Auburn came out of its bye week with Georgia squarely in front of it, and Monday’s press conference made one thing clear: the Tigers know exactly how steep the climb is.
The task gets no softer in Athens, where Auburn is headed for its fourth conference game of the season against the new No. 1 Bulldogs. The Tigers are 3-2 overall and 1-2 in SEC play, and this trip will be the latest test of where they really stand.
Alex Golesh opened by giving Georgia its due on both sides of the ball. He pointed to quarterback Gunner Stockton and called the Bulldogs “elite at all facets of the game.” He also said Georgia’s defense leaves “not a ton of holes in the depth of their roster.”
Auburn will be shorthanded on defense, too. Golesh said linebacker Xavier Atkins will be out this week for internal issues. In his place, he said Bryce Deas will keep seeing more snaps, and DeMarcus Riddick’s role at linebacker will grow as he works toward more confidence as a player.
Golesh also made it clear that Auburn is still searching for better starts on offense. He said his group has done an elite job “later” in games to create efficient runs, but that it needs to show up earlier to build more consistency. He added that the team is still trying to figure out the catalyst behind those slow offensive openings.
There were some encouraging notes from the off week, at least in terms of preparation. Golesh said the team’s energy and attention to detail were right throughout the bye, and he liked what he saw in Thursday’s practice, which he said showed the team’s intent to stack good days together during game week prep. He also said getting the offensive line true reps in road environments should help clean up the pre-snap penalties Auburn had at Tennessee.
That offensive line rotation isn’t set yet, either. Golesh said the mixing at left tackle and right guard will continue leading into the Georgia game. He also singled out defensive lineman Cody Sigler, calling him “nothing short but phenomenal”.
Joel Gordon’s message centered on execution, or the lack of it. He said Auburn has tried to get the run game going in every game, but against Tennessee, field position played a role in the limited rushing attempts. He added that there hasn’t been one thing that has been consistently good from Auburn’s offense all season, and said play breakdowns are driving the execution issues.
Gordon also said decision-making was a major focus for quarterback Byrum Brown during the bye week. On the game-planning side, he said he doesn’t go into matchups with specific plays already set aside. Instead, he said everything is situational once the game starts.
The offensive line has been pushed in practice, too. Gordon said they have continued to create adversity up front while preparing for another road game in Georgia.
On the other side of the ball, DJ Durkin said missed tackles remain a weekly point of evaluation. He said Auburn’s linebackers Deas and Riddick will be ready for the reps they take with Atkins out.
Durkin said the defense spent the bye week returning to fundamentals, even working through drills from training camp. His message heading into the Georgia film study was simple: be sound on every snap.
He also said Georgia will have answers for every scheme Auburn throws at it. For the Tigers, he said it starts with being physical enough to slow the Bulldogs down. And in a matchup like this, Durkin said creating negative plays will be key.
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Auburns Georgia Test Suddenly Feels Bigger Than One Linebacker
The build-up to Auburns matchup with Georgia had already been intense, but the chatter around linebacker Xavier Atkins added another layer of uncertainty in the days leading up to kickoff. Rumors swirled that Atkins had been dismissed over disciplinary issues, yet he has not been kicked off the team, leaving the Tigers to sort through what his status means for a defense that has little margin for error in this kind of game.
If Atkins is unavailable, Auburn would likely lean more heavily on DeMarcus Riddick to handle a bigger workload on defense. For a rivalry test that already demands clean communication and physical edge, the possibility of shifting responsibilities at linebacker only sharpens the stakes for a unit trying to settle in before facing Georgia. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Heads To Georgia With Upset Hopes Resting On Two Concerns
Auburn comes out of its bye week staring at a tall assignment in Athens, where the Tigers will try to test No. 1 Georgia with a little extra time to prepare. The matchup is already a steep climb, and Auburns path gets narrower when you look at the two areas that have shaped the conversation around this team: Byrum Browns play at quarterback and the uncertainty surrounding the defense.
Brown has given Auburn a passing threat with 1,055 yards and seven touchdowns, but the seven interceptions have also left room for concern in a game where every possession figures to matter. On the other side of the ball, there are unconfirmed reports that linebacker Xavier Atkins may not be available, which would only add to the challenge of slowing a Georgia offense that rarely offers many chances to recover. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Suddenly Has No Time To Solve A Growing Problem
Auburns offensive transition has brought some familiar growing pains, and Joel Gordon said the adjustment is especially real for players coming from Group of Six programs. The offensive coordinator pointed to the challenge of getting used to the SEC pace, with USF transfer quarterback Byrum Brown among the players still working through that leap. Gordon did frame it as a solvable issue, which matters for a team trying to find stability before the schedule tightens even more.
The problem for Auburn is that the margin for patience is shrinking. The Tigers are already managing a recent suspension of linebacker Xavier Atkins for behavior detrimental to the team, and the larger concern is whether the roster can clean up enough issues in time to handle whats ahead. With a difficult run coming, Auburn does not have much room to let the learning curve linger. [Read more 🡒]