BY BRANDON HUGHES
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — Auburn’s toughest test of the season ended in heartbreak. No. 22 Tigers (3-1, 0-1) fell to No. 11 Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0), 24-17, in their SEC opener at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. What had looked like a comeback could not withstand Oklahoma’s final counterpunch.
In the face of 13 penalties, a massive officiating blunder and giving up 10 sacks, Auburn had surged to a lead. The game was there for the taking in Auburn’s first-ever trip to the state of Oklahoma, but the door remained open just a crack.
Auburn flashed resolve when Malcolm Simmons took the handoff on a speed sweep around left end for a 4-yard touchdown—his first rushing score as a Tiger. It gave the Tigers their first lead of the game, 17-16, with 7:08 left to play. The drive was a 14-play, 75-yard march punctuated by quarterback Jackson Arnold’s gutsy 15-yard run, converting a fourth-and-11 against his former team.
However, the host Sooners responded with their first touchdown since early in the second quarter. A score that would put them back in front with 4:54 remaining, and prove to be the game-winner.
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze reflected on the difficult loss after the game.
“I already told them in the locker room…we lost a tough one on the road in a very good conference against a highly ranked team, and we didn’t play our best and had a chance to win it,” Freeze said. “We have a saying now, ‘What’s our response? Good. Let’s play the next one.’ You’ve proven you’re a good football team to go toe-to-toe with a team that’s going to win a lot of football games, in their place.”
Both teams combined to go 6-27 on third down, but it was the Tigers who too often found themselves in a hole they couldn’t dig out of. Auburn faced nine 3rd-and-long situations v. Oklahoma, needing an average of 11.5 yards to convert.
Arnold pointed out after the game that making positive plays on first and second downs and avoiding that down and distance was an area of focus all week. “They thrive in those third-and-long situations,” Arnold said. “On the drives we did it really well, we went down and put points on the board. Our emphasis was not being in those situations, and it got us a little bit tonight.”
Auburn opened the game on offense with a three-and-out, including a sack on third down, which would portend the sack storm that was to come. Arnold became one of six SEC QBs to be sacked nine or more times in a conference game over the past 30 seasons, and the first since Dak Prescott in 2015 (v. Alabama).
Not quite five minutes in, the Auburn defense appeared to make the game’s first big play. With Oklahoma driving, Sooner wideout Isaiah Sategna, III caught a pass and took two steps before Tiger safety Jahquez Robinson punched the ball out and cornerback Kayin Lee scooped it up and raced down the sideline for the 60-yard score. The SEC office decided it wanted to take a look at the play, and after a lengthy review, the officials chose to overturn the call on the field and rule the pass incomplete.
The Tiger defense would not be deterred by the questionable call and held the Sooners to a field goal.
After a muffed snap on an Auburn punt, Oklahoma took over at the Tigers’ 13-yard line, setting up for the play of the day. Facing second down and 22 at the Auburn 24-yard line, Oklahoma’s Sategna faked leaving the field of play and instead stood next to the OU sideline. When the ball was snapped, he was uncovered, and quarterback John Mateer lofted an easy pass to Sategna in the endzone, giving Oklahoma a 10-3 lead.
The play, it turns out, was illegal, and the Sooners should have been assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty. That would have put Oklahoma second down and 37 at the Auburn 39-yard line. It was a massive play in a close game where points were at a premium.
The SEC office later admitted the play was illegal and that the Sooners should have been penalized. As for the official who missed the call, the conference’s statement only said, “Appropriate accountability will be applied without additional comment.”
Asked about the illegal play, Freeze gave a measured response.
“I guarantee you, well, I better be quiet…,” Freeze said. “We were instructed all offseason about deception plays and things. So, we’ll see what’s said.”
As the first half ticked to a close, Auburn’s Cam Coleman caught a two-yard pass from Arnold, knotting the score 10-10.
Auburn had an opportunity to win the game with 4:54 left to play, starting from their own 8-yard line. The game, however, would end much as it began — with a sack. This time for a safety.
The Tigers learned Saturday night that they can compete with any team left on the schedule — but the game also served as a reminder of how razor-thin the margin of error is on the road in the SEC.
By the Numbers:
• Auburn’s defense held Oklahoma to 32 yards rushing. That is the fewest rushing yards allowed to an SEC opponent since holding Mississippi State to 13 yards rushing in 2022.
• Jackson Arnold’s 255 consecutive passes without an INT is the longest such streak in the country.
• Freeze is now 15-48 in games when held to under 140 yards rushing.
Up Next
Away versus Texas A&M at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.
