Auburn quarterback Sean White led the Tigers to an opening touchdown drive in the 83rd Sugar Bowl and in the process broke his forearm trying to score down close. Fans knew something wasn’t quite right with the signal caller afterwards as he struggled to complete passes. X-rays at haft time confirmed he had broken his right forearm.
Just like in the Georgia game, the Tigers’ offense was stagnant without its No.1 QB and Auburn fell to Oklahoma 35-19. Everyone knew it would be a tall task to play the Big 12 Champions when they possessed two Heisman finalist and a running back tandem that had amassed close to 2,000 yards during the regular season.
The respected Tiger defense gave up the most points of the season but White’s injury was a contributing factor. No defense can stay on the field for long periods and be effective. To have a reasonable chance it was imperative for Auburn to have a healthy starting quarterback to drive the offensive machine and keep the potent Sooner offense off the field.
When White went down so did the Tigers chances for a victory. He was replaced by John Franklin III and JFIII was replaced by Jeremy Johnson after Franklin complained of arm cramps. No disrespect intended for either young man but it’s been evident all season that the offense does not function at a high level when No.1 is injured or not in the game.
You cannot help but admire Sean White. He’s tough and he exudes leadership. Better still, his teammates believe in him. However, he seems to be snake bitten when it comes to injuries. His leg and foot injuries last year derailed the season and a shoulder and arm injury defined this season.
Despite his enviable attributes, he may be too much of a liability to trust the offense to in 2017. It pains me to write that because I’m a Sean White fan, have been since he won the Elite 11 quarterback competition after high school. But with Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham waiting in the wings he may have started his last game as a Tiger.
If that turns out to be the case, you can expect him to continue to be the team player he has always been. And that may be that just what this team needs – not one but two competent quarterbacks.
The post Un-Sweet Sugar Bowl Loss Affirms Tigers’ Need For Two Competent Quarterbacks appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.
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