For much of the first half against Ole Miss, Auburn's defense, one of the elite units in college football during the first seven games, looked more like its 2014 self, which collapsed in October and never recovered. That unit, not unlike this year's, was solid through the first half of its schedule, but a 38-23 loss to Dak Prescott and Mississippi State sent the Tigers defense into a tailspin.
For the first 30 minutes of Saturday night's game, it seemed that there would be gloom and doom for head coach Gus Malzahn's defense in Mississippi once again.
However, while defensive coordinator Kevin Steele's group spent much of the first half showing that it could potentially devolve into the 2014 unit's territory, its second half performance showed why it won't.
After halftime, Auburn's defense blossomed in the Magnolia State.
The Rebels' first-half numbers were staggering. In the first 30 minutes, the Rebels rolled up 351 yards, 20 first downs and never punted. Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly threw for 297 yards, frustrating the Tigers with short, quick throws and perfect downfield strikes. The defensive line, normally dominant, didn't have enough time to pressure Kelly.
Fortunately for Auburn, its own offense helped mitigate the damage, as it also didn't punt in the first half and helped keep the Tigers within two points at the break. The window of opportunity was still there for the Auburn defense, and it soared through that window to a sixth, bowl-clinching win on the road.
In the second half, which Ole Miss has been notoriously weak in throughout this season, the Tigers limited the Rebels to 229 yards, 12 first downs and, most significantly, seven points.
“I’m really proud of our defense as far as adjustments in the second half to hold that group to seven points," Malzahn said. "I think our third down defense was outstanding in the second half and we had a couple of fourth downs. The fourth down stops were huge.”
Huge is one word for those stops. The first stop, which came with their backs against the wall inside the 5-yard line, prevented Ole Miss from making it a two-score game early in the third quarter and set the tone for the unit for the rest of the game.
The second stop sealed the win, as the Rebels never got the ball back.
“We went in the locker room and tweaked a couple of things," said defensive end Jeff Holland, who earned a sack in the second half. "We came out and fought hard, like we usually do.”
The play of the night — and potentially the season — for the Tigers, though, was a different kind of stop. One play after Kelly and tight end Evan Engram couldn't connect on what looked like a sure touchdown to give the Rebels the lead, defensive back Joshua Holsey stepped in front of Kelly's pass and returned it 47 yards to set up the game-sealing score.
Auburn's defense felt all night that it was close to making a play to turn the game on its head. Finally, at long last, they got just the play they needed from a senior leader.
“It felt great. It feels great right now," Holsey said. "Coach (Malzahn) just told us somebody needs to go on the field and make a play. It just so happened that I was the guy to make that play, and it happened to be a pick.”
It also happened to be the back-breaking play that sent Ole Miss to its third consecutive loss in the SEC West and further solidified Auburn as a contender in the division. It happened to be a microcosm of the 2016 Auburn defense: when it counts, it can be relied on to help win the game, even when it allows 570 yards.
With all of that weight on his shoulders and to make the play in that situation, Holsey can't help but feel blessed.
“I’m working as hard as I possibly can to do my part for the team on the defense," Holsey said. "I’m just praying and somebody’s praying really, really hard somewhere else because it’s paying off for me.”
Of course, Auburn's defense can't do it alone, as proven during its two early losses to Clemson and Texas A&M. But with Malzahn and Rhett Lashlee's offense operating at a level of efficiency unseen since 2013, it doesn't have to.
When Auburn's defense struggled mightily during the first half, the offense picked up the slack. When the offense faced more adversity during stretches of the second half, the defense returned the favor, which, in turn, provided the offense the spark it needed to pull away from Ole Miss.
The Tigers 11-point win on the road was another clear example of the offense and defense feeding off of each other as the game progresses.
“That’s how we know we’re going to be a good team," running back Kerryon Johnson said. "We have a defense that can lift us up and we have an offense that can lift the defense up. That’s how you keep each other balanced and that’s how you win a lot of tough, close games like this one."
Sure, giving up 570 yards and 32 first downs isn't ideal. Sure, allowing the best quarterback in the SEC to complete 36 passes for 465 yards and three scores is sub-optimal, especially one week after shutting down SEC passing leader Austin Allen.
But time and time again, this Auburn defense has shown that it can bow up and deliver the knockout blow, or at least set it up, if needed. It may have been the Tigers' worst defensive showing of the season, but the second half was the most telling 30 minutes the unit has played so far.
“We knew they were going to make a play eventually," Johnson said. "That’s just what our defense does.”
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