Auburn football report card vs. Ole Miss: Did the Tigers' offense earn first 'A' of the season?
OXFORD, Miss. — Auburn football found life on offense but couldn't keep up with No. 9 Ole Miss in a 48-34 loss at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday.
Here's how we graded the Tigers' performance.
Offense: B+
Tank Bigsby looked like the wrecking ball he's billed as. Robby Ashford delivered accurate, pretty throws in and out of the pocket. Auburn's offensive line held its own. After the first quarter, the Tigers (3-4, 1-3 SEC) were not only competent, but downright explosive, with four plays of 45 yards or more.
But that first quarter, in which Auburn turned it over twice, leading directly to two Ole Miss touchdowns, can't be forgotten. It's the only reason the Tigers missed their first "A" grade of the season.
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QB BATTLE:TJ Finley replaces Robby Ashford during the first quarter of Auburn-Ole Miss
Defense: D-
The Tigers gave up 292 rushing yards to Georgia, and the Rebels came in with the second-most prolific rushing attack in the SEC. This matchup went as expected, but it doesn't make for a more lenient grade. Ole Miss gained 449 yards on 68 carries as Quinshon Judkins, Zach Evans and Jaxson Dart ripped off chunk play after chunk play.
Also troubling was the Tigers' seemingly improved secondary, which experienced several first-half coverage busts and gave up three touchdowns through the air.
Special teams: B
A good day for special teams is when they fly under the radar. This was a good day for Auburn's specialists, apart from a sneak onside kick Ole Miss successfully executed.
Oscar Chapman had two punts, one a 57-yarder that was downed at the Ole Miss 6 and the other a 46-yard boot. Anders Carlson was perfect on his two field goals, including a 42-yarder to close out the first half.
Coaching: C+
The Tigers could have easily rolled over after falling behind 21-0 in the first quarter. That they didn't is, at least in part, a credit to Bryan Harsin and his assistants. Harsin also pushed the right buttons with Ashford, who was benched for a series and returned to the game with newfound poise.
After committing six false starts against Georgia, the offensive line had just one against Ole Miss (though it came on a critical third-and-goal in the fourth quarter). Coaching deserves credit for better preparing the Tigers for another hostile road environment.
On the flip side, Auburn was pounded early on the ground and never showed signs of adjusting. Judkins' game-sealing touchdown run in the fourth quarter came against the Tigers' standard six-man box.
Overall: B-
Auburn combined its best offensive performance of the season with its worst defensive performance. The way the Tigers' season has gone, those two things inspire confidence instead of canceling each other out. But Auburn isn't a program that can settle for moral victories.
On paper, this was a matchup the Tigers had little business winning, let alone keeping close. Whether the result will save Harsin's job is an open question, but he could have done much more harm to his status.
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com, by phone at 334-201-9117 and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football report card vs. Ole Miss: Did offense earn an A?
