Auburn left Oxford with more than a loss to No. 12 Ole Miss. The Tigers also came away with a few defensive injuries that had to be monitored, and head coach Alex Golesh brought some encouraging news Monday: the early signs point to those absences being short-term.
Golesh said cornerbacks Newboy Fegans and Andre Jordan Jr., along with safety Sylvester Smith-Reed, were back on the practice field Monday after getting banged up in the weekend defeat. That does not lock them into availability for Arkansas just yet, but it does give Auburn reason to feel better heading into the week.
“I think we’ll have a way better feel on Wednesday, and I’ll update you all on Wednesday on the injury side of it,” Golesh said.
The injuries landed at a time when Auburn’s secondary is already under the microscope. Eight games into the season, there have been stretches where the unit has looked sharp and connected, especially when the Tigers are generating pressure up front. Golesh pointed to that relationship directly, noting that the back end tends to settle in when the defense is winning early downs and creating disruption.
Auburn’s ball production backs that up. The Tigers have nine interceptions, the third-most in the SEC, trailing only Alabama and Tennessee.
“When everybody’s on the same page, and we’re playing ahead of the sticks, we’ve been sound,” he said.
But the last two weeks have also exposed the rough edges. Auburn’s win over No.
1 Georgia came in the middle of the month, and since then the Tigers have given up 387 yards to LSU and 263 to Ole Miss, both losses by multiple touchdowns. Through the air, Golesh’s defense is allowing more than 252 yards per game, which ranks second-to-last in the conference.
Golesh said the secondary has shown both strong stretches and shaky ones, and he pointed to communication as the area that stands out most when things go sideways.
"I think at times, played well, and then at times there have been some panicky moments. To me, you give up a go-ball, guy goes up and over, those are moments you can live with,” he said. “I think when there are some communication things, that’s where I struggle with.”
One silver lining from the Ole Miss game was the chance to get younger defensive backs on the field in meaningful spots. Sophomore Blake Woodby, USF transfer Fred Gaskin and Florida State transfer Shamar Arnoux were among the players who picked up extended snaps.
That kind of rotation could become even more important as Auburn moves forward. Golesh said the defensive staff has to manage the group so the starters are still fresh when the game gets tight late.
“That’s the challenge to our defensive staff, is you’ve got to be able to rotate some early in the game to when, you get in critical times, into the third and into the fourth, where you can play your starters and be fresh,” Golesh said.
Auburn now turns to Arkansas, with kickoff set for 11:45 central Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
In Other News...
Auburns Ole Miss Collapse Drew A Pointed Response From Alex Golesh
Auburns trip to Ole Miss ended with a 45-15 loss that left Alex Golesh sounding every bit like a coach who knows his team is running out of margin for error. Afterward, he pointed to the Tigers lack of finish, noting the offense never found enough consistency to keep pace and that the running game never got going, with Auburn held to just 63 rushing yards.
Golesh also talked through offensive line changes and the kinds of costly mistakes that can swing a game off course, including penalties that made life harder throughout the afternoon. With bowl eligibility still in play, he challenged both players and coaches to clean things up quickly, because Auburn cannot afford many more second-half fades like the one it suffered against the Rebels. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Biggest Problem Looks Worse Than A Talent Issue
Auburns 45-15 loss to Ole Miss did more than add another mark in the wrong column. It exposed a team still searching for basic stability, with penalties, special teams mistakes, offensive line inconsistency and a general lack of clean execution all piling up in a game that never felt close. Alex Golesh has already started making changes up front, a sign that the staff is trying to find answers quickly rather than wait for the problems to sort themselves out.
The bigger concern is that this does not look like a simple talent gap that can be fixed by one or two breakout performances. Auburns issue has become one of finishing and functioning, and the next stretch against Arkansas, Mississippi State and Samford will say a lot about whether the Tigers can turn that frustration into progress. Those games should offer a clearer read on how much of this is fixable and how much deeper the trouble really goes. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Delivered The Kind Of SEC Road Finish Fans Love
Auburns trip to Fayetteville on Oct. 25 had the feel of a classic SEC road test, the kind that asks plenty of questions before it gives any answers. At Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, the Tigers handled Arkansas 33-24 behind a mix of contributions from Cam Coleman, Jackson Arnold, Ashton Daniels and Jeremiah Cobb, a balanced showing that gave Auburn enough offense to keep control through the finish.
For Hugh Freeze, it was the sort of result that can travel well in conference play, especially with Auburn getting production from multiple spots instead of leaning on one player alone. Arkansas interim coach Bobby Petrino was on the other sideline as the Tigers closed out a win that should resonate with fans who value a tough road finish, even if the bigger picture in the SEC still has plenty of work ahead. [Read more 🡒]