Bo Nix gets offense moving, but his key mistakes lead to loss
Updated: Jan. 16, 2021, 6:21 p.m. |
Oct 3, 2020; Columbia, SC, USA; Bo Nix (10) directing blocking while running for the first down during the game between Auburn and South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics
Giana Han
Bo Nix had a career-high 272 passing yards on the road, yet it was a game he will want to forget.
While Nix was the key component to the offense's rhythm, he was also responsible for three turnovers that led to 21 South Carolina points in the 30-22, eight-point loss.
"When you look at it, the stat sheet, you know — as far as the stat sheet, we played pretty good football, but the three turnovers, obviously, were big," coach Gus Malzahn said.
Nix got off to a strong start against the Gamecocks. He led the Tigers on a scoring drive to open the game. During that drive alone, Nix passed for 52 yards and rushed for five yards. As soon as the Tigers got the ball back, Nix completed four passes for 42 yards to help the Tigers push into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game.
By the end of the first quarter, Nix had completed 10 out of 17 pass attempts for 108 yards. He showed confidence in the pocket and also established himself as a running threat.
Then the second quarter arrived, and the rollercoaster started. On Nix's first pass attempt of the quarter, he threw an interception after forcing the throw into traffic on third down. Nix's mistake was balanced by his perfect 44-yard pass to wide receiver Seth Williams, which set up an Auburn touchdown on the next drive. But he undid that with another interception on the following drive.
This interception was different in that the fault did not lie squarely on Nix's shoulders. Although he once again forced the pass, he actually got it to his receiver. If it weren't for Williams tipping the ball into the defender's hands, Nix would have completed a big play.
Nix's stats going into halftime were impressive, if one ignores the interceptions. He threw for 172 passing yards with a completion rate of 56 percent, and he picked up 27 yards with his legs. His offense hadn't punted a single time and finished with 253 yards.
"I thought we played pretty good football in the first half," Malzahn said. "The turnovers right there were tough. But still, we were still in, I felt, in pretty good shape coming out of halftime."
Despite the risk in the passing game, the Tigers continued to rely on Nix's arm. Nix threw 10 more passes in the third quarter and then 10 more in the fourth quarter, finishing with 47 pass attempts.
But South Carolina had made defensive adjustments. While Nix's receivers dropped a number of passes, the Gamecocks also broke up others. Cornerback Jaycee Horn, specifically, shut down Auburn's leading receiver Williams, who finished with just four catches on 12 targets.
Nix once again offset the good from his first scoring drive of the half with yet another forced third-down pass. Horn intercepted it and carried it 34 yards back to the Auburn eight. The interception flipped the momentum and gave the Gamecocks a lead to build on.
"We've got to protect the football," Malzahn said. "I think a couple of those, you've got to have the receivers on the same page. I think one or two of those probably wasn't on the same page. I think one bounced off a guy and bounced up. We've got to protect the football."
Nix did a lot of good during the game. He helped keep plays alive with his ability to scramble and to evade the pass rush. He completed some difficult passes and helped Auburn find a rhythm. South Carolina coach Will Muschamp was impressed.
"He's a great competitor," Muschamp said. "That guy competes his butt off. I mean, some of those things he did ... that guy's a battler. He kept competing in the game and ought to be very proud of his performance today."
Although Nix knew the three interceptions would reflect badly on him, wide receiver Eli Stove said he never "pouted" and just kept leading the team to the best of his ability. He almost led them to a comeback, pushing the Tigers 71 yards in 2:15 before the clock ran out while they were on the South Carolina 9-yard line.
"He's going to compete til the last second," Stove said. "He's a competitor. Like, that last hurdle he tried to do, that just showed me that he wants to win. Most quarterbacks won't do that. They'd run out of bounds or something like that. But he wanted that first down and, you know, he's a true competitor."
However, the same confidence that allowed him to make gutsy plays also led to some critical errors, which hurt Auburn's ability to win the game. Nix finished with 272 passing yards and 69 rushing yards, but the stat that most stands out are the three interceptions.
The loss adds yet another poor road performance to Nix's record. While he has 11 touchdowns to zero interceptions at home, Nix now has 10 touchdowns to 10 interceptions when playing on the road.
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