After a year where the defense allowed 26 points per game and surrendered just north of 405 yards per game, coupled with three members of the coaching staff bolting from Auburn to greener pastures, it would be natural for the returning members of the defense to expect things to continue going downhill, especially with four of the five leading tacklers being lost to graduation and the NFL Draft.
But they don’t. In fact, they’re anticipating quite the opposite.
“We picked up right where we left off in the Birmingham Bowl,” said sophomore cornerback Carlton Davis, who was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2015. “It’s like it’s really on. We’re not going to be talked about at the beginning of the season, but I feel like once we go on a 5-0 run people will start to recognize what’s working for Auburn? It’s the defense. We’re getting better every day. Coach Steele, Coach McGriff and all our new coaches are just working us. I feel it. It’s like a gut feeling. I just feel it.”
When previous defensive coordinator Will Muschamp left to take the head coaching job at South Carolina in early December, he took with him two other members of the defensive coaching staff, leaving the defense to prepare for NFL-bound quarterback Paxton Lynch and the Memphis Tigers.
They responded with the most impressive performance of the year, allowing a season-low 206 yards en route to a 31-10 thrashing of the Tigers.
But that defense was veteran-heavy, production-wise. Gone are Jonathan Jones, Blake Countess, Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy, who graduated and await their NFL futures.
The leading tackler, however, will return.
Safety Rudy Ford paced the Tigers with 118 tackles in 2015 — 22 more than Frost — and his experience adjusting to new defensive schemes has been paramount in helping the younger players adapt to the changes in Kevin Steele’s defense.
“We've adapted really well,” Ford said. “We've got a lot of guys back and our communication — we've all come together and we all stay on the same page. If we mess up, we just lean on each other. Nobody gets down on each other. We just stay together and just keep rolling.”
They’ll be asked to turn the defense around and help Auburn bounce back from a disappointing season. Despite the tall task in front of them, Davis offered up a prediction for the season.
“I’m thinking 14 points or less a game,” Davis said.
That sounds nearly unbelievable for a team that surrendered nearly twice that the year before, but Davis didn’t back down.
“We have goals,” Davis said. “In order to achieve them, you have to set them first.”
Well, the goals have been set. Now it’s up to Ford, Davis and the rest to make them happen.
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.
