Auburn’s defense is about to be tested in a big way, and the Tigers will have to answer it without linebacker Xavier Atkins this week.
Head coach Alex Golesh has suspended Atkins, leaving Auburn to lean on Bryce Deas and De’Marcus Riddick as it heads into Saturday’s matchup with No. 1 Georgia. The Tigers are already working through the challenge of replacing a key piece, and that puts even more attention on the linebacker room when the ball kicks off in Athens.
Deas has been the more active of the two so far this season. Through Auburn’s first five games, he has logged 156 snaps, posted 15 tackles and added three quarterback pressures. On Tuesday, he said this week has not felt much different from the way he approaches any other game.
“I mean, yeah, it’s special but at the end of the day we’ve got to work on what we work on just like we do every week,” Deas said. “I’m just preparing like I have to this week, which is working on block destruction and stopping the run and the things that they’re going to do.
“They’re going to get their tight ends involved, so working on things we need to work on. Things like force tackling. They’re going to strain the perimeter, we know that, so we’re just working on our details.”
Riddick gives Auburn another option, even if his role has been smaller to this point. He has played 65 snaps and recorded four tackles this season.
Still, defensive coordinator DJ Durkin said Monday he has confidence in both players, along with Elijah Melendez, for the trip to Athens. Durkin pointed to the experience each linebacker brings, even if the snap counts have looked different.
“Bryce has been playing a lot of football for us this year. De’Marcus’ reps have been a little bit down. But he has played a lot of football in the past and played well for us,” Durkin said on Monday.
“We feel really good about those guys. I always feel like, in that room, those guys are considered starters.
I know that there’s only so many who can get on the field at the same time and get the reps. But they’re all considered starters in our mind.
Obviously, their work will kind of go up now, and I think it’ll be great.”
Golesh said Atkins was away this week because of an “in-house” issue.
Auburn enters at 3-2, 1-2, while Georgia is 5-0, 3-0. The game is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
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