Takeaways from the biggest game of the opening weekend of the 2018 college football season that saw Auburn eke past Washington.
The best game of Week 1 saw Washington head to Atlanta for a “neutral site” game in Atlanta vs. Auburn in the Chick-fil-A kickoff classic. It went down to the final moments too as Washington tried to overcome a five-point deficit after Auburn scored the lone touchdown of the second half.
In the end, the Auburn defense was too strong and Jake Browning and the Huskies couldn’t make enough plays offensively, especially in the red zone to beat the SEC West team. Both teams played well defensively, but it was the Tigers defensive line that stood out the most in a battle of two teams with playoff aspirations.
Neither Browning, nor Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham had flashy stat lines, and neither team played well in the red zone, but these are the three biggest takeaways from Auburn’s 21-16 win over Washington.
Auburn’s defensive line is as good as advertised
When the game was in the balance late in the fourth quarter, the Auburn defensive line took the game over. Granted, Washington was without stud left tackle, Trey Adams, but I don’t know if he would have made things that much different. The Tiger defensive front was wreaking havoc on the Huskies line and making Browning run for his life. Browning took a pair of just-awful sacks in the closing minutes to clinch the game for Gus Malzahn’s Tigers. Derrick Brown, Dontavius Russell, Marlon Davidson and, especially, Nick Coe, who is about to be a household name, are four reasons why Auburn is 1-0 and why they can compete for the SEC championship.
Washington had their chances
Both teams displayed some terrific red zone defense. Into the fourth quarter, there were 10 red zone trips that amounted to only one touchdown. Washington had their chances, but the combination of penalties, dropped passes, missed field goals, and a stellar Auburn defense saw the Huskies settle for a field goal attempt instead of crossing the goal line for seven. The two teams weren’t separated by much but it was Washington’s inability to convert on these clutch plays that resulted in them beginning the year 0-1.
Playoff implications
Washington has no margin for error after dropping this game. The Huskies are already shouldering the burden of the perception that the Pac-12 isn’t that strong. Now that they dropped this game that would have been a big feather in their cap, they have to run the table to have a chance at the four-team playoff. Conversely, for Auburn, they have a little wiggle room in case they drop a game on their SEC schedule, which includes games vs. Georgia and Alabama. Auburn can conceivably lose one of those games, and if they still win the SEC, should have a clear path to the playoff, strengthened by this impressive non-conference win.