Auburn lost last weekend.
That's not what has supporters peeved.
It's that Auburn lost in a way that created another offensive spectacle. The Malzahn-As-Playcaller honeymoon came to an abrupt end in the Swamp when some exotic plays failed early, the run game sputtered and quarterback Bo Nix lost command of his job during the fourth quarter.
The Tigers' defense created four turnovers — with three of them yielding possession in Florida territory. That should be more than enough for Malzahn's offense to get at least two touchdowns on the board. Instead, those four turnovers yielded a pair of field goals.
It was that kind of afternoon.
I was struck by a few things while re-watching the game. Most significant, I walked back my opinion that Bo Nix was mentally defeated after the disastrous interception in the UF end zone. While it's true that Nix played poorly throughout the fourth quarter, most notably missing every challenging throw he was asked to make, I didn't see a kid who was scared or who had disengaged from the fight.
Was he rattled? Something wasn't quite right with him, to be sure, but he was a true freshman trying to get himself put back together after that crushing interception late in the third quarter. And the more I thought about it, the more I sided with Malzahn and his choice to keep Nix in the game.
I privately asked Malzahn about his decision to stick with Nix from start to finish. That conversation was off the record, but I'm not breaking any covenants by saying Malzahn stood by Nix because he wholeheartedly believes in Nix. Malzahn also didn't sense that Nix had disengaged.
The head coach was committed to giving Nix a chance to dig out of this hole on his own. That idea makes a lot of sense to me.
Look, things aren't getting easier. Nix will be uncomfortable again this season. A defense, one of those excellent defenses he'll face between now and Dec. 1, will gain an upper hand on him at some point along the way. Nix must learn to compartmentalize the frustration or the anger or the despair and regain confidence. He didn't fare well in that regard Saturday, but Nix has, to this (early) point in his college career, been very good about learning from mistakes. He tends to correct problems quickly.
Did Joey Gatewood deserve a chance to play? Yes — but not in relief of Nix.
Gatewood almost assuredly would have helped the Tigers convert some of those 3rd-and-short scenarios during the first half. Malzahn inexplicably decided to attack those situations with standard sets and calls. That decision was an abject failure. It happens.
The Doom-And-Gloom crowd once again will howl at the moon and make the case for Malzahn to be fired, but that's just panic for panic's sake. Nix's lack of experience shouldn't be an excuse, but his task last weekend was more complicated than many understand. Plus, Malzahn has acknowledged that he made some strategic errors in Gainesville — and has pledged to get them straightened out in short order.
While Malzahn's record of avoiding repeat mistakes is well short of Nix's, I consider Auburn "on par" with preseason expectations to this point. If the Tigers head into Death Valley with a 6-1 record, which seems quite reasonable, almost all Auburn supporters would have considered that an acceptable scenario before the season began.
Consider Nix an investment. He's not a finished product by any means, but his extreme dedication toward becoming that kind of player means he'll soon be worth more than the toll paid Saturday.
SNAP COUNT: OFFENSE
LT Prince Tega Wanogho — 61
LG Marquell Harrell — 61
C Kaleb Kim — 61
RG Mike Horton — 61
RG Jack Driscoll — 61
QB Bo Nix — 61
WR Sal Cannella — 57
WR Eli Stove — 51
WR Seth Williams — 47
RB Boobee Whitlow — 37
H/FB Spencer Nigh — 32
WR Anthony Schwartz — 21
H/TE Jay Jay Wilson — 20
WR Will Hastings — 15
RB Kam Martin — 9
RB Malik Miller — 7
H/TE John Samuel Shenker — 7
WR Shedrick Jackson — 2
I did a snap count review this week to show you that only 18 offensive players saw the field in Gainesville. That is the lowest number since Gus Malzahn became the Tigers' head coach ahead of the 2013 season. I mentioned that to Malzahn Sunday and he sighed and said that number was too low. Indeed he stuck with the guys whom he trusts most in a game that required a lot of trust. Zero snaps for Joey Gatewood. Zero snaps for Shaun Shivers. Zero snaps for D.J. Williams. I don't mention those missing players as a shot at Malzahn; I'm just noting the conspicuous absence of three guys who each provide something Auburn needed against Florida — short-yardage power (Gatewood), acceleration for wide runs (Shivers) and through-the-hole explosiveness (Williams).
ps: Nobody graded out particularly well.
