Auburn’s game against LSU was indeed record-setting. Just not in the way the Tigers would have hoped.

Auburn was flagged 15 times, the most in a game ever for a Gus Malzahn team as a coordinator or head coach in Auburn’s 23-20 loss to LSU on Saturday in Baton Rouge. It was a flag-happy game overall as LSU was penalized 12 times, as well.

“Offensively, the big thing was really the penalties,” Malzahn said. “That was the most disappointing thing. It really put us behind the chains time and time again.”

And when Auburn was behind the chains, it was well behind them. The Tigers (6-2, 3-2 SEC) faced nine third downs of 10 or more yards and converted just one of them — an 18-yard drag route to Anthony Schwartz on third-and-14, which was the team’s second third-down attempt of the game. They also went 0-for-5 on third-down tries in the red zone.

“The coaches had a great plan for us,” quarterback Bo Nix said after the game. “... We moved the ball a little bit and then we’d shoot ourselves in the foot and get a penalty and be back behind the chains again. I felt like that was continuous and something that we did all day.”

Auburn’s average distance to go on on third downs was 11.2 yards.

“It’s hard to call plays in the SEC on third-and-28,” Nix said.

Additionally, Auburn was called for a false start three times on third-down plays. Malzahn hammered his team with noise drills after the communication between offensive line and quarterback was worrisome against Florida earlier in the season. But that wasn’t the issue Saturday.

“No, it wasn’t anything as far as the noise,” Malzahn said. “It wasn’t quite as loud as it was at Florida. That’s something we haven’t had issues with in the past, but the two road games it has been a big factor in the outcome of the game. We’ve got to correct it. I really thought we had it corrected and obviously we didn’t.”

Another issue for Auburn in road games this season has been quarterback play. Granted, Malzahn said he and the offense need to not put Nix in “terrible spots” — see: throwing 35 passes on the road against the No. 2 team in the country with a top rushing offense. But no matter how it’s spun, there’s no way around the fact that the true freshman struggled mightily against LSU, completing 15 of 35 passes for 157 yards, a touchdown and a pick.

Against ranked foes this season, all of which have come away from Jordan-Hare Stadium, Nix is completing 46% of his passes for five touchdowns and six interceptions.

But even after another underwhelming performance on a big stage, Malzahn said he never considered making a change under center to backup QB Joey Gatewood.

“We’re going to do what’s best for our team, but right now a lot of the things — Bo was put in some pretty tough situations on nine third-down-and-10-plus, and there was some things that he would like to have back,” Malzahn said. “But there was also some things that he did well. So he’ll continue to improve. That’s how we’re looking at it.”

Nix completed his final three passes of the game for 32 yards and a touchdown in a 2-minute offense setting to put Auburn within a field goal at 23-20 with 2:32 remaining. Prior to that series, Nix completed three straight passes one other time in the game — immediately before the fourth pass was an interception to LSU corner Derek Stingley Jr. to end the first half.

Nix had separate stretches in which he went 1-for-5, 2-for-7, 1-for-5 and 2-for-8 passing in the loss.

But with every misfire, every incorrect read and every overthrow Malzahn watched his 19-year-old quarterback make, the coach said he had seen those plays completed and executed correctly many times before.

“Whether it was adrenaline or whatever, there were a few overthrows that were uncharacteristic,” Malzahn said. “He knows that and he said it on the sideline. Just got to improve that, but he knows that.”

But for all the struggles, the Tigers were right there at the end with a chance to recover an onside kick that bounced just out of their grasp.

Nix sees that as a metaphor for Auburn’s day in Death Valley.

“Overall that was kind of our day,” Nix said. “We were just so close and we never got it. Ball never bounced in our favor when the time mattered.”

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