Byrum Brown’s first stretch in the SEC has been a grind, and the numbers say the transition has not been smooth.
Through five games at Auburn, the quarterback has not matched the version of himself fans saw last season at South Florida. In 2025, Brown was the only quarterback in the country to throw for more than 3,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000. He also kept the ball out of harm’s way, throwing just seven interceptions in 12 games.
This year, he has already equaled that interception total in five games. Turnovers have become one of the clearest problems in Auburn’s offense, which has struggled to find consistent rhythm.
On Monday, Auburn offensive coordinator Joel Gordon pointed to several reasons for the mistakes, with decision-making at the top of the list. He also acknowledged the challenge of protection issues up front, while noting the pace in the SEC is different from what Brown dealt with in the American Conference.
“For Byrum, you go a couple years in a different league, you go five games playing in this schedule, and I think what has to happen is you have to see some: ‘I’m learning from my mistakes,’” Gordon said. “The game happens a little bit quicker in this league.”
Gordon said the problems can be corrected. Brown pushed back on the idea that the SEC has been too fast for him, though he did admit he has sometimes held the ball too long.
“Windows are closing quick. Just move on, get to the next progression and deliver the ball,” Brown said.
“There were sometimes where I might have forced one and something else was wide open. We watched it, I corrected it and on to this week.”
Auburn got an extra week to sort things out after its loss to Tennessee, with the Tigers on bye last week. That break comes at a good time, because the next challenge is a massive one: No. 1 Georgia.
Brown has already seen several defenses this season that tested him in ways he didn’t face much at USF, including Baylor, Florida, Vanderbilt and Tennessee. But Georgia presents another step entirely.
The Bulldogs enter the matchup second in the SEC in fewest yards allowed per game and just made Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell look young and inexperienced last week.
“Disciplined, physical, they get after the Q. They make you take what they’re giving.
That’s really it. Very sound,” Brown said of Georgia’s defense.
“But we got the right plan in place to go attack them and just do our job, we’ll be fine.”
Auburn and Georgia are set to kick off Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
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