The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
The Vanderbilt Commodore's mascot
November 2, 2024 – AUBURN, AL - the good news for Auburn is that the team does not get blown out. They fight hard, hit hard, show incredible toughness, and are tied or leading late in the fourth quarter in most of their games. The bad news is that Auburn loses all those close games. Such was the experience of Auburn fans on the Plains Saturday.
The game with the Vanderbilt Commodores was tied 7 to 7 for a long, long time and Auburn was down only 3 points – until Vanderbilt iced the game with a Diego Pavia pass to Eli Stowers for a touchdown with 4:18 left to play. Everyone in the stands or watching on television knew then that even with 3 timeouts there is no way that a Hugh Freeze offense in 2024 is capable of scoring twice in four minutes – Freeze had managed only one scoring drive and one missed field goal in the previous 55:42 of play.
Auburn senior Quarterback Payton Thorne usually gets most of the blame from both the fans and his head coach for Auburn's offensive woes. Thorne was 20 for 29 and 239 yards and a touchdown. It wasn't poor quarterback play that stymied the Tigers' offense but unimaginative play calling and an offensive scheme that increasingly looks outdated in today's college football.
The lone Auburn score was a Rivaldo Fairweather 30-yard touchdown reception thrown by Thorne in the second quarter. The 11 play 80-yard scoring drive would be the only time Auburn got points – even though the offense finished the day with 327 yards on the day.
Last week Auburn got its only Southeastern Conference win not by throwing it all over the field; but by featuring senior running back Jarquez Hunter who rushed for 278 yards to come from behind. Freeze apparently burned that game plan Freeze only gave Hunter the ball 12 carries in a game that was close until the very end. Hunter managed 50 yards; but his obvious talent leaves most Auburn fans wondering what could have been if Auburn put the quarterback back under center (instead of perennially eight yards behind the line of scrimmage in the pistol formation), a road grader of a tight end in for run blocking, and a power running back lined up in the eye formation with a fullback for lead blocking. That probably would not win the SEC in 2024; but it would wear defenses down, grind the clock, and at least be bowl eligible.
Auburn's defense played lights out for three and a half quarters before finally breaking down in the fourth quarter. This as not Pavia's best game. Pavia only had 9 completions in 23 attempts for just 143 yards; but had two touchdowns. He was clearly still hurting from the injury that he received last week in the lost to Texas; but this is the second time he has led a team in to Auburn and defeated Freeze – last year he was with New Mexico State. Vanderbilt only had 227 yards of total offense on the day – but they got the 17 points.
Vanderbilt is now bowl eligible for the first time since 2018. If there was ever another season where Vanderbilt beat both Auburn and Alabama in the same year - this 55-year-old reporter did not experience it.
Auburn on the other hand falls to 3 and 6. Auburn could still go to a bowl if they ran the table; but to do that they have to beat University of Louisiana Monroe (5-3), #10 Texas A&M (7-2), and #14 Alabama (6-2). That is not impossible but for a team that has only managed 3 wins (just one in the last six) it seems unlikely.
Freeze now falls to just 9 and 13 in his two years at Auburn and just 4 and 10 in the SEC likely with more losses to come.
With Auburn's season likely concluding in four weeks, the biggest decision that Auburn Athletics Director John Cohen faces is whether or not to retain Freeze for a third season.
Freeze's buyout is $20.3 million if the team fired him at the end of the season. Auburn would not have to pay that all at once though. His contract is structured in such a way that they can elect to pay him monthly payments through 2028 thus the up front costs would not be punitive.
The affable Freeze (unlike Harsin – his predecessor) is liked by the fans and recruiting appears to be going well. Also Auburn fired head coaches in 2020 and 2022, so firing a coach in 2024 just doesn't sound good. Allowing Freeze another year to figure out his offensive dilemma or find players who can run his system seems like where this is headed.
The good news for Auburn fans is that basketball season starts on Wednesday versus Vermont. Auburn enters the season #11 in the country.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com
Reader Comments(0)