Lesson learned from UGA loss

[WFE12 9,191]

Lessons won: What Auburn football learned in loss to Georgia last season

By Lauren Shute SEC Country staff 
July 26, 2017

All of Auburn football’s five losses in 2016 stung, but the Tigers won lessons in each. This week, SEC Country will examine what the Tigers can do to put themselves in a better position to win this season’s rematches. 

2016: Georgia 13, Auburn 7 | 2017: at Auburn, Nov. 11

Of Auburn’s losses last season, the game that slipped away in Sanford Stadium left the worst taste.

And Gus Malzahn didn’t try to hide it in his postgame news conference.

“Obviously a disappointing loss. Really tough loss,” Malzahn said. “Our defense played outstanding. Our offense didn’t get it done today. It’s as simple as that. We didn’t get a first down in the second half. Give them credit. They had a good plan. We didn’t do a good job of executing and doing the things we need to do.”

But it stretched further than it. The Tigers converted only 2 of 12 attempts on third down. Explosive plays were nonexistent. Kevin Steele’s defense, which demonstrated all-out effort, deserved better.

LESSONS WON: Clemson | Texas A&M

A poor gameplan led to Auburn’s season-opening loss to Clemson and Texas A&M simply outplayed Auburn.

But in Athens? Malzahn’s team, even with injuries and issues, was better than the Bulldogs. So how to explain the loss? For starters, it’s the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.

“I think the Georgia-Auburn rivalry is definitely one of those where it seems like even when Georgia doesn’t have a team that should win that game that you still have to be conscious of the fact that it’s the Georgia-Auburn game,” said Benjamin Wolk, who graduated from Georgia in 2014 and covers Auburn recruiting for SEC Country.

QB hunt begins 

Quarterback Sean White was 6 of 20 passing against Georgia and later said he was “less than 100 percent.” He played through an injury to his throwing shoulder, which he hurt two weeks earlier against Ole Miss. And because Auburn led Georgia 7-0 at halftime, there was no talk of replacing White.

But the injury had a long-term impact for the Tigers.

“I think coaches really looked at that game and said, ‘Sean’s a great quarterback, he’s a guy we think we can win with in the SEC,'” Wolk said. “But when you’ve got 12-game SEC seasons and you get deep into those schedules, if there’s a guy that keeps getting hurt over and over again — you have to do something about that quarterback room.”

So that’s where the pursuit of Jarrett Stidham began. And quarterback wasn’t the only position impacted by injury.

Power of Pettway 

By the Georgia game, Kamryn Pettway had gone from unknown H-back to possible Heisman contender.

That progression was largely the reason the CBS camera crew kept zeroing in on Pettway dressed in sweatpants on Auburn’s sideline. He missed the Georgia game with a leg injury suffered the previous week against Vanderbilt.

“I think that game in particular was Auburn coaches learning they can’t underestimate what Kamryn Pettway brings to a team,” Wolk said. “Really since Pettway got to Auburn, he was an H-back. When Jovan Robinson got dismissed from the team, people were talking about Chandler Cox, asking if he going to be taking carries. There was talk about Kamryn Pettway, but I don’t think even coaches knew what they had.”

Kerryon Johnson, who rushed for 99 yards and completed 2 passes against the Bulldogs, remains a valuable weapon for Auburn and he’ll play an important role in 2017. But Pettway provides the physical presence that was missing against Georgia.

“When you’ve got a 240-pound running back that can just bruise through SEC defensive lines and linebacking groups,” Wolk said, “it just makes life so much easier.”

Focus on the task at hand 

Inside the Auburn Athletics Complex in the weeks leading up to the Georgia game the focus seemed to be on the next opponent. But the impending Iron Bowl and growing anticipation for a potential championship-type game against Alabama in Tuscaloosa was nearly impossible to avoid.

“I think what’ll be different this year is Auburn goes into that game with the mentality of, ‘Alright that’s not happening this year,'” Wolk said. “I don’t think they’re going to look ahead to Alabama, even though the Iron Bowl this year might be even bigger than the Iron Bowl last year could have been.”

Auburn needs to focus on the moment this season, instead of on the looming Civil War with the Crimson Tide.

“You don’t want to lose to Georgia or Alabama four years in a row,” Wolk said. “But you really don’t want to lose to Georgia four years in a row when they aren’t at the peak of their program.”

Tensions are high when Auburn plays Georgia. It’s the type of game that sometimes produces an undeserving winner — a rivalry game at its finest.

“I think that’s a good lesson for Auburn to learn going into this year, because if you just look at the talent of both teams, obviously that’s 10 weeks away, but if you look at the talent of both of those teams Auburn should win that game this year,” Wolk said. “There’s no question about that.”

[kd4au 1,145]

4 hours ago, WFE12 said:

There was talk about Kamryn Pettway, but I don’t think even coaches knew what they had

I hate to say it but I agree with him and it bothers me on so many levels. I hope they know now and I hope they know what they have in Stidham.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

We learned that if we have injuries, we are in trouble.

