Auburn’s 21-17 loss to Missouri Saturday was another in a long line of games it will hope to forget.
Hugh Freeze and his team had chances to win and led by 14 points in the third quarter, but once again found a way to lose.
The team earned a total grade of 65.3, according to Pro Football Focus, its lowest of the season. The offensive performance was the biggest lowlight, earning a grade of just 57.8. PFF graded every single player that played a snap in the game as well.
Here are the highest and lowest-graded players:
Offense
Top 5
- WR Malcolm Simmons 79
- RB Jeremiah Cobb 69.6
- C Connor Lew 64.2
- RB Damari Alston and Jarquez Hunter 63.1
- OL Izavion Miller 62.8
Analysis
Simmons looked like the best offensive player on the field for much of Saturday‘s game, and PFF’s grades reflect that.
Freeze and the offensive staff did a good job of finding creative ways to get Simmons the ball, whether that was through pop passes, reverses or downfield throws.
Auburn’s running game was inconsistent against Missouri, but Cobb had one of his best games of the year. He still only had three touches on offense, but averaged just over 10 yards per touch.
Alston and Hunter never got going with much consistency, but were solid enough to be among the best players in a disappointing day from the offense.
Bottom 5
- Sam Jackson V 41.7
- OL Jeremiah Wright 46.3
- TE Luke Deal 46.6
- TE Rivaldo Fairweather 47.5
- WR Camden Brown 49.7
Analysis
Auburn‘s passing game was never consistently dangerous against Missouri, partly explaining the low grades for the receivers. It’s worth noting, however, that Jackson and Brown only played eight and 11 snaps respectively.
Poor run blocking grades by Deal and Fairweather dinged their total grades and neither made much of an impact as a pass catcher either.
Wright’s grade is a little more interesting. He earned a solid pass blocking grade of 74.8, but his 43.7 run blocking grade and one penalty seemed to be enough to bring his overall grade down into the 40s.
Defense
Top 5
- LB Eugene Asante 77.3
- S Jerrin Thompson 75.9
- DL Quientrail Jamison-Travis 74.6
- CB Jay Crawford 72.1
- S Kaleb Harris 69.8
Analysis
If there is anything positive to take from Auburn’s 2-5 start, it’s that the Tigers have two freshmen in the secondary who can play with anyone.
Crawford and Harris continue to be among Auburn’s highest graded defensive players, even as they face tougher competition. Crawford even finished with the highest tackling grade on the team at 80.7.
Above the freshmen, Auburn’s highest-graded players were its most experienced players, with two of its captains taking the top two spots.
Asante had one of his best games of the year, tallying seven tackles, two sacks, three pressures and a coverage grade of 75.9. Thompson wasn’t far behind with six tackles and a 77.3 coverage grade, the highest on the team.
Bottom 5
- LB Austin Keys 41.3
- DB Keionte Scott 51.5
- LB Dorian Mausi Jr. 51.6
- DL Jayson Jones 54.4
- DL Malik Blocton 56.1
Analysis
Auburn’s experienced players were also among the lowest graded against Missouri, as four of the five on the list are seniors.
Poor tackling was the biggest issue, with three of the five players listed having tackling grades in the 20s. Keys also had Auburn’s lowest coverage grade of the season at 45.1
Overall, Auburn‘s linebackers combined for an average grade of 60, not ideal for one of the team‘s most experienced position groups.
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at prauterkus@al.com
