Auburn players weren’t interested in moral victories after the Tigers’ 27-21 loss Saturday to Oklahoma.

It’s hard to blame them. On Saturday, for the third time in a young season, Auburn lost a game it had every chance of winning.

However, there were positives, one of which was the play of some of Auburn’s freshmen. Demarcus Riddick, Malcolm Simmons, Cam Coleman and Kaleb Harris all had impressive games that gave Auburn fans a glimmer of hope for the future.

Riddick was arguably Auburn’s MVP on defense, leading the team in tackles while also tallying one of the team’s two sacks on the day.

“He’s a dog, man. He was ready for this moment,” BUCK senior linebacker Jalen McLeod said of Riddick.

Riddick primarily served as a spy for quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., but was also used in the pass rush. He was primarily used on third downs, where he got his sack after chasing Hawkins near the sideline.

Harris was another key part of Auburn’s impressive defensive performance. The Thompson High School freshman safety had four tackles but two big plays.

The first time was a pass breakup on third down in the first half, and the second time was a big hit on Hawkins near the goal line that helped Auburn’s defense stall the goal line.

On offense, two members of the “Freeze Four” had breakout games.

Malcolm Simmons, the speedy freshman from Alexander City, had 61 yards on four catches, including a 48-yard touchdown catch.

“It was surreal,” Simmons said of the game after the game. “I just go out and play and know I can’t be marked one-on-one. Every time I come in there the defense says, ‘Oh, we have to find a way to stop them.'”

Although Coleman didn’t reach the end zone, he had his best performance of the season so far, catching three passes for 82 yards. All three of Coleman’s receptions were explosive plays that saw him fend off a third-down drop on the game’s first drive.

Not only was Coleman able to stave off the early loss against Oklahoma, it was also a performance that prevented costly losses against Arkansas and Cal behind him.

With Auburn now at 2-3, it feels like there is less and less to be gained from this season. At least the young players who caused so much excitement in the offseason are starting to show their potential.

Peter Rauterkus reports on Auburn Sports AL.com. You can follow him on X below @peter_rauterkus or send him an email at [email protected]M