Takeaways: Auburn falls to LSU on the road

Here are a few takeaways from Auburn's loss against LSU.

The offense still isn't where it needs to be as the LSU Tigers defeated Auburn 48-18.

Auburn fans waited two weeks in hopes that after a solid performance against Georgia, the Tigers would be able to build on it after a bye week and give LSU a good fight. That didn't happen. 

Here are some takeaways from the action.

The quarterback situation

The rotation between Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford still isn't flowing as it should. Like previous weeks, I think you can make the argument that neither is benefitting from how the usage went Saturday night. 

Ashford was driving in the final minutes of the first half, Thorne was rotated in once Auburn had to pass the ball. It didn't do well. 

In what looked like Ashford getting the nod in the second half, Thorne was put in for an obvious passing situation to cue the LSU defense what was coming. 

Two quarterback systems are tough to nail down. Auburn hasn't reached that point yet.

The passing game isn't getting much better

The combination of Auburn coming out of a bye week and LSU having one of the worst defenses in the country, many expected Auburn's offense to have more of a presence through the air. That didn't happen anywhere close to the level where it needed to be.

Auburn's quarterback rotation probably isn't helping. Wide receivers Shane Hooks and Thorne seem to be on different pages on timing routes. Rivaldo Fairweather didn't have a reception until the second to last play of the third quarter. 

Auburn kept fighting...

...until the defense broke.

Can't question the resolve of this group. A quick 17-0 jump for LSU early in the game and it looked like we were about to watch a one-sided beatdown. Auburn's squad didn't back down on the road and was able to force some stops and put together a few drives to keep them alive until the LSU offense started to wear down Auburn.

This will be the toughest road test for Auburn on the season. Maybe this fight and resolve will hold up when Auburn heads to Arkansas and Vanderbilt later this season.

Oddly enough, Auburn can still be fine...

...depending on what your expectations were on the season. Many expected a 7-5 record, myself included. Entering the season, I predicted Freeze to lead his team to a 7-5 season during his first year on the Plains. I also predicted that Auburn would drop four in a row to Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss. Sadly, we are three-fourths of the way through that becoming true. 

After that stretch, games against Mississippi State, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and New Mexico State all seem winnable, more winnable than the recent slate of opponents for Auburn.

It's not pretty. Auburn has a long way to go. But very few people expected Auburn to beat Texas A&M, Georgia, and LSU going into the season.

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