Auburn’s defense was already down one signal-caller, but it lost another one early in the Vanderbilt game.
Middle linebacker Deshaun Davis was flagged for targeting following a snap-judgment hit on what was ruled a defenseless Vanderbilt receiver, and per the rules, he was ejected from the game. It was a bang-bang play, and it meant the Tigers would be without their two ‘quarterbacks’ on defense, as defensive coordinator Kevin Steele called it.
“We have a quarterback too, and that quarterback is at the linebacker position,” Steele said. “And when the top two quarterbacks are out of the game everybody’s having a stroke, but nobody ever thinks that oh, two linebackers out, that might be an issue.”
With Davis and Williams out, leadership duties fell to Darrell Williams, who ended up having to play several different linebacker spots as a result of the depleted roster. Steele said Williams had ‘his plate full,’ and noted that ‘he grew up.’
“There was a lot going through my head,” Williams said. “Coach Steele tries to make it as simple as possible, so that helps. Just making sure I do my assignments and do my part, getting everybody lined up and stuff at the linebacker position. Coach T-Will tells you that you have to quarterback the defense all the time. I was just trying to step up and do that as best as I could.”
To top off the whirlwind that overcame the Auburn defense to start off the game, Vanderbilt’s offense came out of the gates utilizing play calls Steele and the players hadn’t prepared for in the slightest. The Commodores usually run a more pro-style, basic approach, but in their first series they more indirect, unconventional plays at the Tigers.
It made for some confusion for Auburn, but they settled in quickly, and eventually made the necessary adjustments at halftime. After surrendering 206 total yards and 13 points in the first half, Auburn clamped down and held Vanderbilt to 135 yards and just three points in the final two quarters.
“Well, first half, they came out with a lot of new wrinkles that we did not go over,” Williams said. “That happens all the time. We've kind of seen that more and more in the second half of the season. Copy-catting and doing a lot of things that we struggle with and then get right later on. But a lot of teams coming out with working the ball on the perimeter and working the quick game. We adjust it on the sidelines as much as we could.
“But when we go into halftime, we just got all the plays down that we had trouble with in the first half. They came right back with them, hoping that they would work. But Coach Steele had a great plan for us, and we executed it.”
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