Auburn football vs Oklahoma report card: Does Tigers offense still pass after hot start?
AUBURN — Auburn football falls to No. 21 Oklahoma 27-21 at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.
The Tigers (2-3. 0-2 SEC) finished with 440 yards of offense and committed a game-sealing turnover that led to the Sooners' go-ahead score.
The difficulty will increase going forward with No. 2 Georgia up next for the Tigers. Here's our report card for the Tigers vs. Arkansas:
Offense: C
The Tigers' offense came out swinging, scoring two touchdowns in the first half from deep pass receptions from Keandre Lambert-Smith and Malcom Simmons. Payton Thorne completed 11 of 16 passes for 189 yards and two scores in the first half, giving the Tigers a lead they would not relinquish — until the final quarter, where Thorne threw a 60-yard pick-six that gave the Sooners the lead in the final minutes.
Defense: B-
After giving up the opening touchdown from a Micheal Hawkins Jr. scramble, the defense did not allow a Sooners redzone trip the remainder of the first half. Oklahoma was held to only 111 first-half yards and finished with 291 in the entire contest. Freshman Demarcus Riddick got the game's first sack on a crucial third down as the Tigers finished with two total sacks.
Special Teams: C-
Auburn had a miscue on a punt that resulted in great field positioning for the Sooners early in the contest. To close out the first half, Auburn missed a 27 and 51-yard field goal that could have extended the Tigers lead to double digits twice during the contest. The return game was also stagnant with very few yards.
Coaching: A
Auburn coach Hugh Freeze pulled the team together after an ugly defeat to Arkansas a week ago. The Tigers' offense looked a lot more poised in this contest, taking advantage of all the big-play opportunities the Sooners gave up. The defense put together a fair game against Oklahoma's freshman quarterback.
Overall: B-
Auburn's offense stepped up the momentum, setting the tone for the Tigers early in the contest. However, a crucial turnover at the end saw another conference game slip away for the Tigers.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football vs Oklahoma report card: Does Tigers offense pass or fail?