FINAL PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS GRADES: DEFENSE (at least 15 snaps played)
1. DE Marlon Davidson, 93.8
2. DT Derrick Brown, 93.1
3. DT Coynis Miller Jr., 85.6
4. LB Zakoby McClain, 84.4
5. DE T.D. Moultry, 83.7
6. DT Tyrone Truesdell, 81.5
7. S Jeremiah Dinson, 80.5
8. CB Javaris Davis, 75.9
9. DE Big Kat Bryant, 74.2
10. DE Nick Coe, 68.1
Seven of the team's 10 highest-rated defenders are linemen, which really speaks to how this group performed Saturday. Auburn's pass defense was solid, but the run defense was overwhelmingly stout for most of the night — save for the 88-yard rushing touchdown late — and linemen either created or recovered all four fumbles.
Remember how badly Nick Fairley rustled offenses throughout the 2010 season? It's not a stretch to say Brown, in his current form, is equal to Fairley's 2010 form. Brown always has been good against the run, but now he's creating a lot of pass-run disruption — as both a three- and five-tech guy. Oh, and he's better against the run now than he's ever been. Davidson is playing at a very high level as well, but Brown now has a chance to win the Outland Trophy. He's playing like a generational talent.
QUICK THINKER OF THE WEEK
Boobee Whitlow averted a massive disaster during the Tigers' second play from scrimmage Saturday. He managed to somehow snag a wayward snap and gain positive yardage out of it.
This play looked like a designed direct snap, but it wasn't. Center Kaleb Kim snapped the ball off his left thigh — he's sent several snaps low and to Nix's left this season — and it deflected over toward Whitlow. Had the sophomore tailback not been quick enough to make a play on the ball, Florida's defense almost certainly would have either scored or given the offense a very short field.
Yikes.
OPEN-FIELD TACKLE OF THE WEEK
This week's winner is cornerback Javaris Davis, who sniffed out a wideout screen with remarkable efficiency that weekend. Watch him diagnose the play, get a visual on the pulling tackle and plot the correct course to make a play.
It's strange to think Davis played a bit soft last season. He's been anything but soft this time around — and he's emerged as a reliable, every-down cover guy.
RUNNER UP FOR OPEN-FIELD TACKLE OF THE WEEK
I couldn't give Noah Igbinoghene full credit here since he didn't actually record the tackle, but he did one heck of a job blowing up this tailback screen. Teammates say "Iggy" is on another level when it comes to one-the-field focus and savagery — and this is an example of a cornerback who is not the least bit afraid to play rough.
TROUBLE IN THE HOLE
Auburn ran the ball somewhat effectively using a split-zone concept against Mississippi State — and clearly believed it could do the same against Florida.
That led to a series of first-half failures.
Though the Tigers eventually found some success running a different split-zone variant during the second half, these early runs were fruitless from start to finish. I felt like this particular snap was indicative of what went wrong.
Two Auburn blockers lose their encounters.
Kim gets pushed into the backfield and he isn't able to turn his body to wall off that shaded nose, who gets the first hand on Whitlow. LG Marquel Harrell climbs to the second level in search of a linebacker, but takes a second longer than necessary to choose a target.
That slight delay allowed a linebacker to get moving downhill without much resistance. Harrell catches him as he's moving into the hole; by that time it's too late.
We sometimes hear coaches talking about how many offensive failures are a result of one or two guys doing the wrong thing. This is what they mean.
A SHORT FOOTNOTE
Do you remember Auburn's very first snap from scrimmage? It was one of those slow-developing, exotic machinations designed to "hide" a tailback screen. Florida's defensive ends (strong side guy in this case) rushed vertically with reckless abandon, which Auburn didn't anticipate, and that forced Nix to throw the ball away almost instantly.
Nix felt the Florida pass rush after ONE SNAP, which is a terrible way to begin.
I'm not surprised that Malzahn would try something like that — he likes to get cute during the first drive — but taking this kind of risk in this kind of circumstance seems cavalier at best. He's said several times since the game that he needs to do a better job helping Nix thrive. Avoiding this kind of risk early in the Swamp would have been a good start.
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