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Auburn Football Finds Two Bright Spots in Ugly Loss to Ole Miss
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- Auburn Football Finds Two Bright Spots in Ugly Loss to Ole Miss
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
There weren't many positives from the Auburn Tigers 45-15 loss to Ole Miss on Saturday, but two young receivers gave the offense something to feel good about.
Christian Neptune and DeShawn Spencer both took advantage of their opportunities against the Rebels, combining for nine receptions on nine targets for 115 yards.
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Neptune finished with five catches for 53 yards, while Spencer added four receptions for 62 yards.
And considering Auburn's offense struggled to consistently move the football, their performances were encouraging.
Both players are still developing, but they're beginning to show why they could be important pieces of Auburn's offense moving forward.
Golesh was impressed with Neptune's performance
Neptune followed Alex Golesh from South Florida to Auburn, so the Tigers' head coach is already familiar with what he can bring to the offense.
But following Saturday's game, Golesh believes Neptune showed another level of development.
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"I thought Nep played the most confident and most complete game that he has played, both in the blocking side of it and then obviously with the ball in his hands," Golesh said Monday.
That's important because Auburn's receivers are expected to contribute in more ways than simply catching passes.
Blocking on the perimeter is a major part of Golesh's offense, especially when the Tigers are trying to establish their running game.
And Neptune's improvement in that area could help him earn even more opportunities.
His five receptions against Ole Miss were encouraging, but the fact that Golesh praised his overall performance might be even more significant.
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Spencer continues to show his potential
Spencer's performance was just as encouraging, especially considering he's only a freshman.
He caught all four passes thrown his way and averaged 15.5 yards per reception.
And Golesh made it clear Monday that he believes Spencer has a promising future.
"He can give you a spark because he can take the top off. He can do some things with the ball in his hands," Golesh said.
Auburn has been looking for more explosive plays offensively, and Spencer has the ability to provide them.
Golesh also explained that the coaching staff has intentionally tried to get Spencer involved in meaningful situations throughout the season.
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That's encouraging because Spencer isn't simply waiting until next season to contribute.
He's already showing he can make plays against SEC competition. We say it at A-Day, now we are seeing it in games that matter.
Their development is coming at an important time
Auburn was without Jeremiah Koger against Ole Miss, which created additional opportunities for other receivers.
Golesh also acknowledged Monday that Chas Nimrod and Keshaun Singleton played a significant number of snaps, leaving them worn down late in the game.
Having younger receivers capable of contributing could help Auburn avoid that problem moving forward.
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"I thought both of those guys were a big, big spark for us," Golesh said.
And their development could become even more important next season.
Nimrod is expected to be out of eligibility after this year, while Singleton's future remains uncertain.
If Neptune and Spencer continue improving, Auburn might not need to rely as heavily on the transfer portal to rebuild its receiving room.
There's still plenty of football left to play, and one productive performance doesn't guarantee either player will become a consistent contributor.
But Auburn needs to continue finding opportunities for both receivers, especially with Arkansas coming to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.
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The Tigers have several offensive problems to address over the final four games. Maybe players like Neptune and Spencer can at least give Auburn two reasons to feel better about the future of its offense under Alex Golesh.
