It seems like months ago that Auburn ended the regular season with a win over Mississippi State. The next day the Tigers fired Gus Malzahn and hired Boise State coach Bryan Harsin. Okay. Today the interim HC is Kevin Steele. It's Northwestern time. What will happen today? I have no idea. Not sure how much it matters. We have several significant players out today for various reasons: opting out, COVID, injuries. The Wildcats are the Big Ten runner up. They are supposed to have a great defense. The biggest player not on the field today is our best runner Tank Bigsby.
FIRST QUARTER
Northwestern strikes first with a 75 yard drive leading to a 35 yd. TD pass. On that initial drive their QB had all day to throw. Solid drive no defense.
Auburn 0 Northwestern 7
Our offense goes 3 and out not what we needed.
Punt into the end zone.
We are already behind the 8 ball.
One first down and NW is punting from their 40.
Punt into the end zone.
Again three and out. 4th and three.
Fair catch at the NW 32.
NW converts a 4th and 8 moves to the Auburn 25.
To the Auburn 16. No pressure on their passer.
To the Auburn 7. This is too easy for the Wildcats having their way with the passing game.
NW is passing the ball up and down to the field.
Touchdown pass from the 6. Easing pickings for NW passing.
Auburn 0 Northwestern 14
Stopping the run but NO passing defense, no pressure on their QB.
From the 25 first down to midfield.
First down to the 39.
First down offensive pass interference call the blame on Nix.
Nix has the usual passing inefficiency.
4th and 5 going for it.
Incomplete pass. They get pressure on Nix. We get no pressure on their QB. Inaccurate passing by Nix. The game so far. Nix runs when he should stay in the pocket a second or two longer.
The quarter ends as NW clearly wins the first quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
On 4th and three incompletion.
Auburn resumes possession on their 43.
Auburn is out of sync so far. We are used to it this year.
Another three and out. Nix is not proficient. Pressure by the Wildcats.
Fair catch by NW at their 13.
Coach Harsin is watching the game.
4th and 5 at their 33.
Finally they are punting.
Coach Harsin talks away into his headphone watching the game.
AU starts on their 47.
First down to the NW 40.
First down to the 42.
First down to the 28.
Carlson hits a 50 yd. field goal. The usual end of a Tiger drive.
6:03 to go in the half.
With 4:09 NW is punting. Auburn starts on their 18.
First down to the AU 33.
The clock winds toward three minutes to go.
First down to the NW 45.
Nix misses a side open Seth Williams that would have been a touchdown. Nix is not efficient.
First down the NW 32.
First down to the 18.
No gain. Just inside a minute to go.
52 seconds left.
Timeout Auburn.
To the 13 and third down now.
Third and five.
False start. Not good.
Third and ten.
First down to Stove.
Big third down conversion.
First and goal from the six.
Incompletion to the end zone.
Canion could have caught it.
32 seconds to go timeout Northwestern.
Incompletion third and goal from the six.
Auburn moves as Alec Jackson pickups up his fourth false start.
Incompletion as Seth Williams comes down out of bounds.
Penalties hurt in this drive.
Auburn 6 Northwestern 17
Seventeen seconds to go.
THIRD GOAL
On their second possession of the quarter Auburn gets a long touchdown pass to Elijah Canion,
Auburn 13 Northwestern 14
NW drives into Auburn territory but our defense stops them on fourth and two.
The Tigers regain possession on their 34.
The wildcat doesn't work on third and one.
The Wildcats regain passions inside their 15.
From the AU 30 on third and ten their QB runs down the wide-open left side of the field for a touchdown.
Auburn 13 Northwestern 21
1:34 to go in the third. Their QB is not flashy but you can tell he is posed and experienced. He is better than Nix.
The quarter ends with Auburn facing third and two short of midfield.
FOURTH QUARTER
On fourth and two inches Nix sneaks, jumps, but is marked short, no gain. No push by the center of the offensive line. The play is reviewed but in the pile of bodies the call on the field stands. That's probably the ballgame though it's still early in the fourth.
NW goes right down the field gashing us on the ground.
Auburn 13 Northwestern 28
Nix is injured. Sandberg comes in and on third and two Shivers fumbles and NW recovers at the Auburn 28.
Auburn cut the lead to one but NW has scored 14 unanswered. The game has slipped away.
Nix is in the injury tent.
From the eight NW extends its lead. From 14-13 the Wildcats take solid control. 7:49 unmercifully left.
Auburn 13 Northwestern 35
Nix is back in I don't know why.
Consolation TD drive Williams running it in from the two. Two-point try no good.
Auburn 19 Northwestern 35
NW runs out the clock.
FINAL SCORE
AUBURN 19 NORTHWESTERN 35
