Alex Golesh isn’t reading too much into Auburn’s one-sack afternoon against Baylor, and he’s got a pretty clear reason why.
The Tigers did get to quarterback DJ Lagway once, with Xavier Atkins coming through on a well-timed blitz in the first quarter. But that was it. Auburn logged 18 pressures on 56 drop backs, according to Pro Football Focus, yet the sack total never moved beyond Atkins’ early takedown.
At his Monday press conference, Golesh pushed back when asked about Auburn’s pass rush and the idea that the Tigers had trouble creating pressure. From his view, the low sack number had more to do with the way the game was being played than any lack of disruption up front.
“I thought our entire game plan was to essentially try to stop the run with a light box and be able to play underneath pass windows,” Golesh said. “You could bring more and create more of a rush, or we were going to sit in windows, and we kind of -- we did a little bit of both.”
Baylor made life difficult for any pass rush by getting the ball out quickly. Lagway had the third-fastest average release time among FBS passers in Week 1, which naturally limits how often a defense can finish the play. After an ankle injury slowed him early, that quick-trigger approach became even more important for the Bears.
Auburn answered by mixing in defenders underneath instead of always charging straight ahead. That adjustment paid off in the first half when Jared Smith picked off Lagway after dropping back following a fake rush.
The Tigers also held up against the run. Baylor managed just 2.3 yards per carry, and Auburn did it while keeping a light box on the field to deal with the quick passing game.
Golesh still liked what he saw from the front, even without a pile of sacks to point to.
“We rushed three a bunch. We rushed four a bunch.
I thought we affected him in the second half,” Golesh said. “There was three plays where we affected him.
It didn’t show up in the sack column. It won’t show up in any column, really.
“But I thought we did a really solid job being able to at least condense the pocket of three and keep him condensed.”
In Other News...
Auburns Injury Picture Up Front Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Auburns injury outlook up front is starting to clear after the season-opening bruising against Baylor. Head coach Alex Golesh said three of the four trench players banged up in that game are expected to be available for the matchup with Southern Mississippi, with offensive linemen Cole Skinner and Jacob Strand both on track to play and edge rusher Chris Murray confirmed healthy.
The one lingering question is DaShawn Womack, who remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Golesh said Womack could return to practice later in the week, leaving Auburn with at least some much-needed stability in the trenches as it tries to get through the early part of the season without losing more depth up front. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Has A Real Chance To Expose Floridas Biggest Early Problem
Auburn comes into SEC play with a little momentum after edging Baylor 17-16 in the Aflac Kickoff Game, and that kind of early-season win can sharpen a teams edge before the league schedule starts to bite. Alex Golesh has already leaned into the idea of accountability and togetherness after that result, which is usually a good sign for a group trying to carry a close escape into something sturdier when the conference games start stacking up.
Florida, meanwhile, is still trying to settle the feel of its defense after a shaky showing against Florida Atlantic, and the next test will not be gentle. Auburns home atmosphere and DJ Durkins pass rush figure to put quarterback Aaron Philo in a difficult spot, giving the Tigers a real chance to make Florida answer some uncomfortable questions early in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Escaped Baylor But This New-Look Team Has Real Issues
Auburn got out of Waco with a win in its season opener, but the 17-16 result against Baylor did not hide how much work still sits in front of this new-look team. The Tigers showed issues across several areas, from protecting the quarterback to cleaning up mistakes in the passing game and holding up against throws into the middle of the field, and head coach Alex Golesh was direct afterward about the need for improvement as a staff and as a roster still getting used to one another.
The next chance to sort through those problems comes against Southern Miss, a game that should offer a little more breathing room and a clearer look at what Auburn can fix quickly. Even after escaping with a win, the opener raised real questions about how stable the offense can be and how far along this team is in adjusting to a new coaching staff and a lot of new faces. [Read more 🡒]