Dating back to last season, Auburn has struggled mightily on special teams, and those issues ultimately cost the Tigers a chance at a top-25 road win against then-No. 11 Oklahoma last Saturday.
With just over four minutes remaining, after the Sooners’ go-ahead touchdown drive, Auburn had a chance to march downfield and seize the lead. But the Tigers’ last offensive drive started inside their own 10-yard line due to a special teams penalty on the attempted kickoff return – the second of the day in that facet.
While that penalty was a detrimental one in itself, Auburn had already seen a 50-yard field goal missed, a punt fielded inside its own 5-yard line by Malcolm Simmons, an arrant snap on a punt which led to a Sooners’ touchdown and the aforementioned penalty on another kickoff return.
“I’m a positive guy, and we’re going to get better. But it’s hard to not say that our special teams play in that game is probably the difference in the scoreboard, even with everything else that happened,” said Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze.
Auburn started three of its offensive possessions pinned inside its own 10-yard line. Simply put, that’s not a winning recipe when you’re going against one of the nation's most potent defenses in Oklahoma.
The Tigers managed just three scoring drives as a result. They strung together two 70+ yard drives and three scoring drives with a drive success rate of 67%.
Auburn possesses one of the most potent kick returners in the nation in Rayshawn Pleasant. His ability to take one to the house was on full display during Auburn’s season opener against Baylor when he returned a kick for a 98-yard touchdown. It was Auburn’s longest kick return for a touchdown since Tre Mason’s 97-yarder vs. Utah State in the 2011 season opener.
But the Tigers cannot utilize his ability if every return he touches gets called back due to a penalty.
“We have a dangerous return guy. But if we can't coach and execute properly to give us the ball at least at the 20-to-25-yard line, then we need to fair catch everything. Our offense is good enough, but it's no fun starting inside the 10 against teams like that,” Freeze said.
The Tigers are still without a field goal kicker who has shown the ability to knock one down from distance. Alex McPherson converted on a 24-yard field goal, but he has yet to test his strength after dealing with an illness dating back to last year, making it all the more paramount that offensive drives cannot be derailed by a penalty before they get going.
Auburn must improve in its special teams play moving forward. It was a detriment to the Tigers’ success a season ago and, thus far, it has cost them a chance to record a ranked win on the road for the first time since 2019.
“We overcame it a little bit,” Freeze said. “But there is no sugar coating the special teams play of that game.”
Auburn will kick off against No. 9 Texas A&M at Kyle Field on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.
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