WATCH: Blocked punt touchdown gives Auburn life against Georgia State
Down double digits against Georgia State, Auburn football blocked a punt near the end zone and recovered it for a touchdown. The score gave the Tigers some much-needed momentum and cut the Panthers lead to 24-19 with 4:44 left to go in the third quarter.
Linebacker Barton Lester scooped up the loose ball in the end zone as Auburn fans cheered. But there is still a ways to go to get out of this hole.
The Tigers gave up three touchdowns in the second quarter, including a 50-yard run from Tucker Gregg. The blocked punt was the first touchdown of the afternoon for Auburn. Prior to that it had scored only four field goals and trailed 24-12 at halftime.
Quarterback Bo Nix struggled so much that he was benched late for TJ Finley. Prior to exiting the game, Nix had gone 13-of-27 for 156 yards.
The Tigers looked like a much-improved team early in coach Bryan Harsin’s inaugural season. They won their first two games by a combined 122-10 and then put up a fight in a hostile road environment at Penn State in Week 3.
A loss at home to Georgia State, which was 1-2 entering the weekend, would be puzzling to say the least. It would bring into question exactly how much better this team actually is.
Nix had not thrown an interception all season and also did not against Georgia State. However, he completed less than 50% of his passes, and his inaccuracy clearly cost him. After winning the quarterback battle in the preseason, Nix will have a lot to prove in practice next week if he hasn’t already lost Harsin’s trust.
The Tigers are on the road next week against LSU. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET on Saturday. Hopefully they can shake off the memories of this game and get back on track.