Auburn’s defense is staring at a problem that can’t wait around.
Chris Murray described the Tigers’ weekly work as “Bloody Tuesday,” and after what happened against Florida, the defense needs to make sure “Bloody Saturday” doesn’t turn into a routine. The Gators came into Jordan-Hare Stadium with a first-year coaching staff and a relatively inexperienced starting quarterback and still put up 44 points on Auburn’s two giant scoreboards.
That was the most points Auburn has given up at home since the 2019 Iron Bowl. Florida also averaged 6.51 yards per play, the highest mark inside Jordan-Hare since the 2023 Iron Bowl, just before defensive coordinator DJ Durkin was hired.
The ugly part is that the warning signs were already there. Auburn finished 76th nationally in passing defense last season, then lost its top two edge rushers to the NFL and its top two cornerbacks to the transfer portal. Against Florida, the Gators averaged an even 11 yards per pass attempt, which marked the third time in Auburn’s last five SEC games that an opponent had reached that number.
Third-and-long has been a problem too. Auburn was 118th last season in allowing first downs through the air on third-and-10 or longer, and Florida hit that spot four times Saturday.
Every one of those conversions led directly to touchdowns. The Tigers were also 124th in fourth-down defense a year ago, and the Gators finished 3-for-3 there.
The tackling was just as bad. Pro Football Focus had Auburn 71st in tackling grade last season, its lowest ranking since 2014.
Against Florida, the Tigers missed 22 tackles, the most in a game since PFF began tracking the stat more than a decade ago. Alex Golesh said Auburn’s count was actually two higher, putting the total at two dozen in the loss.
What makes it worse for Auburn is that these weren’t supposed to be brand-new issues. The defense had experience, and it was in the third year of the same scheme. Instead, it regressed at home in a game where the Tigers were supposed to be steadier on that side of the ball.
Now the pressure is immediate. Auburn has Vanderbilt next in its final home game before a brutal October stretch, and if the defense doesn’t tighten up fast, the season could start slipping away on that end.
“It’s all about responding,” veteran safety Sylvester Smith-Reed said Tuesday after practice. “As a man, we all have to look at ourselves in the mirror and decide what we’re going to do. You either respond or you lay down.
“And, in that room, there’s no laying down. So we’re going to respond.”
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