By Brant Daughtry
Woof.
That shouldn’t happen. Auburn had an opportunity against a less talented team to make a statement about how much it had improved and simply fell flat on its face. Every player on offense looked unorganized. Play-calling was a mess. The game plan didn’t work and saw zero adjustments. Auburn was out-played and out-coached at just about every spot Saturday. And it’s not because Cal is more talented than Auburn.
I’ll begin this with a defense of Payton Thorne. He’s not great. Probably not good enough to be the starter at Auburn. But he’s far from the biggest problem. Of the four interceptions he threw that stood, one was on him. Throwing a fade route to an injured wide receiver is never a good idea. But then there are several questions to be asked of the coaching staff as to why Thorne wasn’t made aware that Coleman was hurt and not available as a target. That helmet communication needs to be used for something.
This isn’t a recap of Auburn’s embarrassment against Cal. But it needs to be talked about. Hugh Freeze was thoroughly underprepared and it showed. That can’t happen again, especially against the team Auburn’s playing Saturday.
The New Mexico Lobos are led by Bronco Mendenhall, formerly of BYU and Virginia. He’s a defensive-minded coach who knows how to take struggling programs and turn them around, as he did at his previous two stops. He might not be a championship coach, but he knows how to win more than he loses. And he’ll have his guys ready.
The quarterback for the Lobos is Devon Dampier, a sophomore who saw a lot of action last year and is now the full-time starter. He’s a solid passer but an even better runner, currently putting up about nine yards per carry. He’s accounted for seven total touchdowns so far and about 600 yards of offense through two games. He’s dynamic, and Auburn will struggle to contain him if they come out flat.
The Lobos are 0-2, so that’s good news, having losses to Montana State and Arizona. It’s not for lack of effort though, the Lobos have put up over 30 points in both games. The defense struggles, but the offense is doing their best to make up for it, and if things ever click on both sides of the ball, they’ll be a very dangerous team in the Mountain West.
Players to Watch For:
Wide Receiver Luke Wysong, #15- Wysong is, by a wide margin, Dampier’s favorite target. He’s smaller, less than 6-foot, but able to get open and does often. He has 224 yards receiving this year, with the next closest having only 57. He’s also a big play threat, averaging 16 yards a catch. If Auburn comes out playing a soft zone again, this kid will find the open space and Dampier won’t hesitate to look his way.
Safety Christian Ellis, #8- Ellis does a little bit of everything for the Lobos. He’s second on the team in tackles with 19 so far, but has also gotten an interception and recovered a fumble. They do a lot with him, and Auburn’s offense will have to check where he is at every snap.
This is an opportunity for Auburn. This is a get-right game. This defense has given up a lot of points this year, including 61 to a very talented Arizona team. Auburn doesn’t need to hang 61, but they do need to get some confidence back after last week. Not just Payton Thorne, or whoever the QB ends up being against Arkansas, but the entire offense.
The fan base is starting to turn on Hugh Freeze, either directly with play calling questions or wondering why he felt as though sticking with Payton Thorne was the right plan. He needs to get that support back in a hurry, and while that won’t happen with just one win, it has to start here. The SEC opponents Auburn has on its schedule are better than Cal, and this staff can’t afford to be embarrassed like that again.
