The grades for Auburn following a 42-10 loss in the 127th edition of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.
Quarterbacks: F
In his first SEC road game, the Georgia defense was too much for Robby Ashford. He had Auburn’s only turnovers of the game and fumbled the ball twice, both without any contact from defenders. He scrambled out of the pocket too early and finished the game 13-38 with 165 yards through the air and 52 on the ground.
Running Backs: C
Jarquez Hunter once again had the second-half highlight for the Tigers in a blowout, taking a pass from Robby Ashford 62 yards to the house for Auburn’s first second-half touchdown in three games. Tank Bigsby got just 19 yards on 10 carries, 1.9 yards per carry, behind an offensive line that was simply outmatched.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: D-
John Samuel Shenker is now the all-time leader in receptions for a tight end at Auburn, a genuine bright spot and great moment for one of Auburn’s best leaders and players. The rest of the group was unable to get open against the Georgia defensive backs and give Robby Ashford much to work with.
Offensive Line: F
A host of pre-snap penalties and free rushers as far as the eye could see, the offense had to lean on Robby Ashford because the running game was non-existent once again. Just 3.7 yards per carry, only 1.9 for Tank Bigsby, will not cut it against Georgia. Auburn finished the game with 93 rushing yards, but 52 of those came from Ashford scrambles.
Defensive Line: C-
Auburn clearly missed Eku Leota on the edge, and while the unit played well through the first half, the defensive line fell apart in the second half. A Marcus Bragg forced fumble gave Auburn a chance to score, but the offense could not do anything with that or any other chances in the second half leading to the defense just running out of steam.
Linebackers: D+
The linebackers have once again struggled in all phases. With missed tackles behind the line of scrimmage and little presence in the running game, Auburn has not managed to replace the production of Zakoby McClain and Chandler Wooten through six games this year.
Defensive Backs: C-
The group held Stetson Bennett IV to seven completions on 13 attempts for 25 yards in the first half, but the second half was a different story as the Georgia offense came alive and doubled its points. Bennett began to pick them apart, but two misses on busted coverages kept the game closer than it should’ve been.
Special Teams: C-
Punter Oscar Chapman was reliable yet again and Anders Carlson had no costly mistakes, outside of a kickoff out-of-bounds penalty when the game was decided. Despite this, a poor fake punt attempt and a slew of missed tackles on a Ladd McConkey punt return set up both of Georgia’s scoring drives and made it easy for the Bulldogs.
Coaching: F
Auburn’s offensive line was unprepared for the noise of Samford Stadium, and the offensive game plan was nonexistent. The same problems from the first five weeks of the year persisted once again today. The issue is that with Georgia, there is very little room for error. This was one of the worst losses for Auburn in the history of the rivalry, and they still have not won in Samford since 2005.
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