Jordan-Hare Stadium felt like it was about to explode.
Two plays into the fourth quarter, Auburn found itself leading Oklahoma 21-10. The crowd was collectively cheering in the tenor of a fanbase that felt on its way toward the big win its team was chasing after weeks of disappointment.
Around 13 in-game minutes later, many of those fans were looking for the exits. Auburn was now losing 27-21, and it was a return to reality for a fanbase that has largely forgotten what it feels like to win these kinds of big games.
That 27-21 score held after Payton Thorne’s Hail Mary attempt fell around 10 yards short of the goal line, capping off what was the most heartbreaking loss yet of Auburn’s 2-3 start to the season.
But how did the Tigers get to that point after leading by two scores and feeling well on their way to a big win?
Despite Auburn avoiding many of the mistakes it made in its first two losses through three quarters, they reappeared late against Oklahoma.
Auburn’s defense was putting together a standout performance. It was limiting quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr.’s running ability, and the secondary was good in coverage for most of the game.
Oklahoma finally found an opening in the first quarter, beating corner Kayin Lee for a deep ball that set up a touchdown two plays later.
Offensively, Auburn had a chance to put the game away after stopping Oklahoma on fourth down just after the 12-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
After a long run by Jarquez Hunter, Auburn had the ball at Oklahoma’s 33-yard line, but suddenly everything seemed off.
There was obvious confusion between the sideline and the players on the field. Hugh Freeze scrambled to try and call a timeout before Auburn’s second-and-10 play but couldn’t alert the official in time.
The play ended up being an incomplete pass intended for KeAndre Lambert-Smith, where the pass was well behind him on what looked to be a miscommunication with Payton Thorne.
“That was bad,” Thorne said of the play after the game. “We talked about not making blind throws and based off the rest of the defense, I had pieced together what that field safety should have done, and I was wrong.”
Thorne threw another incompletion on third down, forcing a 51-yard field goal attempt that Towns McGough missed.
The inexplicable part of that sequence was Auburn opting to throw the ball three plays in a row after a long run with a two-score lead in the fourth quarter.
“I’ve got to make sure [Thorne] understands the situation better and we should have had runs there,” Freeze said. “I’ve just got to be clearer with him on what we’re trying to do at that moment in the game.”
Auburn did well for the first 55 minutes of the game to avoid turnovers. But at the most critical time, it killed the Tigers.
Even after the first Oklahoma score of the quarter, Auburn still had a chance to pull away or run the clock out. Unfortunately for Auburn, it couldn’t keep from beating itself again.
Payton Thorne threw an interception on third-and-four at the Oklahoma 43-yard line and linebacker Kip Lewis returned it for a touchdown. That gave Oklahoma the lead that it never lost.
“I shouldn’t have put him in that position and have him have that option,” Freeze said after the game. “It’s one that stings, for sure. I’ve got to help our team get over the edge when you have a chance to win a game like that.”
It was Auburn’s only turnover of the game, a far cry from the five it had in each of its previous two losses. This one, though, hurt more than any of the others.
Auburn did everything right against Oklahoma, except win. It had one late turnover, but it’s still hard to fathom how the Tigers could outgain Oklahoma by 191 yards and still lose.
When that many things go right, it’s hard to point to an obvious adjustment. So, as the Tigers go into a road game against Georgia, the message remains simple.
“We gotta find a way to win,” a frustrated Jalen McLeod said when asked what the message to the team was after the game. “We played a hell of a game. We just gotta find a way to win.”
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m
