Column: Same Story, Different Day For AU

Mike Szvetitz, Media General News Service
Published: October 12, 2008

Tommy Tuberville told the truth.

“That was probably a game that we shouldn’t have had a chance (to win) there at the end because of the way we played,” the Auburn head coach admitted.

Amen.

Sure, Auburn had a chance — two of them, honestly — to beat Arkansas on Saturday night. And honestly, no, the Tigers didn’t deserve it. Not with this offense. Not this Saturday. Not this season.

A quick look at the stat sheet: Auburn, 193 yards. Total. Arkansas, 416 yards. Total.

That’s right. The Tigers were outgained by 223 yards by one of the worst offense/defense combinations in the country. Take out the 76 yards Auburn gained on its second-to-last drive — which, by the way, stalled at the Arkansas 4-yard line — and the Tigers are at 117 for the game.

No, really, Tony Franklin wasn’t calling plays. But I’m sure wherever he was, he was smiling.

Auburn’s not. Not today. Truth be told, probably not until the Tigers win another game. Which, by the way things are going, might not be until November.

(Gulp.)

A quick look at the halftime total yardage: Arkansas 244, Auburn 53.

“You can look at offense, but it wasn’t just offense,” Tuberville said. “We struggled in every area.”

True.

There was that missed field goal which could have flipped the field, while giving Auburn a late lead.

And, Auburn’s defense did give up more than 400 yards, including 176 on the ground to running back Michael Smith. Then there’s the 25 points.

But, come on, it was only a matter of time before the defense cracked under the pressure of supporting the 10,000-pound slug disguised as Auburn’s offense. A unit can’t play that many snaps with its back against the wall and win.

But, yet, it almost did. Despite the struggles, AU’s defense kept the Tigers in the game. Stop me if you’ve heard that before.

Wait, not yet. Here’s another one … the offense couldn’t capitalize.

Auburn’s lucky there’s two other facets to the game of football, because if it came down to just offense, the Tigers would be winless. Maybe even in negative numbers. It’s that bad. Really.

Think about it. Out of AU’s 134 total points on the season, 35 have come from the special teams or the defense. Then there’s the 48 points the Tigers have scored off of turnovers.

I’m not a rocket scientist, but that means Auburn’s offense has generated just 51 points on its own the entire season. Wow.

And Auburn’s still above .500. How does that happen? It’s still a mystery that this team has won four games just based on the numbers. And what’s even more baffling is that the Tigers could be undefeated.

They should (on paper) have beaten Vanderbilt and Arkansas. And they could have knocked off LSU. Did I really just write that? But, it’s true.

Here’s another stat … Auburn kick returner Tristan Davis, 182 total yards. Auburn, 193.

What’s going on here?

Truthfully, no one knows.

“Overall, we are average,” starting quarterback Kodi Burns said after the game. “It’s not that we’re an average team — we have the skill players, we have the positions — but going three-and-out and not being consistent, you just become an average team.”

Average is too optimistic. Even the fans agree.

They were so frustrated during the third quarter that they started doing the wave just to have something to cheer about. They stopped that just in time to boo (Saturday’s) backup quarterback Chris Todd for throwing an interception.

That series was followed closely by the Auburn University Marching Band playing Twisted Sister’s classic “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”

Fitting? Mm hmm.

“We’ve got to find ways to make plays,” Tuberville said. “It’s pretty obvious.”

Yes. Yes, it is.

Honestly.

MIKE SZVETITZ is sports editor of the Opelika-Auburn News. He may be reached at or 334-737-2513.