After a rough week in which Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was fired, the Tigers went out and gave their all, taking No. 16 Vanderbilt to overtime before losing. It was not the way Auburn wanted the week to end, as hopes of a bowl game now rest on wins against Mercer and No. 4 Alabama.
It was the kind of effort that was missing from the Tigers sometimes this season, especially on the offensive end. Auburn put up a season-high 563 yards, but it wasn't enough in DJ Durkin's debut as interim head coach. Close? Sure. But Durkin isn't about close.
"This is Auburn," he said following the game. "We didn’t come here to get close or make the game closer, fight to the end. We came here to win championships, and that’s what we’re going to do."
While championships seem far off for Auburn's program right now, Saturday was a sign of a team that had a fresh start. Durkin noted that the players had been through a lot this week, and in return, the coaching staff challenged them. And, in the first half, they responded, coming out on fire to take a 20-10 lead at the break.
But what had been Auburn's strength all season in its defense faltered against Diego Pavia and the Commodores' offense, allowing more than 24 points for the first time this year.
Despite the performance, Keldric Faulk, one of the team's leaders, spoke on the difference in preparation this week, praising Durkin.
“He brought life,” Faulk said. “The way this season has been going, it’s been weird. A lot of guys came from high school, where they were just winning. Losing is not a part of their nature, and it’s not a part of Durk’s nature either. He came in there and gave us the fire to keep the energy flowing. He put life into this team. You can tell by the way we played, the way we practiced, the way we prepared — we prepared for Coach Durk, we played for Coach Durk.”
Despite the close loss, Durkin is not taking anything out of it except another learning opportunity.
“No moral victories," Durkin said. “No nothing. We’re not happy about it. We’re going to win these games, though."