If you looked at the box score, you would not guess that Auburn's defense dominated Texas A&M.
The Tigers allowed 391 total yards on Saturday, including 335 yards passing. If you do the math, you will notice that Auburn only gave up 56 rushing yards. This was the difference in the game on Saturday.
Whenever Texas A&M ran the ball, there seemed to be an Auburn defender in the backfield. Derrick Brown and Tyrone Truesdell were getting great penetration all game, forcing the Aggie running backs to bounce it outside right into another Auburn defender. Inside or outside, it didn't matter. The Aggies could not run the ball.
The few times an Aggie running back did get to the second level, the Auburn linebackers and defensive backs made the tackle. Last Saturday might have been the best tackling I have seen from Auburn in a long time. The Aggie ballcarriers could not break the first tackle. The only missed tackle I can remember is the Aggies first touchdown, which came in the third quarter. The Tigers did not miss any tackles before then, and didn't miss a lot after that touchdown either.
The biggest play the Auburn defense made was the first play of the second half. Daniel Thomas forced a fumble and recovered the ball to give the Tigers the ball back at the start of the second half. Auburn would drive down the field after the fumble recovery and score a touchdown, extending their lead to 21-3.
While Texas A&M did manage to put up almost 400 total yards on offense, they were meaningless yards. After Auburn went up 28-10 in the fourth quarter, the game was basically over. The Aggies did give it their best shot to comeback. Kellen Mond remembered how to play quarterback and made some good throws, including another touchdown.
Auburn needs to be careful with their pass defense. Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Jake Fromm are all excellent quarterbacks and could take advantage of Auburn's secondary. An Auburn lead will not be as secure as it was this past Saturday against one of those three quarterbacks.
There was a lot to love from the Auburn defense on Saturday. The Tigers' run defense was phenomenal and made the first tackle almost every time. Auburn could be in for a magical season if their defense keeps playing at as high of a level as they are now. Auburn faces off this Saturday against Mississippi State in Jordan Hare Stadium.
Solutions by The State News
