In their run to the BCS National Championship Game, the Auburn Tigers emerged victorious against the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, the 2013 Heisman Trophy runner-up and one of the highest rated pro quarterback prospects ahead of next year's NFL Draft.
But in Pasadena, the Auburn defense will take on a challenge different from Johnny Manziel, AJ McCarron and Aaron Murray when it faces 2013 Heisman winner and Hueytown native Jameis Winston.
"We have faced some dynamic quarterbacks," said head coach Gus Malzahn. "They are a little bit different, but have won a lot of games. Obviously we are playing the Heisman Trophy winner, the best player in college football, so we have our work cut out for us."
Winston became the second freshman to win the Heisman last weekend, dominating the national vote in spite of a sexual assault investigation toward the end of his spectacular freshman season. No charges were brought against Winston at the conclusion of the investigation.
In his first season as a starter in Tallahassee, Winston threw for 3,810 yards and 38 touchdowns. He led the nation in yards per completion and was second behind pass-heavy Fresno State's Derek Carr in touchdowns.
"He had a tremendous season," said junior safety Jermaine Whitehead. "Watching him on film, you can see he did a lot of great things. He makes his team better, and they play off his energy."
Although his rushing statistics are low, Winston brings a high level of athleticism to his game, which is something that has grabbed the attention of the Auburn defense.
"Jameis is probably a little bit of a mixture of Aaron Murray and Johnny Manziel," said senior defensive end Dee Ford. "He can really move around in the pocket. He can really move his feet, and he's got a rocket. But we've played some of the best quarterbacks consecutively this year, so we know what to do when we face a tough quarterback."
For a defensive lineman like Ford, getting pressure on the Heisman Trophy winner will be vital to Auburn's success in Pasadena.
"I think pressure makes any quarterback look pretty average," Ford said. "This is what you want to play. You want to play against top competition and show him the best of what you can do."
Another challenge for Auburn's defense will be Winston's top weapon at receiver, Kelvin Benjamin.
The 6-foot-5 redshirt sophomore was a go-to guy near the end zone for Winston this season as 14 of his 50 catches were for touchdowns.
But tall receivers are not a new challenge for the Auburn secondary, which has faced Texas A&M's Mike Evans and Missouri's Dorial Green-Beckham this season.
"I guard a big receiver every game, so I've got to just go out there and play my game," said junior cornerback Jonathon Mincy, who is 5-foot-10. "I got to make sure I get my hands on them as soon as the ball is thrown and try to play the ball through the receiver's hands."
For Malzahn, slowing down Benjamin and the rest of the Florida State receivers will have to be a total team effort.
"It's not just receivers versus defensive backs," Malzahn said. "We need to find a way to put pressure on the quarterback. Everything works together, but the main thing is we need to keep away from the big play. That's the number one thing we've been preaching to our guys."
Malzahn has said all season that he believes his team will win if it can keep the game close until the fourth quarter. So when the Tigers face a Florida State offense that has been blowing out almost every team it has faced in 2013, staying fresh for all four quarters is important to Malzahn.
"Coach (Ryan) Russell first of all has done an outstanding job with our whole team as far as our conditioning," Malzahn said. "We've really performed well in the fourth quarter. Our defensive line coach, Coach Garner, has done a good job of keeping his guys fresh in the fourth quarter, especially against these top quarterbacks that can throw it so well."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
