BY WIL CREWS
SPORTSCREWS@
OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
AUBURN —
For the first time in many weeks, it was fun to watch the Auburn Tigers play football.
On the road facing Mississippi State, the Tigers ultimately fell 39-33 in overtime, but smiles returned to the sidelines, and a level of a resiliency that has been missing all season was shown.
What is best, after the final whistle, interim Auburn head coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams — who had been in charge for less than a week — took accountability for the loss.
“We’ve got to get better on the discipline part,” Williams said. “We did some things that will get you beat … that’s starting with myself. It ain’t all on these kids, man. They fought their tails off. I could have done some things better. I really could have.”
Williams’s post-game statement was a glimpse into the character that the coach of a Blue Blood football program should have, the perfect finish to an almost perfect head coaching debut for the temporary leader of the Tigers. The accountability and fight in Williams’s words paralleled his team’s performance on the night.
Trailing 24-6 at halftime, the Tigers made no excuses. Auburn won the final two quarters, outscoring the Bulldogs 27-9, and positioning itself with a 33-30 lead with 1:05 remaining in the contest.
The Bulldogs managed to tie the game — and even had another kick with a chance to win — before regulation ended. A three-and-out and a missed field goal on Auburn’s first possession of overtime meant Mississippi State needed just three points on the next possession to win… And so the story goes.
Seeing such a valiant comeback effort fall just short was disappointing for the orange-and-blue. Adding insult, the loss practically eliminated Auburn from bowl-eligibility contention (barring an upset over Alabama in the regular-season finale). However, the focus postgame was less on the result, but more on the renewed focus the Tigers seemed to have against the Bulldogs.
Look, the 2022 Tigers still have the same talent deficiencies they had when the season began under then-head coach Bryan Harsin. But, the players clearly responded with Cadillac at the helm last weekend.
Quarterback Robby Ashford once again completed fewer than 50% of his passes, but had his best career game on the ground, rushing for 108 and two touchdowns.
The defense, which has struggled mightily this season, was far from perfect, allowing 360 total yards; but leaders Derrick Hall and Owen Pappoe led the unit to five sacks and 10 total tackles for loss — both season highs. Additionally, the defense, which has ranked near dead last in turnover margin this season, finished +2 in the category versus the Bulldogs.
“Nobody quit,” Williams said. “I haven’t experienced Auburn football in that way this year.”
Now, the focus turns to the matchups against Texas A&M Nov. 12. The two teams are vying for the title of “Not the Worst” in the SEC West. The crisp fall air will set the stage for a ruckus at Jordan-Hare Stadium at night. The home debut of Williams — a former First Team All-SEC running back at Auburn in 2004, and the first Black head coach in program in history — would itself be enough to cement the occasion as momentous. The effort, pride and quality the Tigers played with against the Bulldogs — if translated to another week — could mark a changing in the tide for the team, and the direction of the program, as a whole.
“Yeah, this game … the future is bright at Auburn,” Williams said.