

State drives for a touchdown with 2:13 left in the quarter.

Auburn 49  State 16

The quarter ends with Auburn driving first down at the State 23.  Our offense has not let up all game.

FOURTH QUARTER

Touchdown Auburn Shiver sweeping around right end from the 12.  This offense is pouring it on.

Auburn 56  State 16

14:16 left.

Next AU possession Gatewood comes in but on third and 16 we fumble away the ball for the third time  and State recovers at their 48.

State runs out of downs and with 8:46 Auburn starts at their 21.

#3 D.J. Williams is in the game.

Auburn's possession ends on downs at the Bulldog 22.

Under 4 minutes left.

With 50 seconds left MSU gets a score.

FINAL SCORE

AUBURN 56  State 23

Auburn started quickly.  It was 21 to 0 before I exhaled and the Tigers never looked back.

Now Florida Field.

















Saturday, September 21, 2019

2019 The TAMU Game

Auburn has never lost in three previous games on Kyle Field.  That has no bearing on today's game.  Each game stands on its own.  It's 2:30 kickoff on CBS.
The Aggies are a 4 point favorite.  They have the home field advantage and it's a big one in College Station.  Auburn needs to run the football to win.  From what I've seen so far, I do not believe our offense can do so.  Our defense needs to avoid a slow start.  Our offense needs to stay in the game or else our defense will wear down.  Our passing game is not good enough to sustain a poor rushing game.  Our defense needs to pressure their QB Mond.  I doubt we can do so.  I am not worried about freshman Bo Nix.  We need Seth Williams who has been injured.  How effective will he be?  I'll be surprised if we win.

FIRST QUARTER

The Tigers receive and quickly and smartly march 75 yards for the touchdown all on the ground.  Schwartz sweeps around left end 57 yards for the long touchdown.  That's a big play explosion we needed to start a game in this hostile environment.

Auburn 7  TAMU 0

On their first obsession we get them third and 16 but the Aggies convert.
TAMU converts and third and eight.  We seem to always have trouble getting stops on third down.
Another third and eight and we get called holding.  That's three straight third conversions by TAMU.
Finally fourth and six.
We are stopping their run cold but gave up third down passes to this point.
The field goal attempt is no good!
Score still 7-0 Auburn.

After one first down we have to punt.  We had a second first down but it was called back for ineligible receiver downfield.  On one play Nix had a receiver downfield for what would have been a touchdown but the ball was slightly overthrown.
A too short punt OOB and the Aggies start around their 30.

This time the Tigers hold on third one.  There is a big punt return and we are in business in Aggie land at their 46.

2:09 left in the quarter and we move to third and two.
First down run to the Aggie 25.
First run by Swartz around left end to the eight.
Gatewood fakes the run and hits a wide-open Shenker in the left corner of the end zone.  Nifty play call!
The Tigers are on fire!

Auburn 14 TAMU 0

The quarter ends with a completed Aggie pass across midfield.
This is going to be a good one.

SECOND QUARTER

The drive with a short field goal.  Our defense stiffened when it had to.

Auburn 14  TAMU 3

The Tigers go three and out for the first time.
Let's not let them seize the momentum.
Aggies start on their 26.

The Aggies drive for two first downs almost to midfield.
TAMU moves to a third and fifteen.
No sir!  Fourth as their qb scrambles and we stop him well short of the first down.
The punt goes into the end zone.  Okay.

From the 20 the Tigers go three and out as our offense looks discombobulated for the first time.  Not good.
TAMU starts just across their 40.

The Aggies go three and out as Derrick Brown gets a big sack on third down!
The punt rolls dead inside our ten.

Nix scrambles for a first down.
Then we have to punt.  Hastings was open downfield but Nix overthrows him.
Auburn is punting from our 25 with 1:58 left.
TAMU sets up on their 20 with 1:47 left after the punt.

One first down.
Derrick Brown almost comes down with an interception ball right in his hands.
First down out to their 48.
We move to fourth and five from our 47.
TAMU punts OOB to our 6 with 34 seconds left.

