THE Auburn Tigers didn’t find a way to finish practices offensively in their 17-7 loss for the Vanderbilt Commodoressomething that has been a persistent problem for them this season.

Despite passing the Commodores 327 yards to 227 Auburn went 2-of-13 on third-down conversions and had to call on punter Oscar Chapman six times.

This is nothing new for the Tigers, as finding ways to end practices putting points on the board has been a constant struggle for them.

“We just couldn’t finish,” Freeze said. “Whether it was finishing drives with points from our field goal unit or not converting on third downs, we struggled with all of that today. Certainly disappointed that we didn’t build on last week’s efforts.

Auburn’s defense put together another strong performance, limiting Vanderbilt to 227 total yards of offense and 95 yards in the second half. The Commodores’ leading rusher, Sedrick Alexander, was held to 28 yards and their leading receiver, Quincy Skinner Jr., was held to 30 yards.

“I thought our defense showed grit and played well enough to win and probably did the best job against this team all year,” Freeze said.

Having six games in the loss column, it’s officially do or die time for the Tigers if they want to go bowling this winter. In its three remaining games, Auburn will face two ranked teams, No. 10 Texas A&M at home and No. 13 Alabama on the road.

The Tigers will take a “one game at a time” approach with these final three games.

“One workout at a time, starting next week,” Freeze said. “We won’t go down that path, it’s just an accumulation of days that allows us to improve.”

Despite a series of results that have not been favorable to them this season, the Tigers are determined not to give up. Staying focused can be a challenge for any team faced with a situation like this, but Auburn is determined to get it over with.

“I think it’s important to finish everything you do,” Freeze said. “The easiest thing for people to check is in life or in football, that’s what the voices will say to so many people. That’s one of the things I’m proud of about this team. I don’t think they gave in and checked.

Auburn has an open week before being tasked with winning three straight games in order to reach bowl eligibility. THE Tigers return to action against UL-Monroe in two weeks at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11:45 a.m. CT and SEC Network will carry the telecast.