Auburn’s defense left Saturday with more than an upset win over No. 1 Georgia. It left with a little proof.
After weeks of issues against the run, the Tigers tightened up and held Georgia to 113 rushing yards. For defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, that was the clearest sign yet that the group is making real progress.
Durkin pointed to the work that went in before the game and said Auburn made stopping the run a priority.
"We made a big emphasis of that the practices leading up to that game," Durkin said. "We thought that was a key to how we're going to win the game."
The turnaround came after Auburn had struggled on the ground against Florida and Tennessee. Against Georgia, the tackling was cleaner, the defense was more physical and players were in better position to do their jobs. That said, one strong afternoon does not erase the earlier problems, and Auburn still has to show it can defend the run on a consistent basis, especially with LSU coming in.
The linebacker group was part of that improvement. With Xavier Atkins unavailable against Georgia, Bryce Deas and De'Marcus Riddick both got a larger share of the snaps, and Durkin liked what he saw. Deas, in particular, drew praise for a steady, productive outing.
"I thought Bryce Deas came in and played really well for us," Durkin said. "He was productive in the game, was in on several tackles and really played assignment sound."
Durkin also singled out Elijah Melendez, calling attention to his consistency and leadership. With Atkins dismissed, the depth chart at linebacker now becomes one of Auburn’s biggest questions heading into the next stretch.
That next test comes against a different kind of offense. LSU, under Lane Kiffin, stresses defenses in a way Georgia didn’t. Durkin said the tempo alone creates problems, and the Tigers’ use of formations and motion only adds to the challenge.
"They have a unique style in terms of their tempo definitely puts stress on you," Durkin said.
Auburn can’t afford the kind of communication breakdowns it had early against Georgia, including the misalignment on the opening touchdown drive. The defense showed it can settle in and adjust. Now it has to do it again.
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Auburn Is Giving Jordan-Hare An Extra Edge For LSU
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It comes on the heels of Auburns upset of No. 1 Georgia, which only sharpened the anticipation around another major home stage. The LSU game is set for 11 a.m. Central on ABC, and with kickoff coming early in the day, Auburn is clearly looking for every possible edge to make Jordan-Hare feel as loud as it can from the start. [Read more 🡒]