What could have been haunts Tigers

AUBURN — There are plenty of similarities between this year’s Tigers and those in the recent past, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said.

Only one, major difference, though: The few, 50-50 plays that seemed to always go Auburn’s way under Tuberville, have almost all gone in favor of the opposition.

Bad karma? Not quite, Tuberville said.

“We just didn’t get it done; didn’t finish,” Tuberville said. “We had a couple of balls in the end zone, extra points missed, field goals. There’s really not a lot of difference, other than last year we made a few more plays.”

It’s been enough to keep senior wide receiver Rod Smith up late at night, thinking about what could have been this season, which currently has Auburn at 5-6, needing a win in Saturday’s Iron Bowl just to be bowl-eligible.

“That’s been on my mind a lot just to think about all the things that could have happened. When you start dwelling on that stuff, it gets worse,” Smith said. “It hurts.

“It’s crazy how things work.”

If Auburn would have made these five, in-game situations work, its sub-.500 record might look a lot prettier.

1. Where: At Vanderbilt

When: Oct. 4

The situation: Auburn jumps out to a 13-0 first quarter lead after Chris Todd connects with Mario Fannin on a 28-yard touchdown pass. Wes Byrum and the rest of the field-goal team trot out for the extra point, which should put the wraps on the best 15 minutes of Auburn football to date.

What went wrong: Byrum’s kick misses the mark. The momentum is seemingly sucked out of the Tigers, who can’t muster another scoring opportunity the rest of the game. Vanderbilt rallies for two touchdowns at the end of the second quarter and early in the second half, making both extra points to squeak away with a one-point victory.

2. Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium, against Arkansas

When: Oct. 11

The situation: After a three-and-half quarters of little to no offensive fireworks, Kodi Burns leads the Tigers, down 25-20 with less than three minutes remaining, from their own 20 to the Razorbacks 5-yard line with four downs to score.

What went wrong: From there, Auburn gains just 1 more yard on Burns’ first-down sneak. His next three passes all sail well over his intended receivers’ heads, as Arkansas takes over on downs and locks up the upset victory.

3. Where: at West Virginia

When: Oct. 23

The situation: Holding a 17-3 lead in the second quarter after a Burns’ 9-yard touchdown run, the Tigers successfully convert a surprise on-side kick attempt, taking the ball over in strong field position with a chance to go for the kill.
What went wrong: Instead of trying to catch the Mountaineers off guard by going deep on the first play from scrimmage, Auburn runs an unsuccessful reverse, paving the way for a three-and-out. West Virginia scores the final 31 points from there, while the Tigers muster just 84 yards of offense in the second half.

4. Where: at Ole Miss

When: Nov. 1

The situation: Trailing 10-7 to start the fourth quarter, Burns connects with Chris Slaughter for a 42-yard pass to put Auburn inside the Rebels’ 20. A misfire and a sack set the Tigers up for third-and-12.

What went wrong: Burns wiggles out to his right, looks to his right and throws off his back foot. The ball hits Rebels’ cornerback Marshay Green square in the numbers. Ole Miss takes over and drives 66 yards to take a decisive 10-point advantage.
5. Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium, against Georgia

When: Nov. 15

The situation: Burns connects with Fannin on a 48-yard touchdown pass to take a 6-0 lead late in the first quarter. Byrum and the field goal team trot out for the extra point.

What went wrong: Holder Clayton Crowfoot drops the ball. The lead stays at 6-0 and completely changes the landscape of the game. Down 4, instead of 3, late in the game, Auburn is forced to go for it on fourth-and-3 inside field goal range. Burns’ pass to the end zone falls just out of Montez Billings’ reach. Auburn gets another chance to score even later, but, again, a touchdown is necessary and, again, Auburn fails to convert.