Shell-shocked is the only way to describe the look and feel of Auburn’s locker room after the Tigers were stunned by New Mexico State in a 31-10 beating in front of a Jordan-Hare Stadium full of the Auburn Family on Saturday.

Jaylin Simpson and Keionte Scott – two veteran defensive backs who are widely regarded as leaders in the locker room – both started their postgame interview with the same four words.

“I don’t even know,” they said when asked about the game’s surprising result.

It was evident that players in Auburn’s locker room – no matter how seasoned – were still reeling and trying to make sense of the loss, which some are calling the worst in Auburn football history.

“I don’t even know how to feel right now to be honest with you,” Simpson continued. “I’m just in disbelief. I don’t know, it don’t feel like real life to me.”

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was still grappling with the loss during his postgame press conference, too.

“It feels like a bad dream,” Freeze said.

But unfortunately for Freeze and those in the Tigers’ locker room, it doesn’t matter how many times they ask someone to pinch them – Saturday’s loss won’t become any less real.

The New Mexico State Aggies marched onto The Plains guaranteed to bring home a $1.85-million check.

Winning the game, on the other hand, was all but guaranteed. The bookies in Las Vegas had the Aggies as three-score underdogs.

“I said the same thing I’ve always said and I didn’t preach that we were underdogs,” New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill said after the game. “I didn’t say we couldn’t beat Auburn, I told them we were going to, this is how we’re going to do it.”

And so the Aggies did it, giving them the their first win over an SEC opponent in program history.

“I probably shouldn’t say this but life’s short and I may not be here tomorrow,” Kill said when asked about Saturday’s celebration in the locker room. “So I walked in and said, ‘Hey, we just got $1.7 million to play a (Southeastern Conference) team. So how about $1.7 million and winning the game?’.”

As if the 31-10 haymaker New Mexico State delivered to Auburn wasn’t enough, that was just one more jab for good measure.

And the Tigers were feeling it after the game as they licked their wounds and tried to peer out from their blackened eye.

“I don’t know,” Simpson said again. “In the beginning, we always — for some odd reason — we start a little slow and I thought that was what was going on. They wanted it more than us, flat out. They just wanted it more than us.”

Simpson was one of three Auburn players to mutter those same words.

Scott and tight end Rivaldo Fairweather also chimed in saying the Aggies wanted Saturday’s win more.

“They just wanted it more than us today,” Fairweather said. “I don’t know what the energy was but you never underestimate an opponent. They wanted it more than us today and we’ve just got to be better, man.”

Freeze said Monday that he knew there’d be temptation to try and relax as the Tigers had a game against a Group-of-5 opponent sandwiched between its most complete win at Arkansas and next week’s rivalry battle with Alabama.

From the looks and sounds of it, some of that temptation won as Freeze admitted the Tigers didn’t have their best week of practice. While Tuesday’s practice was sharp, Wednesday and Thursday’s practices were “not up to par.”

Auburn’s players saw it, too.

“I just think guys — and I’m including myself in this whole thing — got comfortable,” said linebacker Eugene Asante. “Went to Arkansas, played a really good game, and maybe bought into the praise and the outside noise, and didn’t go out there and continue to remain humble, myself included.”

Now for the big question that everyone has been quick to ask: Was Saturday’s loss the result of Auburn looking ahead to its Iron Bowl dance with Alabama?

Freeze wouldn’t even let the seven-letter word come out of his mouth on Monday as he assured Saturday’s game against New Mexico State had he and the team’s full attention. After all, Kill and the Aggies upset a Freeze-led Liberty team last season.

But was it coach speak?

The consensus from the players is no.

“I didn’t think so,” quarterback Payton Thorne said when asked if Auburn was looking ahead. “I haven’t looked at anything for Alabama yet. And I don’t know of anybody that has.”

Asante said the most of Alabama he’s seen is when the Crimson Tide has played in primetime slots and the game is playing on the team plane after away games.

Meanwhile, Scott gave a 50-50 answer to the question.

“At the end of the day I feel like we didn’t overlook this team,” Scott said. “I just feel like in our heads and in our minds there was probably a little bit of attention on the next game.”

And now Auburn will look towards Alabama with a shiner on its eye, bidding the question: How clear is Auburn’s vision going to be?

“We need to have the 24 hour rule. Get the corrections we need to get and just completely throw this one in the trash and just focus on the biggest game of the season so far,” Simpson said. “It’s the Iron Bowl, it should not take a lot of motivation. It’s here at home. It’s the Iron Bowl so I feel like if you don’t understand what type of game this is you need to figure it out real quick.”