Auburn’s Monday message was clear: enjoy the Georgia win, then get back to work fast.
After beating No. 1 Georgia 27-24, the Tigers have already turned the page to No.
18 LSU, their first meeting in four years inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. Coach Alex Golesh, offensive coordinator Joel Gordon and defensive coordinator DJ Durkin all used the podium to reflect on Saturday and set the tone for what comes next.
Golesh said the thing that stood out most from the Georgia game was how his team responded and refused to flinch. He pointed to the defense forcing three turnovers as the biggest story of the afternoon, while also singling out penalties on both sides of the ball as one of the areas Auburn still has to clean up. He said the focus now is on fundamentals as the Tigers move into the back half of the season.
The entire team was in the facility Sunday watching film and getting ready for LSU, and Golesh said Auburn is going to need a huge week of preparation to compete at a high level. He added that the Tigers still need to create advantages on offense, and that they are working through things with Xavier Atkins, who missed the Georgia game. There was no status update on a return.
Golesh also said Auburn’s defense was “drastically” better against Georgia, and that the coaching staff worked through the Tigers’ offensive advantages while calling plays. He said execution and effort both played into how effective the offense looked. Across the roster, he said the sophomore defenders are growing into major roles and being pushed to improve week to week.
At the same time, Golesh made it clear he does not want the Georgia upset to become a shield for everything Auburn still has to fix. His message was centered on fundamentals, technique and process, along with staying humble in a league where the schedule is only getting tougher. He said he wants his team to listen to its inner circle - the coaches and teammates - so it can stay grounded through an uneven season.
There were also some specific offensive notes. Golesh said the tight ends made a big jump last weekend, and he said Jake Johnson played with more emotion than he has all season. He credited Jeremiah Cobb’s effort for the shovel pass on fourth down, saying it came from Cobb fighting for extra yards and playing with violence on the play.
The wide receivers, though, left Golesh wanting more. He called their drops uncharacteristic, even while noting that the group’s experience should help as the season moves forward.
Gordon backed up the idea that Auburn’s offense found more rhythm against Georgia because it was simply cleaner. He said the wide receivers played all day long and that the perimeter blocking took a step forward. From his view, better execution across the board helped the offense settle in.
He also said Auburn was more consistent and strained harder when it needed to move the ball. The plan against Georgia, he said, was “really good,” and he felt the Tigers got out of their own way more often and were better on first down. Even after that progress, he said there is still room to grow.
The bye week, Gordon said, was used to look at everything possible in search of more consistency. He wants as much carryover as possible from one week to the next when the offense is put together.
He also praised quarterback Byrum Brown, saying he is “as tough as they come”. Gordon said he wanted the ball in Brown’s hands against Georgia, noted that Brown’s confidence was there early, and said he has stayed true to his process under center.
Gordon closed with a familiar truth about this league: Auburn’s offensive line has to keep playing at a high level, and the offense cannot be one-dimensional if it wants to win in the SEC.
Durkin’s side of the conversation centered on the challenge LSU brings and what Auburn’s defense did well against Georgia. He said LSU does a great job with tempo on offense, while also praising his linebackers for holding up without Xavier Atkins. Elijah Melendez and Bryce Deas led that group in production, he said.
Durkin also said Cody Sigler’s heart and drive help motivate the defense every game. Against Georgia, he felt Auburn answered the challenge against the run, and he singled out Jared Smith as a player with the intangibles to become one of the best in the country. Still, Durkin said consistency is the area Smith has to keep improving.
He had similar praise for safety AnQuon Fegans, saying Fegans has responded well to difficult coaching and that his performance against Georgia showed how high his ceiling is in the second half of the season.
Durkin said he and Golesh talked during the game when Auburn trailed 14-0, and that neither of them was worried as the Tigers worked their way back. He said they talk between drives like that in every game.
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