Auburn Fought Back Against Florida. Then Everything Fell Apart

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The Auburn Tigers had fought their way back into Saturday night's game against Florida.

And for a moment, it looked like the Tigers might be able to take control.

After a disastrous start offensively, Auburn battled back to tie the game at 17. The Tigers had finally found some rhythm, and Jordan-Hare Stadium was starting to come alive.

But what happened next might have been the most frustrating stretch of Auburn's 44-39 loss.

Right after halftime, Florida scored 17 unanswered points, turning a tied football game into a 34-17 deficit.

And Auburn never completely recovered.

"The story of the game is that middle part of it," Alex Golesh said afterward.

Auburn had already shown it could overcome a bad start. The Tigers finished the first quarter with minus-3 yards of total offense, and Byrum Brown threw an interception on the opening possession. A pass that should have never been thrown.

But they didn't quit. And I'm choosing to believe that means something.

Because after seeing this program react to losses under Hugh Freeze, with players such as Jackson Arnold hanging his head at press conferences, that was certainly a change of pace, a much needed one after the heartbreaking loss on Saturday.

Auburn eventually got things going offensively and worked its way back into the game.

But to begin the third quarter, the Tigers couldn't sustain drives offensively, and DJ Durkin's defense couldn't get Florida off the field.

The Gators continued to establish their running game, convert critical downs, and create explosive plays.

And when Auburn needed a defensive stop to keep the momentum on its side, it couldn't get one.

Florida finished the night with 262 rushing yards and converted all three of its fourth-down attempts.

That's not going to get it done, especially against one of the most explosive up-and-coming offenses like Florida's offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.

But I don't think this was entirely on the defense.

Auburn's offense has to do a better job of staying on the field and giving its defense an opportunity to recover.

Florida controlled roughly 40 minutes of possession, running 76 offensive plays compared to Auburn's 66.

And when you're already struggling to tackle and stop the run, spending that much time on the field only makes things more difficult.

Auburn still had opportunities to get back into the game, even though the game felt out of reach for most of it.

The Tigers scored 14 points in the final 6:20, showing the same fight Golesh has praised throughout the first three weeks.

But that's also what makes this loss so frustrating.

Auburn scored 39 points against an SEC opponent and still lost.

And although the late comeback made the final score look respectable, it couldn't erase what happened when the game was tied.

The Tigers had an opportunity to take control of their SEC opener.

Instead, Florida took control. In their own house, against a coach who was in the running for the job when it opened up this offseason.

Which will make it a loss that fans won't forget anytime soon.

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