Another Heartbreaking Loss at Commonwealth

It was a similar site of fans leaving Commonwealth Stadium in utter disappointment on Saturday night. The Cats were tied with the #8 Auburn Tigers going into the final seconds when the Tigers kicked a game winning field goal as regulation ended. This time, however, the Cats did not beat themselves. They put forth a solid effort and gave a top 10 team all they could handle, without a crucial turnover, penalty, or stupid mistake costing the game. It was probably their best overall effort of the season. It was one of those games where whoever had the ball last was going to win. The Cats simply ran out of time.

It would have been another one of those opportunities to get this program to the next level, however, I can't point to anything that the coaches or players did that they should have done differently and that could have changed the outcome of the game. Randall Cobb was finally utilized to his whole potential and the defense stepped up in the second half and contained Cam Newton as good as anyone else has this season. It was a very well played game and a strong Heisman Trophy candidate simply outdid the Cats, just enough to get the win on the road for a Top 10, National Championship contending team. There are no "moral victories" in "Operation: Win", however, it's hard to find fault in the Cats' performance last night.

They beat themselves against Ole Miss and didn't really show up in Gainesville either, but it took everything that Auburn had to beat the Cats last night. Progress is being made and the schedule is about to get easier. I expect the Cats to go on a second-half run this season just as they did last year when the schedule got "easier". It won't be much easier next week, but South Carolina is coming off of an emotionally draining win over #1 Alabama. It's another crucial game that can propel this season into the right direction. A lot of winnable games are still left on the table for the Cats to grab. They could, in fact, still win more games than they have in quite some time. Stay tuned and don't give up on this team. A lot of exciting football is on its way that we have been waiting for quite some time to see.