With two losses in three weeks and Leonard Fournette's LSU Tigers looming, Auburn must figure out what went wrong against Texas A&M and turn things around for arguably the biggest game for the program since 2014.
Junior linebacker Tre Williams had six tackles (tied for the team high) to lead Auburn's defense to another spirited performance in the loss to the Aggies. However, the night still ended in disappointment for the Tigers, making Saturday's game against LSU that much more important.
If Auburn wants to get its season back on track, it'll need to start with the team's leaders, Williams said.
"That’s where leadership comes in," Williams said. "Despite our record or who we played or how we played or who we play next, it’s based on our leadership to pick up and get younger guys and also the older guys on board so we can keep moving forward."
Auburn's defense has proven itself to be an effective unit this season, earning praise from Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight after the game as "one of the better defenses in the country." Despite this, the offense's struggles have led to the 1-2 start.
Auburn's defense refuses to point any fingers or blame the offense for the Tigers losses, however.
"We can’t really control anything that goes on with the offense," Williams said. "All we can do is support them and we’re going to support them whether they play good or not, because we’re all the Auburn Tigers – we’re not the Auburn defense and the Auburn offense."
Auburn will need a complete team performance if it wants to defeat No. 18 LSU. The Bayou Bengals crushed Auburn in Baton Rouge last season, 45-21, behind Fournette's 228 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Williams, along with Deshaun Davis, didn't see much time in Auburn's 24-point loss in Death Valley. Watching the demolition from the sidelines has motivated them for this game.
"Well yeah, we didn’t play well last year," Williams said. "We for sure have to get that 'W' this week. So of course we’re ready for it."
Fournette, whose tackle and record-breaking performance placed him firmly in the lead for the Heisman Trophy at the time, is getting his due respect from Auburn's defense, but his presence won't change the Tigers mentality.
"Every running back in the SEC is good to us," Williams said. "It just comes down to us playing good defense. It depends on how we play to see however they play."
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.
