Pro Football Focus’ first look at Auburn’s 17-16 win over Baylor paints the full picture of a Week 1 grind: a victory, but not a clean one.
Alex Golesh’s Tigers left Atlanta at 1-0, and the quarterback numbers tell you plenty about how the game unfolded. Byrum Brown finished with a passing grade of 66.8 after attempting 35 passes, completing 26 for 259 yards and throwing three interceptions. He spread the ball around to eight different targets, with Jeremiah Koger leading the way on eight targets and five catches.
The receiving production came without any drops, according to PFF. The highest-graded pass catcher was actually running back Bryson Washington, who posted a 72.0 grade.
On the other side of the ball, Auburn’s defense did enough to close out the win. The Tigers generated 19 pressures on Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway and recorded two sacks. They also had 10 missed tackles, with linebacker Xavier Atkins responsible for four of them.
The top-graded defenders were Bryce Deas at 80.6, Chris Murray at 77.1, and Elijah Melendez at 77.0.
Here’s how Auburn’s starters graded out, along with their snap counts:
CB Rayshawn Pleasant - Grade: 65.0, Snap count: 95
CB Andre Jordan Jr. - Grade: 59.3, Snap count: 76
LB Xavier Atkins - Grade: 67.2, Snap count: 88
S Eric Winters - Grade: 73.1, Snap count: 86
LB Elijah Melendez - Grade: 77.0, Snap count: 78
EDGE Jared Smith - Grade: 68.2, Snap count: 74
S Kaleb Harris - Grade: 68.0, Snap count: 74
CB Champ Anthony - Grade: 60.8, Snap count: 59
DT Cody Sigler - Grade: 66.1, Snap count: 58
DT Dallas Walker IV - Grade: 67.4, Snap count: 56
EDGE Da'Shawn Womack - Grade: 53.9, Snap count: 27
In Other News...
Auburn Fans Should Watch This SEC Fight Very Closely
The SEC has a messy calendar question looming around LSU and Ole Miss, and it could end up mattering far beyond that Sept. 19 game. A league stakeholder told Yahoo Sports the matchup may be canceled or even reclassified as a non-conference game, part of a larger chain of events that could ripple through the league and, in the most extreme version, put LSU on the wrong side of an SEC vote.
For Auburn fans, the intrigue is obvious because any shift in the leagues balance changes the road ahead in a hurry. LSU is also reportedly moving on without adding two former NFL players to its roster, while the broader situation waits on a decision from SEC presidents and chancellors, which means the next real answer may not come until the people at the top weigh in. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Linemen Send Clear Message After Byrum Browns Shaky Debut
Byrum Browns Auburn debut was not the cleanest introduction to life in the SEC, but the Tigers offensive line is not sounding any alarms. After Brown took five sacks against Baylor and finished with three interceptions, tackles Cole Best and Jo Simmons both pointed to the bigger picture, stressing that the quarterbacks skill set gives Auburn something worth building around. For a first outing in a new system, there was enough shown to understand why the Tigers are eager to keep working with him.
Best and Simmons also made clear that the protection has to be sharper moving forward, especially with Browns dual-threat ability changing the way defenses have to play Auburn. A quarterback who can extend plays and create outside the pocket is an asset, but it also asks plenty of the linemen in front of him. The early message from Auburns front is simple: the mistakes are fixable, and Browns debut is viewed less as a verdict than as the first step in figuring out how to make the whole operation run smoother. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Fans Will Notice A Very Different Jordan-Hare This Season
Auburn fans heading into Jordan-Hare this season are going to see more than just a familiar home crowd. Auburn Athletics has rolled out a series of stadium and surrounding-area upgrades for the 2026 football season, including new concessions, a wider south student concourse and the addition of Tiger Walk Plaza, all part of a broader effort to make game day easier and more polished around the stadium.
Construction is already underway on the Jordan-Hare North Project, which will reshape the north end zone and change how fans move through the building. There will be some temporary disruption along the way, but the expectation is that the finished product will give Auburn a noticeably different look and feel without losing the atmosphere that has made Jordan-Hare such a central part of the Tigers home-field edge. [Read more 🡒]