Auburn escaped Baylor with a 17-16 win, but Alex Golesh spent his postgame trying to make sure nobody mistook survival for satisfaction.
The Tigers won, yet the mistakes piled up fast enough to leave a mark: Byrum Brown threw three interceptions, Auburn never found a steady rhythm running the ball, and there were chances to finish Baylor off that slipped away. Golesh didn’t dodge any of it. Instead, he put the burden on himself.
“Man, I take more blame for the picks than, to be honest with you, Byrum. That's on us as much as anybody, really on me trying to force it a little bit.
So I've got to be better. I will be.”
That kind of answer matters because it tells you what Golesh is trying to build at Auburn. He’s not just talking about standards and accountability as slogans.
He’s showing that those words apply to him, too. When the Tigers drifted, he said that started with him.
He extended that same ownership to Auburn’s stalled two-minute drive before halftime.
“Again, I'll take all the blame there when we got inside the 25. I felt like we got ourselves out of rhythm. We had a good feel for what was going on, and we jacked it up.”
Golesh also made clear that accountability doesn’t stop with him. Auburn, he said, has “got to get a whole lot better offensively, protecting the quarterback.” He added that the Tigers need to improve their run game and make better decisions.
His message to the team was just as direct: “humble yourself enough to allow yourself to get coached.”
That line lands on everybody in the building, not just the players.
And maybe that’s why Golesh’s demeanor stood out after Auburn’s first win under him. He had every reason to enjoy being 1-0 and move on. Instead, he treated the ugly parts of the victory like they mattered just as much as the result.
In Other News...
Bryce Cain Is Forcing His Way Into Auburns Plans
Bryce Cain has gone from a name on the depth chart to someone Auburns staff is actively trying to get on the field more often. Head coach Alex Golesh said the Tigers plan to keep folding Cain into the game plan after a recent explosive play, and he pointed to the way Cain has handled special teams as part of the reason the coaches are taking a harder look at his role.
For a team still sorting out where its best pieces fit, that kind of production tends to travel. Cain has clearly done enough to earn more opportunities, and Auburn is now working through how to create them in the offense without losing what he already brings on special teams. The next step is less about whether he belongs in the mix and more about how quickly the Tigers can turn that into a bigger role. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Injury Picture Up Front Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Auburns front was a major concern coming out of the season opener against Baylor, when four trench players went down and left the Tigers waiting on clarity during the early part of the week. Alex Golesh has now provided a much better read on the group, and it points to a healthier rotation heading into the matchup with Southern Mississippi, with the staff getting encouraging signs on both sides of the line.
Cole Skinner and Jacob Strand are expected to be available, and edge rusher Chris Murray is already confirmed healthy, which gives Auburn a stronger baseline up front than it had a few days ago. DaShawn Womack is still working through a lower-body injury and remains day-to-day, though there is at least a chance he could return to practice later in the week, leaving one final question for a unit that suddenly looks far less depleted. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Fans Just Got An Uncomfortable Tennessee Quarterback Reminder
Auburn fans got an early look at what Tennessee believes it has at quarterback, and it came in the form of true freshman Faizon Brandon making his first start to open the 2026 season. Josh Heupel handed the job to Brandon against Furman, and the young passer responded with a polished debut, completing 13 of 17 throws for three touchdowns while also finding the end zone as part of a five-touchdown all-purpose effort.
For Auburn followers, the uncomfortable part is not just the stat line but the reminder of how quickly a new quarterback can reshape a rivals outlook when the fit is right. Brandons style, the challenges ahead, and the way Tennessee plans to lean on him now invite the same kind of questions Auburn keeps circling at its own position, where the search for stability remains a familiar topic. [Read more 🡒]