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

 

     

That about does it

[corchjay 5,311]

Injuries affect teams and alter game plans... Go figure

[Woodstock Tiger 131]

There was no back up plan.  Really like Sean, but it was clear he couldn't pass the ball, and it ended up costing them the game when he did throw the ball.  Worst coaching decision ever to keep him in.  Kid is a gamer, but he needs to be 100% to be effective.  Stidham hasn't proven he's durable yet either, so it may take BOTH of them to get through the season.  I'm gonna be holding my breath whenever either of them gets tackled.   

[penguin149 391]

Hate to say this but JJ at QB in the second half would have won that game.  The offense gave up as many points as they scored.  Very frustrating...

Were "ifs" and "buts" candy and nuts.....

[weagl1 1,782]

One of the dumbest losses in the history of Auburn football and the one the year before was just about as bad.  Do y'all realize they beat us two years in a row without an offensive touchdown?  The defense deserved better than to be beat on an interception return for a TD last year and a punt return for a TD the year before.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.  

[cole256 17,042]

I surely hope everything in this article isn't true....makes our coaches look rather basic in this piece

[AUIH1 1,515]

6 hours ago, cole256 said:

I surely hope everything in this article isn't true....makes our coaches look rather basic in this piece

They have been when it comes to playing uga.  

wde

[SaltyTiger 7,782]

I still get a sick feeling every time I see something reminding me of that debacle.

Mods...... please delete this thread and start giving warnings to anyone that mentions it in the future. 

[Win4AU 4,052]

The UGA game was a perfect storm.  Qb hurt,  only RB not hurt was Kam Martin.  Coaches didn't trust qb 2 & 3.  Defense on the field for the majority of the 2nd half got gassed.  Lesson learned was have a dependable backup qb.  Auburn has that this season.

[LKEEL75 2,566]

4 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

The UGA game was a perfect storm.  Qb hurt,  only RB not hurt was Kam Martin.  Coaches didn't trust qb 2 & 3.  Defense on the field for the majority of the 2nd half got gassed.  Lesson learned was have a dependable backup qb.  Auburn has that this season.

And hopefully we will have a stable of them ready to take the reigns at any point.

[Tiger 8,818]

Let's just all agree that the 2016 AU vs UGA game was cancelled

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

2 hours ago, SaltyTiger said:

I still get a sick feeling every time I see something reminding me of that debacle.

Mods...... please delete this thread and start giving warnings to anyone that mentions it in the future. 

Amen brother. 

[SaltyTiger 7,782]

Lesson learned from watching that game. Can not repair a flat screen after throwing a brick through it.

[AUApostle 7,651]

5 hours ago, SaltyTiger said:

Lesson learned from watching that game. Can not repair a flat screen after throwing a brick through it.

Is this an analogy for our offense?

[aubaseball 2,591]

The lesson should have been that you could have put the back up qb in the game and ran the zone read and AU would have won the game.  Only pass that should have been attempted was the fly pattern on third and long.    Worse case would have been an interception acting like a punt, incompletion or completion.   Either way AU wins.  

Dumbest thing to do is throw a short out pattern with a qb with a bad shoulder. Result=loss

 

[Tiger 8,818]

On 7/28/2017 at 5:55 PM, aubaseball said:

The lesson should have been that you could have put the back up qb in the game and ran the zone read and AU would have won the game.  Only pass that should have been attempted was the fly pattern on third and long.    Worse case would have been an interception acting like a punt, incompletion or completion.   Either way AU wins.  

Dumbest thing to do is throw a short out pattern with a qb with a bad shoulder. Result=loss

 

I definitely agree with your underlying point but I don't think we can blame the UGA pick-6 on SW's injury. He made a terrible read on that play and unfortunately for us, that was the difference in the game. Even if fully healthy he should not have attempted that throw IMO

[Tigerfinz 1,362]

I learned that all of the leg humpers sitting around me in Sanford Stadium deserved throat punches...

[PoetTiger 1,896]

On 7/27/2017 at 6:50 PM, penguin149 said:

Hate to say this but JJ at QB in the second half would have won that game.  The offense gave up as many points as they scored.  Very frustrating...

Were "ifs" and "buts" candy and nuts.....

I don't think so...Jmho though. It was a combo of bad preparation, poor coaching and players not executing as well as untimely injuries to two critical players. 

[auburn4ever 1,266]

The last 3 games with Georgia has really kicked me off. We were out played and out coached even though we had the better team going into those games.

[Bo Duke 49]

On 7/27/2017 at 6:27 PM, Woodstock Tiger said:

There was no back up plan.  Really like Sean, but it was clear he couldn't pass the ball, and it ended up costing them the game when he did throw the ball.  Worst coaching decision ever to keep him in.  Kid is a gamer, but he needs to be 100% to be effective.  Stidham hasn't proven he's durable yet either, so it may take BOTH of them to get through the season.  I'm gonna be holding my breath whenever either of them gets tackled.   

Woodstock where? I reside within the city limits myself.

We didn't have a QB after Sean at that point in the season. Not that Gus was going to turn loose anyway. If Pettway was healthy, I believe we win anyway. but without him, we were a team without a star. I remember hurting for Sean. When i saw him attempt that throw after he was hurt, you just knew. It was Noodle City, and he couldn't have helped it.

We didn't score many defensive TD's last year. I hope we change that this year.