In the Auburn Tigers two losses before Saturday, turnovers had been the big issue in both losses with a combined total of ten. That included eight interceptions between quarterbacks Payton Thorne and Hank Brown. Thorne got the start on Saturday and did well protecting the ball until late in the fourth when a pick-six cost Auburn against Oklahoma 27-21. This was a game the Tigers had to have with the upcoming schedule of games in the month of October. All of which are on the road. With this defeat, Auburn is now 2-3 on the season and is facing the potential for a fourth straight losing season.
Pick-six Costs Auburn Against Oklahoma
Thorne’s First Three Quarters
Thorne had a solid day for the Tigers, especially through the first three quarters. On the afternoon he was 21 of 32 for 338 yards and three touchdowns. The first score for Auburn came with 12:52 left in the second quarter when Thorne connected with KeAndre Lambert-Smith for 31 yards to tie the game at 7-7. Earlier in the drive, Thorne found Cam Coleman for a 34-yard gain to get the Tigers to the Sooners’ 38.
On the next possession for Auburn, Thorne went deep to find Malcolm Simmons for a 48-yard touchdown with 5:41 until halftime to go up 14-7. The Tigers had a chance to add more points before halftime, but McGough was unable to connect on two opportunities at a field goal. He missed from 31 yards, but an illegal procedure penalty gave him a chance at 27 yards.
Oklahoma got within 14-10 with 2:26 left in the third after a 24-yard field goal by Schmit. The Tigers got another big play from Coleman with a 42-yard reception to put the offense at the Sooners’ 12. Four plays later, Thorne found tight end Luke Deal for a one-yard touchdown to give Auburn a 21-10 lead with 14:12 left in the game.
Pick-six for Oklahoma
Auburn looked primed for their third win of the season with a 21-10 lead in the fourth quarter. The Tigers forced a turnover on downs when Jalen McLeod sacked Michael Hawkins to put the ball at the Auburn 45. Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter advanced the offense to the Sooners 33 with a 22-yard run. Hunter led the way rushing with 97 yards. The offense stalled out and were forced to settle for a 51-yard field goal attempt that was missed by Towns McGough. It was his second miss of the game.
Two plays later Hawkins connected with J.J. Hester on a wheel route for 60 yards to the Tigers’ five-yard line. Jonvatae Barnes scored on a two-yard run two plays later to make it 21-16 with 8:32 left in the game. The Sooners were unsuccessful on a two-point attempt.
The Auburn offense chewed up 4:31 off the clock on a 7-play, 32-yard drive before facing a third and four play. Instead of going with a run play, Thorne went to throw with zero running backs beside him. Oklahoma linebacker Kip Lewis dropped back into coverage and intercepted an attempt for a slant. Lewis took the interception 63 yards for a touchdown. Hawkins added the two-point conversion to make it 24-21 with 4:06 left. The Sooners now led for the first time since the first quarter after a 48-yard touchdown run by Hawkins.
Auburn would turn the ball over on downs on their next possession when Thorne was sacked on fourth down by R Mason Thomas. The Sooners made it 27-21 with 54 seconds left on a 39-yard field goal by Zach Schmit. The Tigers were left with a final attempt at the endzone that came up short.
Auburn Standouts
In the 27-21 loss to the Sooners, a few Tigers did stand out with their performances. The receivers played well with Coleman leading the way with 82 yards on three catches. Lambert-Smith had the most catches with five that resulted in 77 yards and one touchdown. Demarcus Riddick had six tackles with one sack. Defensive back Kayin Lee added four tackles on the day.
The Tigers will now hit the road for the first time this season as they travel to face the Georgia Bulldogs. Pulling off the upset will be an uphill task with the Bulldogs looking to regain momentum after their 41-34 loss to Alabama.
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