Commentary on LSU Game

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The Auburn Tigers take #7 LSU to OT on the road.

We Win as the AU Family. We Lose as the AU Family!

David K. Ward

AUNation.net

10-24-05

The Auburn Tigers outperformed the skeptics. Though they still lost, Tigers see light ahead. Playing on the Road at LSU, Auburn showed more evidence than ever that they are “More Reloading than Rebuilding.”

Well, the toughest game of the year is over for the Auburn Tigers. Winning on the road in the SEC is tough. Playing a ranked LSU on the road is tougher still. Starting a new quarterback, in just his second road game, at LSU is tougher still.

But Coach Tommy Tuberville took his Auburn team and did all of the above Saturday night in Baton Rouge. Yet his supposedly out manned Tigers out-played and out-performed the very talented and highly rated LSU Tigers. The cards were just not right fro Auburn in the loss. But there were many superlatives to hand out. Let’s take a look at… The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly.

THE UGLY: Let’s get this out of the way first. The kicking game did not perform as well as it has in the past. A line drive punt allowed LSU’s Skyler Green to return it for a first quarter TD, LSU’s only points of the first half. Punting, otherwise, was great. But the real damage was that Auburn misfired on five, yes that is right, five FGs. Auburn kicker John Vaughn went 1-6 on the night. His was the only truly nightmarish part of the day when Auburn looked very good elsewhere. For the record, Vaughn is a preseason All-SEC Kicker and is still rates Second in the SEC in scoring. However, Auburn’s FG percentage now leaves it in 10th  place in a conference of 12 teams. Only Ole Miss and Kentucky have worse overall records kicking FGs.

THE GOOD: The Defense held a very good LSU Team to just 10 points including the already mentioned shut out in the first half. Give LSU its due; they are a very talented team with a mature passing and running game. Addai was held to just below his average rushing and the LSU passing game did no real damage when we look back. LSU came in averaging close to 31 PPG. Auburn allowed just 10 points by the Offense in regulation, just 20 points in OT and with the special teams TD.

THE BAD: As in Bad to the Bone. The Auburn offense ran wild on what was the SEC’s Top Rated Run Defense. Kenny Iron’s now famous boast of 200 yards against LSU came true when he finished the game with 218 yards. He has run for exactly 400 yards during this two game road stretch. The O-line, awarded the Offensive player of the Game Award by the staff last week, may have eclipsed that performance with the game at LSU. How well did Auburn’s Offense do during the game? It dropped LSU from first to fourth in the SEC with Saturday’s performance. During the game, Auburn’s Offense outperformed #7 LSU in all of these key stats: First Downs, Rushing Yards, Passing Yards, and even Average Yards per Punt. Even the LSU faithful left convinced that Irons is a stud running back. Make no mistake, LSU has a great defense.

SUMMATION: Moral Victories are for losers. That is axiomatic. But while we lost, there were good signs for what was billed as a rebuilding year.

AU Found: New Smash Mouth Running Game, a New Leader at Quarterback, Stability on Defense with new Defensive Coordinator David Gibbs, a new identity on Offense, a quarterback that can successfully run two minute offense. Suddenly “Rebuilding” is looking more like “Reloading.”

[geauxscott 0]

good read