For the third time this season, the Auburn Tigers lost a game that seemed within reach, falling 27-21 to the No. 21 Oklahoma Sooners. Auburn led for most of the contest, but a costly error in the fourth quarter led to their downfall.
Head coach Hugh Freeze took much of the responsibility for the loss.
“This one really hurts,” Freeze admitted. “I’ve got to help my team close out games like this. I’m proud of our young guys—they played hard and showed some growth.”
Auburn made a crucial fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter, giving the offense the ball with a two-possession lead. After a 22-yard run by Jarquez Hunter, ESPN projected Auburn’s win probability at 97.4%. However, Auburn’s decision to abandon the run and fail to burn more than 90 seconds off the clock before missing a field goal proved costly.
“Up two scores, we should have run the ball and drained the clock,” Freeze explained. “That possession sticks out, and we also left points on the board in the first half. I’ve got to ensure our team capitalizes in those moments and protects the ball when it matters.”
Despite a more efficient offensive performance, Auburn continues to fall short in close games, a situation Freeze has yet to fully address. Statistically, it seemed like Auburn should have won comfortably, as they outgained Oklahoma 482 to 291, recorded 26 first downs to the Sooners’ 11, and held the ball for over 35 minutes.
“That’s been the story lately,” Freeze said. “We outgained Arkansas last week and did the same today, but we’re not converting those yards into points. We need to figure out how to turn production into wins.”
Next week, Auburn faces its first road test, traveling to Sanford Stadium to take on No. 2 Georgia. The game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. CT and will air on ABC and ESPN+.
