Jengkol Pasar: Grading Auburn’s 31-24 Outback Bowl loss to Minnesota

After finally finding its rhythm at the end of the regular season, Auburn faltered in its final game.

The Tigers gave up more rushing yards than they had all season to the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Outback Bowl. They also rushed for less yards than they had all season.

The Gophers outperformed the Tigers in every aspect of the game, from coaching to playing, and both the players and the coaches spoke in agreement with that statement. Below is a position-by-position look at how Auburn did:

Outback Bowl - Minnesota v Auburn — Getty Images

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 01: Bo Nix #10 of the Auburn Tigers calls a play during the 2020 Outback Bowl against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Raymond James Stadium on January 01, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Quarterbacks: B

While Auburn’s offense had trouble creating any sort of momentum, Bo Nix did his job adequately. He completed over 50 percent of his pass attempts. That percentage goes up if you discount the passes the receivers dropped. Some of his throws were a little off target, but they were close enough for his receivers to reel in. One was nearly picked off, but that was a single occurrence. Nix made good decisions as he scrambled and tried to extend plays. He picked up several first downs. However, Nix wasn’t able to create momentum for the struggling offense.

Running backs: C-

No one could get it done against Minnesota. Five running backs attempted to create a spark. They all averaged less than three yards per carry. Auburn didn’t make too many attempts to run the ball, but it also only ran 53 plays the entire game. Boobee Whitlow briefly got something going in the third quarter, rushing for 44 yards and jumping over multiple people to get into the end zone. However, he also fumbled the ball near the end zone and was saved when Prince Tega Wanogho fell on the ball.

Iron Bowl — AP

Auburn running back Harold Joiner (29) runs by a block from Auburn fullback Spencer Nigh (99) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

H-backs / tight ends: C

The tight ends were a part of Auburn’s mostly ineffective blocking game. Along with the offensive line, they only helped Auburn to 56 rushing yards. Nix also did not have much time to go through his reads because he was constantly scrambling. Spencer Nigh did play a role in the passing game when he made a big third down catch. The 24-yarder was the longest of his career. He also rushed for two yards. Jay Jay Wilson also contributed two catches for 12 yards.

Outback Bowl Game — AP

Auburn wide receiver Seth Williams (18) srops in front of Minnesota defensive back Coney Durr during the first half of the Outback Bowl NCAA college football game Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Wide receivers: C

The passing game accounted for most of Auburn’s offensive production, but it was still a part of Auburn’s worst offensive output of the season. Anthony Schwartz found success with some short routes, but that failed to be effective later on. Seth Williams made a few big catches for first downs, but they didn’t lead to much. Sal Cannella got himself open for an uncontested touchdown catch. But Auburn made few attempts at deep shots down field because the receivers were having difficulty creating separation. A few longer passes that Nix attempted were dropped, as well.

Offensive line: D

Auburn rushed for 56 yards. Nix was sacked twice. The highlight of the offensive line’s performance was when Wanogho saved Whitlow by recovering his fumble. In the last game for four starters, the offensive line had an uninspired performance. They couldn’t protect the rushers or create holes for them. They couldn’t protect the passer and give him time. They were a big reason why Auburn had less than half as many yards as Minnesota.

Defensive line: C

Generally, Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson make their presence known. Against Minnesota, they were just two more faces on the field. After they each averaged more than one tackle for loss a game, neither of them had a single tackle for loss or sack. Brown impacted the game by occupying several linemen’s attention, but he wasn’t able to be as dominant as usual. The line was also able to put some pressure on Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan, but they couldn’t adjust to Minnesota’s offensive schemes. They gave up 215 rushing yards, more than they have all season. Davidson said they didn’t play as sharply as usual.

Linebackers: C-

K.J. Britt started the game with a tackle for loss and then did not make another one all game. He and the other linebackers have been good at tackling all season, but against Minnesota, they suddenly had problems. The Gophers broke their tackles and evaded their tackle attempts. The linebackers weren’t able to stop the gaps in the run game, either. Overall, they couldn’t get the defense up to the speed it usually plays with.

Tyler Johnson, Javaris Davis — AP

Auburn defensive back Javaris Davis (13) runs with the football after intercepting a pass intended for Minnesota wide receiver Tyler Johnson (6) during the first half of the Outback Bowl NCAA college football game Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Cornerbacks: C

On the very first drive, Javaris Davis picked off Morgan’s pass and returned it into the red zone. He continued to have a decent game, but he got hurt and had to leave the game. All the defensive backs had a serious challenge because they were matched against a pair of All-Big Ten receivers. There’s a reason Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson are so highly regarded, and they showed it against Auburn. They outran Auburn’s cornerbacks and won 50/50 balls over them.

Tyler Johnson, Daniel Thomas — AP

Minnesota wide receiver Tyler Johnson (6) makes a catch after getting around Auburn defensive back Daniel Thomas (24) during the second half of the Outback Bowl NCAA college football game Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Safeties: D

Auburn’s secondary was torn apart by Johnson. He found every hole and made a play. He and Bateman were very open on too many of their catches. Johnson also outran anyone covering him. He left Smoke Monday in the dust on his final touchdown. Besides the coverage problems, the secondary didn’t tackle nearly as well as it usually does. Several of the Gopher’s scores resulted because of missed tackles.

Special teams: C

Parts of the special teams looked amazing and other parts were cringeworthy. Anders Carlson opened up the scoring with a 24-yard field goal. Noah Igbinoghene added to it when he returned a kick for a touchdown. After that, Minnesota refused to kick to him. Arryn Siposs got solid yardage on his punts. But Siposs also had to throw a pass on a trick punt, and it didn’t go well. The snap was high, and Siposs overthrew his target. On top of that, Christian Tutt muffed a punt. He looked like he was being extremely careful every time he fielded a punt after that.

[embedded content]

Coaching: D

Gus Malzahn said he got outcoached. The players said they got outschemed. The game started off rough for both the offense and the defense. Usually, when they struggle in the beginning of the game, the Tigers make halftime adjustments. Against Minnesota, nothing seemed to work. The Minnesota running backs kept running out to the edges, and the defense wasn’t able to adjust to that. The offense tried some deep plays, but none of them panned out. The creative trick plays did not work at all, and the play book never opened up because the run game couldn’t get going.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Sports - Latest - Google News
January 02, 2020 at 04:00AM
https://ift.tt/39vPhq1

Grading Auburn’s 31-24 Outback Bowl loss to Minnesota - AL.com
Sports - Latest - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Mbsnt7
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update

Jengkol Pasar

Pages

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Grading Auburn’s 31-24 Outback Bowl loss to Minnesota - AL.com

No comments:

Post a Comment

Arsip Blog

Mengenai Saya