Offensively Woeful

Last week, while many decided to remain calm, I hit the panic button. Something about Auburn's unimpressive victory over Kansas State left me feeling uneasy and pessimistic. In a brief moment of optimism, though, I looked to my husband on Saturday, as Nova circled Jordan Hare, and said, "You know, I really think that upsets are the sexy pick of the week. I really don't think Auburn has anything to worry about tonight." By the end of the first quarter, I was in the kitchen, frantically searching for Rolaids.

Brandon Cox's careless play, Al Borges's uncreative offense, where do I begin? While I realize that USF beat West Virginia last year, Louisville the year before, those are Big East teams, not an SEC powerhouse. Auburn should have out run, outscored, and outperformed a team that has only been in existence for ten years. That being said, I don't know that USF beat Auburn as much as Auburn beat itself.

Each time Auburn's offense, namely Mario Fanin, began to show signs of life, the next predictable play sequence put the ball back into a struggling quarterback's hands. Watching Fanin, I was almost reminded of another running back whose career was catapulted by a night of similar offensive struggles, but unlike Kenny Irons, Fanin never managed to break out. When Auburn's quarterbacks have struggled, they have always been able to find their running game, but that does not seem to be a possibility this season.

While many are calling for the benching of Brandon Cox, though, I think the problem is greater than the quarterback. I don't believe that Cox is suddenly suffering from a lack of talent or ability; his mistakes seem as much mental as they do an ineptness of execution. Perhaps the loss of Brad Lester has affected the team's psyche more than we as fans, media, etc. realize. If Borges built his offense around the experience and leadership of Cox and Lester then of course, the team would struggle with the loss of one of those key players. Watching Cox fall apart on Saturday was much like witnessing a golfer suddenly losing his swing or a closer suddenly losing his ability to find the strike zone. That loss of mental focus can destroy an athlete.

Maybe my worries are premature and Cox will recapture his focus and Borges will recapture his offense. I hope so. Of course, the real reason Auburn lost this weekend could be as simple as the fact that I forgot to fly my Auburn garden flag. I'll be sure to put it out this Saturday, and we'll see what happens.