Auburn Fans, There's Still Hope for a Promising Season

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Some thought the Auburn Tigers (2-2, 0-1 South Eastern Conference) could be 5-0 when they visited the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (3-0) in Athens, Ga. Many believed quarterback Payton Thorne would thrive with the influx of talent at the receiver position. Furthermore, interested observers felt head coach Hugh Freeze's involvement in the Tigers' offense would lead to more offensive consistency in 2024.

Well, none of those things have come to fruition over the season's first four weeks, and the Auburn Family is in a spiral. The Tigers have dropped two games. Thorne has thrown five interceptions and only seven touchdowns, and he was replaced as the starter. The offense has been anything but consistent under Freeze and new offensive coordinator Derrick Nix.

But fear not, Tigers fans. There is still plenty about which to be excited.

What's Good

What's good? Let's be real. After watching the first four games, there doesn't appear to be much good happening. The Tigers have had a total of 10 turnovers in their two losses. But what has the offense been doing without the turnovers? The Auburn offense is not inept. The Tigers are second in the SEC in yards per play at 8.03 yards. They're second in the conference in yards per carry and rank at the top of the conference in explosive plays. Auburn is moving the football, just not hanging on to it. Senior runningback Jarquez Hunter is averaging 7.1 yards per carry but only carried the ball 12 times in each of Auburn's losses.

And it's not just the run game that is excelling. Auburn is also fourth in the SEC in total passing yards with 1,136 yards, fourth in pass yards per game (284), yards per pass attempt (9.79) and passing touchdowns (13). The offense isn't without ability, but no team can win with the number of turnovers the Tigers have committed.

It's pretty easy to defend the other side of the ball. The Tigers defense has given up 67 total points, 45 of which came in the two losses. It has not been pretty. Auburn gave up a total of 666 yards in their two losses, but still only gave up 21 and 24 points in those two games. Against New Mexico, the defense gave up 448 yards but only yielded 19 points. To be sure, the Tigers are doing a lot of bending, but they haven't broken too often.

What's the Concern?

Obviously, it's the turnovers. The running game can be productive, even great. The defense can shut down the opposing offense, but it won't matter if the offense can't keep possession of the ball. Auburn ranks among the worst in the country in turnover margin. If the Tigers can hold onto the ball, the offense could reach lethal levels. But currently, that is a huge "if."

Looking Ahead for Auburn

There are plenty of positives from Auburn's perspective. The offense moves well when it doesn't give the ball to the other team. The defense is stingy when it doesn't spend an excessive amount of time on the field. If Auburn can rectify its turnover issues, the Tigers' offseason goals may still be within reach.