Auburn’s defense is staring at a major test Saturday morning, and DJ Durkin knows exactly why.
LSU has been rolling with the SEC’s most productive offense, piling up 504 yards per game while hurting opponents on the ground and through the air. That kind of balance is what makes the Tigers so difficult to pin down, and Durkin pointed straight to the way they use tempo, formations and motion to keep defenses from settling in.
“They have a unique style in terms of their tempo, and it definitely puts stress on a defense," Durkin said. "They do a really good job within their tempo of the multiple formations and motions.
A lot of times, tempo teams kind of keep it basic because they’re trying to go fast, line up and roll, but I think they have a good mix of both. Lane (Kiffin) and Charlie (Weis Jr.) and his guys understand defense, so they do things for a reason.
They can identify and know what you’re doing and have ways to attack it. They present a unique challenge, for sure.”
Alex Golesh echoed that same picture of an LSU group that can hurt you in a lot of different ways. He noted the Tigers are producing more than 500 yards a game, scoring 40-plus points per game and ranking near the top nationally across the board, but he also pointed to one area Auburn has to attack.
"Offensively, I mean, over 500 yards a game, 40-plus points per game, explosive in every way, and really, really balanced," Golesh said. "Almost 200 yards a game rushing, over 300 yards a game passing, top 10 in the country in just about every offensive category. Have had some turnovers/ And again, for us to win in those margins, that's a huge piece of what we got to get done defensively."
Auburn and LSU kick off Saturday at 11 a.m.
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Auburns win over No. 1 Georgia in Athens already stood out as one of the seasons biggest shocks, but the finish made it feel even more memorable. The Tigers snapped a long drought with their first victory in Athens since 2005 and their first over Georgia since 2017, and they did it with a last-minute 34-yard field goal that sent the visiting sideline into celebration.
Alex McPherson has been through far more than a pressure kick at the end of a rivalry game. The Auburn kicker battled inflammatory bowel disease and underwent surgery before returning to the field, and head coach Alex Golesh made sure he got the game ball afterward, praising his leadership and perseverance as much as the winning kick itself. [Read more 🡒]
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By Monday afternoon, there still was no update on Atkins status, leaving Auburn to carry the win while also waiting on one of its most important defenders. For a team that just took a major step forward, the lingering question is whether it can keep building on that momentum without knowing when one of its top playmakers will be back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Is Already Answering Auburn's Biggest Rivalry Win
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Mays currently plays at Northeast Mississippi Community College and brings the kind of profile that can shift an early recruiting board fast. For Auburn, it is another reminder that one big moment in the rivalry does not end the bigger chess match, especially when Georgia is already making its move for one of the cycles most sought-after defensive linemen. [Read more 🡒]