AUBURN | The opportunities were there for the Tigers to strike in a big way on Saturday night against Penn State. But, much like road games of the past, Auburn couldn't execute.

If you count explosive plays as those that go more than 20 yards, Mike Bobo's offense put together just three. An early pass to Kobe Hudson for 36 yards, a catch by John Samuel Shenker for 23 and an incredibly athletic run by Jarquez Hunter where he hurdled a defender for 24 yards on the next-to-last drive of the game. That's it.

It's one of the problems that cost Auburn in its 28-20 loss to the Nittany Lions, a game winnable despite breakdowns by the secondary and lack of pressure from the defensive front. Bryan Harsin admitted the Tigers must start capitalizing on these big plays.

"We've got to be able to hit 'em, we've got to be able to catch 'em," Harsin said. "Those are fundamentals; those are things that we work on every single day that we've got to be able to execute in a game."

The failure doesn't just fall on one person. Shedrick Jackson, so good in the first game against Akron, had two catches for a total of six yards while being targeted eight times. Bo Nix, trying to shed his reputation as someone who can't win a big game on the road, was back to his inconsistent self, completing 56.7% of his passes and throwing zero touchdowns.

Demetris Robertson, brought in from Georgia during the offseason for his big-play ability, did catch five passes (on 10 targets), but for only 23 yards, with 16 of said yards coming on one completion.

On Auburn's two possessions that ended in touchdowns, the Tigers ran 11 and 15 plays, respectively. Harsin complimented that his offense was able to put together those long drives but is still wanting more.

"You can put 12-, 13-play drives together, but you want to try to create some momentum," Harsin said. "That doesn't always have to be just a play down the field; they can also be, again, even a shorter throw that somebody's able to take and make something out of it."

So, where do the Tigers go from here? Harsin did say that, even after a victory, positions are up for grabs, but it's evident that someone or a group of people need to step up at the receiver position. Robertson has shown his ability to provide those explosive plays, albeit coming against an overmatched Alabama State squad. In the opener, Ja'Varrius Johnson had a big play for a 34-yard touchdown. Jackson made a 42-yard catch while Hudson brought in a 28-yard score himself against the Zips. Could Elijah Canion or Ze'Vian Capers work themselves into the rotation?

Someone has to become that reliable player to put together big gains. Otherwise, opposing defenses will stop respecting the deep ball and load the box more, trying to shut down a running game that is becoming even more powerful with the rise of the freshman Hunter. That search starts on Tuesday in practice and continues into the week before the Tigers host Georgia State. After that, the schedule gets real with trips to LSU and on-the-rise Arkansas surrounding a home date with No. 2 Georgia.

"Explosive plays in a game are a big factor to that offense, in particular, having success," Harsin said.

Leave no doubt: if Auburn wants to be a player in the SEC race, it needs to see that come to fruition.