Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp discussed the state of the Tigers’ defense during a press conference held Wednesday night.
Muschamp answered questions about Auburn’s defensive performance in the season opener against Louisville, individual players and the unit moving forward.
Muschamp described the defense’s game against Louisville a “really good effort.”
“We took advantage of some great opportunities, (such as) the first play of the game and the fumble that Montravius (Adams) caused,” Muschamp said.
He addressed Auburn’s lackluster defensive performance in the second half, citing communication and adjustment issues. “We need to adjust better on the sideline. That was an issue,”
Muschamp said. “Those are things we’ve addressed with our players. We’ve continued to stress them in practices this week in preparation for our game with Jacksonville State.”
The first-year defensive coordinator also had high praises for the play of his younger players in the season opener. “We played six or seven true freshmen. We played 22 guys on snaps that mattered,” Muschamp said. “We’re a young team that’s going to continue to improve in a new scheme and system.”
When asked about how true freshmen have adjusted in the program, Muschamp said, “They’re all very willing participants as far as learning and practicing hard and doing the things you’ve got to do to be a good football player. As long as you have those characteristics, we can work with you. They have an ability God has blessed them with.”
Muschamp also praised certain individual players who made a big impact in Auburn’s Chick-Fil-A Kickoff win. He said of Justin Garrett, who scored a touchdown on an 82-yard fumble return, “We put a lot on his plate. He’s a very intelligent young man."
He called Garrett “the most productive linebacker we had” and commented regarding the starting linebackers, "I feel very comfortable with four guys: Justin, Cass (McKinzy), Kris (Frost) and Tre (Williams).”
He also had praise for his defensive linemen. Muschamp said of Carl Lawson, “He’s a very good player. We make sure we put him in situations where hecan be successful and take advantage of matchups. We played him inside, we walked him around and we played him in a lot of different spots and will continue to do so.”
When asked about Montravious Adams, who forced the fumble on Garrett’s game-changing touchdown, Muschamp responded, “He understands exactly what he needs to do to be a very good football player, and as long as he continues to do those things, the sky’s the limit for him.”
But it wasn’t all about the well-known commodities on defense for the Auburn defensive coordinator.
Muschamp also addressed the importance of depth, saying, “I opened our defensive meeting up by talking about (running back) Peyton Barber. When your number’s called, you better be ready to go. Peyton Barber was ready to go. He played extremely well. You never know when your number’s getting called. But when it gets called, make sure you’re prepared, and make sure you’re ready to perform at ahigh level. A championship level is our expectation here at Auburn.”
Muschamp emphasized the importance of a consistent defense as well. “They (the team) need to be able to count on us. That’s the mentality we’re going to have,” Muschamp said.
When asked about senior defensive back Josh Holsey, who didn’t play against Louisville because of an injury, Muschamp said, “In the latter part of camp, he tweaked his knee a little bit. He’s fine. Nothing serious.”
Regarding whether Holsey would play against Jacksonville State, Muschamp said, “We certainly expect for him to play Saturday. He’s a huge part of the gameplan moving into Saturday.”
Muschamp served as an assistant coach at Jacksonville State in the spring of 1998. He joked, “I lived in the dorm. I don’t even know if I ever got a paycheck, to be honest with you.”
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