NASHVILLE, Tenn. (EETV) - Auburn fell to No. 16 Vanderbilt 45-38 in overtime in the first game as interim head coach for DJ Durkin’s following the firing of Hugh Freeze.
Auburn struck first with a 14-yard touchdown reception from Eric Singleton Jr., his first touchdown since Auburn’s second game of the season against Ball State. The Tigers' offense stayed hot out of the gate, scoring yet another touchdown on their second possession. This time, Daniels took it in himself to put Auburn up 14-3. The Tigers kicked a field goal on the following three drives before halftime.
Coming out of halftime with a 20-10 lead and the first possession, the Tigers had all of the momentum. However, that quickly changed when the Commodore defense forced Auburn into a three-and-out for the first time in the game. After said three-and-out, Vanderbilt surged back in the game and took the lead, scoring a touchdown on four of their next five drives. The Commodores came out of the half with a faster-tempo offense, and the Auburn defense, ultimately, couldn’t adjust in time.
Vandy scored a touchdown on its possession to open overtime, and Auburn was unable to answer. However, unlike earlier games this season, Auburn continued to fight when dealt body blows and fought back repeatedly to forge multiple ties.
“Great to see our guys respond,” Durkin said. “We talk a lot about response, and our guys did that. They kept battling. Sure, there was ups and downs throughout the entire game, like we talked about there was gonna be. But our guys never flinched. To the last play, they battled.”
The Orange and Blue were in control for most of the game, scoring on every drive in the first half. However, early in the second half, Vanderbilt gained some much-needed momentum and never looked back. If there’s anyone in college football you don’t want to have momentum, it’s Diego Pavia, and he burned Auburn for the third consecutive season to the tune of 377 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 112 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown..
Despite the loss, Auburn’s offense looked the best it has in SEC play all year. This was the first game Ashton Daniels was in complete control of the offense, after starting vs Kentucky but splitting time late in the game with Jackson Arnold. Daniels showcased both his passing and rushing ability, throwing for 353 yards and 2 touchdowns, and rushing for 89 yards and two more touchdowns.
Auburn also finally got Cam Coleman going in earnest, and without him the Tigers wouldn’t have even made it to overtime. Many around the country knew it was only a matter of time before Coleman broke out, and he did just that under new playcaller Derrick Nix. Coleman racked up a season-high 143 yards and an extremely impressive one-handed grab in the end zone to give Auburn a chance at a two-point conversion and tie the game, which Coleman hauled in in a similar fashion.
“Cam is one of the best players in the country and needs the ball,” Durkin said. “That’s what we did, and he did a great job with it. And I think he showed it.”
The Commodores had a problematic pass catcher of their own, however. Tight end Eli Stowers proved to be a handful for the Tiger defense, frequently gashing Auburn on third downs en route to 12 catches and 122 yards. Between Stowers and Pavia, the Tigers' defense had their hands full.
"He [Pavia] converted some big plays with his feet, and that just breaks down the defense when that happens,” Durkin said. “He keeps his eyes downfield, and he can move and he can still deliver the ball. Some critical downs we let him out of the pocket, and that hurt us.”
One of the most pivotal moments came late in the third quarter with Auburn in the red zone, having a chance to go up by two scores. After a failed 3rd-and-10 attempt, the Tigers were forced to settle for a field goal and defend a six-point lead. It wasn't the first time Auburn had to settle for a field goal in the game, either.
“If you win on first downs, those third downs become manageable and you can win them,” Durkin said. “Some of those we got very long, and those are hard to win consistently. We did win a couple of them, but to do it consistently is hard.”
Auburn will be on a bye next week with two more games left in the season, Mercer and Alabama, both at home. The Tigers will take on Mercer in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. CDT on SECN+.
