AVENGE THE BRAND

I’ve been watching football long enough to know that the single most important dynamic in determining the outcome of a game is the ole ‘mo.’

That’s right, momentum.

M-o-m-e-n-t-u-m.

MOMENTUM.

And how a team manages and takes advantage of momentum typically decides the outcome of games, and in turn, seasons. Of course, it can make all the difference in the world when used correctly.

But you don’t want to lose it with a costly mistake like an unforced error, because if you do there’s a strong likelihood that you’ll be on the receiving end of an L.

And yes, there’s always wacky stuff that can happen like Flutie’s Hail Mary, The Play from Cal-Stanford, and of course, who can forget the Kick Six, but those are anomalies in the grand scheme of things. More times than not, the team with the momentum throughout the game, especially in the second half is typically the most likely victor. It’s common sense really.

There are countless ways that the ‘mo’ can shift between the two teams throughout a contest, especially when they’re evenly matched. Of course, those are the games we love as college football fans.

Sometimes, however, judgement calls by officiating crews can swing the ‘mo.’ When a critical call is made in favor of one team, while the other side believes it should have went their way, it can completely screw up the psyche of the squad who were on the receiving end of the raw deal and negatively affect their play the rest of the game.

But what happens when a team is screwed on two critical judgement calls by the officiating crew in one game?

Subconsciously, you start believing that no matter how hard you try and no matter what you do, you’re fighting a losing battle. And if you’re not careful, the discouragement can carry over from one game to the next.

Case in point, the 2018 Auburn-Mississippi State game. But first, let’s rewind to the beginning of that season.

2018 wasn’t kind to the Auburn Tigers. Gus Malzahn had a Top-10 squad entering his sixth year on The Plains, and for the first time in program history, the Tigers returned a starting quarterback who was a 3,000-yard passer the previous year.

Hopes were high after coming outta the gates with a Top-10 victory over Pac-12 favorite Washington, but Auburn suffered a heart-breaking defeat at home to LSU on a last second field goal in just the third game of the season.

However, despite the early season loss to the Bayou Bengals, all of the Tigers’ goals were still attainable. After bouncing back with consecutive wins over Arkansas and Southern Miss, Auburn stood at 4-1 and No. 8 in the country when they traveled to Starkville before a nationally televised audience in prime time for their first true road test of the season.

It’s both fascinating and mind-numbing depending on whose side you’re on, how one negative play, or two in the matter of Auburn and State last year, can have a butterfly effect resulting in oddities like one of the best defensive lines in college football — Auburn — surrendering 349 yards rushing to first-year head coach Joe Moorhead’s Mississippi State Bulldogs, who were coming off consecutive losses to SEC foes Kentucky and Florida.

You heard me right the first time. In last year’s game, Mississippi State gutted Auburn’s defense to the tune of 349 rushing yards, while averaging over 6 yards per pop.

Yes, the Bulldogs were gifted a touchdown by the SEC officials right before halftime and a touchdown was taken away from Auburn in the second half, so instead of a 16-9 Auburn lead to start the fourth quarter, the Tigers were on the receiving end of a horribly bitter, 23-9 soul-searching loss.

But sometimes the calls aren’t gonna go your way and you’re gonna have to suck it up, or you can sulk it up and give up three fiddy on the ground to people who love cowbells for goodness sakes.

Mississippi State embarrassed Auburn.

There’s no two ways around it. We might as well be honest about it.

Besides, if we’re going to tell folks that the Auburn-Texas A&M, 28-20 score wasn’t indicative of the ass-kicking that actually took place on the field last Saturday then you better believe we’re going to remind y’all that Mississippi State kicked Auburn’s ass last year.

Embarrassed the team.

Embarrassed the fanbase.

Hell, even Auburn’s war eagle hid its head under its wing in shame.

MISSISSIPPI STATE 23 AUBURN 9 was embarrassing to the program as a whole because the score was not indicative of the ass-kicking that took place on the actual field.

And, “what about that big, bad Auburn defensive line?” you may ask. Mississippi State ran it down their throats. Embarrassed ‘em. And Hail State’s defense put the clamps down on Auburn’s running game, embarrassing the Tigers on that side of the ball, too.

349-90.

While State rushed the length of three and a half football fields, the Tigers were incapable of running the length of one after a paltry 90 yards on the ground.

Again, it was one of the most embarrassing games I can remember as an Auburn fan, 2012 notwithstanding. And easily one of the most infuriating after the Southeastern Conference officiating crew’s ineptness awarded State a 14-point swing.

Now don’t get me wrong, that’s not to make excuses, but Auburn felt like they were climbing a mountain in flip flops vs. State.

Right before halftime, just when the Tigers thought they had swung the ‘mo’ on a big-time fourth down stop at the goal line after the Tigers stuffed State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald prior to the ball crossing the plane, SEC officials ruled it a Bulldog touchdown. Instead of MSU going into the locker room with a 6-3 lead, the cow bell clangers led 13-6 at intermission with the all too important ‘mo’ in hand.

Unfortunately for Auburn, the incompetence of SEC officiating wasn’t quite finished rearing its ugly head.

After the Tigers and Bulldogs swapped field goals in the third quarter, State held a 16-6 lead.

Auburn’s offense, however, was driving into Mississippi State territory with 2:22 left in the quarter when Tiger running back Boobee Whitlow took a delayed handoff and exploded around right tackle for what appeared to be a 43-yard touchdown run.

The Tigers celebrated on the sidelines after cutting the Mississippi State lead to 16-13 with another quarter of ball left to play.

In my best Lee Corso voice, “not so fast, my friend.”

If Auburn thought they just scored a spectacular touchdown, SEC officials had something else in mind. The blind mice in stripes ruled that Whitlow lost possession of the football prior to the ball breaking the plane and it then rolled out the back of the end zone resulting in a Tiger turnover, crippling the Auburn spirit.

Instead of Auburn trailing 16-13, the Tigers faced a 16-6 deficit entering the final quarter of play and the momentum clearly on the side of the home team.

To add insult to injury, Mississippi State tacked on a late touchdown with two minutes left in the game after an eight play, 70-yard drive featuring nothing but runs through beleaguered Tiger defense.

The Mississippi State loss crushed Auburn’s 2018 season and is a perfect example how one L can turn into two when the Tigers hosted Tennessee the very next game, Malzahn suffered the worst loss of his collegiate coaching career at the hands of rookie head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his Tennessee Volunteers, losers of 11 straight SEC games prior to visiting Pat Dye Field in Jordan-Hare Stadium. If you think the State loss hurt, you hadn’t seen or felt nothin’ yet.

Amazing the damage a butterfly can do when it flaps its wings.

The Mississippi State and Tennessee games were two that the Tigers would like to have back and would’ve been the difference in Auburn finishing with back-to-back 10-win season’s in 2017 and ‘18, instead of the 8-5 mark that felt like a kick in the stomach.

The memory still stings.

AVENGE THE BRAND!

AVENGE THE A-U!

Unfortunately, the Tigers don’t get to play Pruitt and Tennessee this season, but the Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-1, 1-0) invade The Loveliest Village on the Plains this weekend as the No. 7 Auburn Tigers (4-0, 1-0) try to repay the Bulldogs for the pain of our past.

Do it for the brand!

Do it for the A-U!

If you’re gonna do it for anyone, do it for Rod!

In fact, do it for all the people, past and present, that make Auburn the extraordinarily special place that it is! We stand with you and if you’ll meet us in the middle, we vow to give you the rowdiest home field advantage in all of football.

War Eagle!