While head coach Gus Malzahn's decision to make all four quarterbacks in the battle for the starting job go live made most of the headlines on Wednesday, members of the Auburn defense grabbed some attention of their own after their first scrimmage of fall camp.
With a fully live scrimmage, a rarity in preseason practice, defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson and his staff were able to evaluate how his new system looks in game situations.
And, of course, the green flag to hit quarterbacks was an added bonus for the defense.
"That turns our whole defense up," safety Jermaine Whitehead said with a smile.
Members of Auburn's defense said the four Tiger quarterbacks were not afraid to deliver some hits of their own and throw some trash talk towards the opposite side.
"You get to hit the guy who has been talking all that smack to you," Whitehead said. "They took their chances running the ball; they got their yardage. And they tried to hit us back, which was good to see for me--I like to see those guys delivering some blows."
Linebacker Jake Holland said Wednesday's scrimmage benefited the defense as much as the offense. Both units are installing new systems under this new coaching staff, so game situations were important in terms of evaluation and opportunities to learn.
"I felt like today was a good day," Holland said. "There were some mistakes, but there were some great plays as well. This being our first scrimmage, I knew it was going to be a little rusty...but it was a good step forward for us."
And much like the offense, the Auburn defense is making speed a priority heading into 2013.
"Coming off last year, it's definitely a different feel," Holland said. "Our calls and our adjustments are coming in faster, and we're playing faster. The system and the management of the game are better in this scheme.
"We are playing quicker and are able to keep up with the pace of Malzahn's offense."
Another priority for the defense is getting more interceptions. The Tigers only caught two interceptions during the 2012 season, a number that they matched in Wednesday's 107-play scrimmage through Holland and cornerback Chris Davis.
"We'll get more with tight coverage and getting our hands to the ball quicker," Whitehead said. "Those are things we need to work on heading into this season."
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