Auburn football takes a step forward in SEC vibes rankings after strong offensive outing

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Former Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze preached that the Tigers were “close” to success on the field before his firing on Nov. 2. Although Freeze was not on the field for Auburn’s Week 11 game at Vanderbilt, Auburn proved his plea to be true.

Auburn fell on the road to then-No. 16 Vanderbilt, 45-38, in overtime last Saturday. The Tigers forced overtime with 5:27 remaining in the 4th quarter when quarterback Ashton Daniels connected with Cam Coleman for an incredible, one-handed 23-yard touchdown pass. The duo teamed up again the following play for a successful two-point conversion to tie the game at 38-38. Auburn appeared to have found an offensive identity last Saturday, which is why The Athletic gave them a boost in their weekly “SEC vibes” ranking despite its heartbreaking loss.

Seth Emerson of The Athletic pointed out a crucial stat involving Coleman in his weekly feature, while questioning why he had not been allowed to make more plays before Week 11.

It may not be classy to keep kicking dirt on former coach Hugh Freeze, but the vibes aren’t classy. Auburn waking up on offense Saturday was yet another indictment of Freeze. Feeding Cam Coleman (143 yards receiving): Huh, who could’ve predicted that would work? It should also encourage Auburn faithful that the program is close. As athletic director John Cohen put it last week when meeting the media about Freeze’s firing: “If we had an average SEC offense, there’s no telling what our record would be, and maybe I’m not standing up here in front of you right now.”

Coleman was not the only player who had a great day offensively for the Tigers in the loss to Vanderbilt. Fellow wide receiver Eric Singleton recorded his first 100-yard day by reeling in 11 catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. He broke a season-high in receptions by two, a season-high in yards by 37 yards, and logged his first touchdown catch since Auburn’s Week 2 win over Ball State. Jeremiah Cobb eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the fifth time this season and has now rushed for 904 yards with two games remaining.

Finally, Ashton Daniels passed for 353 yards and two touchdowns while adding 89 yards on the ground and two additional touchdowns. According to Auburn media relations, it was the first time that the Tigers had a 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher, and 100-yard receiver in the same game since the 2004 SEC Championship game vs. Tennessee, when Jason Campbell passed for 374 yards(374 passing), Carnell Williams ran for 100 yards, and Courtney Taylor hauled in 111 receiving yards.

The vibes are definitely growing in Auburn, and will give them momentum heading into its final bye week of the season. The Tigers will be idle in Week 12 and will return to action on Nov. 22 when they host Mercer at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn football moves up in The Athletic’s SEC vibes rankings

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