Auburn Tigers Report Card Heading into Bye Week

The Auburn Tigers lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores their last time out, but how did each unit grades as the Tigers enter the bye week?

Auburn Tigers running back Jarquez Hunter was missing in action in the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers dropped to 3-6 after their 17-7 loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores, but not every unit or player is performing equally. We take a look at how Auburn graded in their ninth game of the season against Vanderbilt as the Tigers head into a bye week with just-three games remaining.

Passing Game

The 2024 version of the Auburn offense should be well beyond the point of trying to be a drop-back passing team first. Payton Thorne has not developed into what most people thought he could be after transferring from Michigan State two years ago. Auburn's tackles are subpar by major college standards, and though the receivers are improving they are sometimes unreliable. 

Auburn moved the ball through in the air at times, but nearly all of its success came early on drives. When scheme and blocking were on point, Thorne missed several throws that could have been big plays.

He had a wide open Luke Deal early on and missed. He had Cam Coleman matched up one-on-one deep but underthrew it. Late in the game Rivaldo Fairweather was running open up the seam, but Thorne put the ball in a spot that allowed the defender to swipe the ball out -- rather than throwing it low and inside, away from the defender.

The numbers weren't bad – 20 of 29 for 239 yards without an interception – but Auburn missed its first-nine third-down attempts. Five of those were manageable pass plays.

There were some good plays with some schemes that drew open receivers. However, the Tigers couldn't put points on the board.

Grade: C-

Run Game

After figuring something out during the second half at Kentucky, the Auburn run game was back to either being unsuccessful or a mystery. Or both. 

Jarquez Hunter carried 21 times for 275 yards in his previous two quarters coming into Saturday as the offensive line won its individual battles in Lexington. Hunter proceeded to reel off a 15-yard run around left end on the game's first play from scrimmage against Vandy.

Coming out of halftime tied for the second straight week, the offensive play calling went in a different direction than the week before. Hunter carried twice on the Tigers' opening possession of the second half. He didn't carry the ball again for the remainder of the game. 

Auburn was in hurry-up mode its last two possessions, but where was Hunter on the other two possessions? For many of the plays he was on the sideline while both backups -- Damari Alston and Jeremiah Cobb -- were on the field. 

With the carries split between all three backs, they combined 21 carries for just 97 yards.

Vanderbilt loaded the box a decent bit and ran a fair amount of Bear Front. What did Auburn do with the run scheme to combat that, or get the ball to the perimeter? Not much.

Grade: D+

Conversions

Conversions continue to plague the Tigers, who average 419.8 yards per game, 6.7 yards per play, but only 25.3 points. That number of points drops to 15.7 versus power conference teams. 

Auburn had drives of 49 yards, 34, 80, 46, 41 only to come away with seven points. During the 0 for 9 to start the game, the offense wasn't putting itself in bad positions behind the chains. The conversion misses were from 4, 8, 8, 9, 1, 8, 2, 7, 11 yards.

The Tiger offense was 2 of 3 on fourth down, all from short yardage.

Grade: F

Red Zone

In maybe the most unbelievable stat of the day, Auburn failed to have a snap inside the Vanderbilt 20-yard line.

Grade: N/A

Run Game Defense

The only reason the Auburn run defense wasn't entirely superb was because Vanderbilt was able to convert some third downs on their 14-play scoring drive in the fourth as well as on a 4th down attempt. The Tigers struggled at getting off the field a few times versus Vanderbilt's unbalanced look with a quarterback and running back in the backfield, and all of the other skill guys to one side. 

For the game Diego Pavia carried 12 times for 26 yards. Tailback Sedrick Alexander had 10 carries for just 28 yards. As a team Vanderbilt ran 38 times for 84 yards, a 2.2-yard average. 

Grade: A-

Pass Defense

Again, very close to an A+ against a quarterback and scheme that are difficult to contain. Pavia is so good at turning what looks like a huge negative play into a huge positive for the Black and Gold. 

Early on Vandy offensive coordinator Tim Beck schemed up a number of successful plays on a 6-play, 81-yard drive where they were able to attack Auburn’s linebackers in coverage. Other than that the Tigers shut down the Vanderbilt passing attack. The Commodores didn’t have a completion in the second or third quarters.

Grade: A

Conversions

Auburn has struggled all season with getting off the field on third-and-long situations, but that wasn’t the case on Saturday. Auburn held Vanderbilt to 4-16 on third downs. The Commodores were 1-1 on fourth downs, as they were able to take advantage of Auburn’s alignment and check to a weak side option play in an unbalanced formation.

Grade: B

Red Zone Defense

Auburn was able to hold Vanderbilt to a field goal on both of its red zone trips, at least initially. The most costly play for the Tigers came with five minutes remaining as Vanderbilt was held to a field goal, that if true, would have made the score Vanderbilt 13, Auburn 7, giving the Tigers offense a chance to win at the end of the game.

However, Keldric Faulk was called for a personal foul for leaping and coming down on a Vanderbilt blocker on a field goal attempt. Two plays later the Commodores put the game out of reach on a throw from Pavia to Eli Stowers in the flats for a touchdown.

Grade: B

Special Teams

Vanderbilt soundly owned special teams versus Auburn. Punter Jesse Mirco pinned Auburn inside its own 20 three times, and twice inside its own five. One of those led to an Auburn punt out of its own end zone, which set up a long punt return and a field goal giving Vanderbilt a 10-7 lead in the third quarter.

Auburn kicker Towns McGough was 0-2 on field goals, missing from 44 and 51. The most critical mistake of the day for the Tigers came on field goal block, the previously mentioned personal foul that set up Vanderbilt’s fourth quarter touchdown.

Grade: F