Those last 34 seconds will elapse slowly as the home team uses their timeouts.
Auburn is forced to punt from around our five with 14 seconds left.  TO TAMU.
Seven seconds left TAMU at our 40.
Offsides Auburn now 4 seconds left.
The long FG attempt is wide left.

Halftime Score
Auburn 14 TAMU 3
The Tigers make two first quarter touchdowns hold up so far.

THIRD QUARTER

TAMU receives and they fumble on their first play scrimmage and Auburn recovers!
The Tigers move quickly to a first and goal from the seven.
Big opportunity here for the Tigers if we can capitalize.
Touchdown pass to Seth Williams!  From the nine.  Williams can catch the football by golly.

Auburn 21 TAMU 3

Couldn't ask for a better start to the second half.

Carlson kicks off OOB.  Don't need that.

We sack Mond twice.  A delay penalty and a procedure penalty and Aggies are out 3rd and 30.
4th down and the Aggs are punting.
The punt goes into the end zone.

From our 20 we go three and out.
The ball is fair-caught at their 37.

The Aggies of three and out.
Auburn ball at our nine.
They are getting a better punting performance than Auburn.
But there is a procedure penalty on TAMU and have to punt again.
Another penalty against the Aggies and they are punting for the third time.
This Tutt returns to the AU 26.

The Tigers march methodically down the field.
This offense can look good when it wants to.
First down to the Aggie 46.
We go backwards from there and have to punt.
TAMU from their fifteen.

The third quarter ends with TAMU driving with a first down at the Auburn thirty something as they dink us with short pass completions.

FOURTH QUARTER

Can the Tigers hold a 21 to 3 lead in the 4th quarter at Kyle Field?

The Aggies drive to a 27 yd. TD pass.

Auburn 21  TAMU 10

The amazing Tigers answer with a TD pass to hopefully seal the game all on the game.  Their defense must tired.  I've been wondering about Whitlow.  There he is in the 4th quarter running the ball down their throats.  12 plays 69 yards over 6 minutes off the clock. My, oh my!
That was a game winning drive!

Auburn 28 TAMU 10

TAMU continues with the short passes as the clock moves under 8 minutes.
Injured Aggie clock stopped at the TAMU 39 with one of their players on the turf.
There is a completion to the AU 44.
There is a completion to the AU 32.
Pass interference to the AU 18.
6:54 to go.
The Aggies drive to a 4th and goal at the six and elect to kick the field goal.

Auburn 28 TAMU 13.

Interesting decision by Dumbo Fisher.
5:36 to go.
The kick goes into the end zone.

The Tigers are punting with 4:41 to go.
It's never easy, is it?
The kick is mishandled but the Aggies recover at their 19.

The Aggies short pass their way down the field getting a TD on a 15 pass.  Oh, my.
2:12 to go.

Auburn 28 TAMU 20

The Tigers recover the onside kick at midfield.
On 2nd and 8 with 2:05 left Fisher calls his last timeout.
On third and five with 1:20 left Auburn calls TO after running play clock down.
Nix keeps around left end for the first down.  Game, set, match.
Our freshman QB makes the game winning scoot to ice the game.
Auburn wins again at Kyle Field!

AUBURN 28  TEXAS A AND M 20

It's great to beat Dumbo Fisher.
Not necessarily pretty but a good game plan.
We ran the football.  TAMU could not run the ball.
193 yards on the ground.
We got off to a good start and made it hold up.
That's the deciding factor so often in SEC football.

War Eagle!!!












Wednesday, September 18, 2019

TAMU UP NEXT

I am pessimistic because as with all Malzahn teams, Auburn must run the football to win.  I can't see our passing being effective enough to offset a weak running game.  It's a shame because our defense, if it can avoid a slow start, can keep us in any game with a decent offense.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

2019 The Kent State Game

Halftime score
Auburn 24 Kent State 10

Final score
Auburn 55 Kent State 16