Auburn’s defense is a bit of a statistical conundrum.
Dating back to Auburn’s game against Ole Miss, the Tiger defense has not allowed an offensive score in six straight quarters.
Even still, Auburn’s defensive numbers rank towards the middle, or the bottom, of Southeastern Conference statistical categories. Most glaringly, the Tigers rank 13 out of 14 teams in takeaways, with five total.
So, against Mississippi State and head coach Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense, what is the game plan for the Tiger defense, especially in the secondary?
“We have just got to be able to take great angles in the secondary and get the ball carrier on the ground,” said safety Smoke Monday. “Also, just knowing where our help is, pursuit-wise. It really just comes down to being focused on those things.”
It is no secret that Mississippi State is going to pass the ball this Saturday. The Bulldogs’ quarterback Will Rogers is completing over 75% of his passes, for over 3,300 yards and 23 touchdowns.
On the year, Rogers has only thrown eight interceptions. With the amount of time State lines up to throw, sometimes over 50 times a game, Monday thinks Auburn is primed to increase its interception numbers.
“For them to pass the ball 50 times, this is a chance to show people what we have got with our ball skills,” Monday said. “We're prepared. We know that they're gonna throw the ball a lot. They did that a lot last year. We are just going to prepare ourselves for that type of game. We are just gonna go out and show them that we are one of the best secondaries in the country.”
Monday, for his efforts in Auburn’s loss against Texas A&M, was named an honorary captain for Saturday’s game. Monday led the Tigers in tackles, with nine, and was tied for the lead in tackles for loss, with one.
"My mentality going into every game is to do my best and make plays for the defense. I make plays to help out the defense and help out the offense anyway I can," Monday said.
The senior safety’s efforts do not go unnoticed, as edge rusher Derick Hall said Monday often sacrifices himself for the greater good of the team.
“He will put himself in jeopardy to make sure everyone else is where they need to be. He is able to do it all for us,” Hall said.
Hall and Monday both echoed that Auburn’s defensive line is playing outstanding. Even though the defense is ranked in the bottom 50% of SEC teams in sacks, Hall thinks his unit has a huge opportunity against a pass-heavy offensive line.
“This week we have an opportunity, we can be a little more relentless,” Hall said. “I think this Saturday we will have more opportunities to get sacks."
The tandem both did say that Auburn’s coverage over the middle of the field is where the Tigers could afford to improve, especially against a team that is going to chuck the ball around.
“You can always do things better, but I think we play defense well as a whole,” Hall said. “The middle of the field area is where we have to do things better."
Auburn has a huge task Saturday against an unranked Mississippi State team. The Bulldogs have huge wins against NC State, Texas A&M and Kentucky.
A lot of what this weekend’s matchup will come down to is how well Auburn’s secondary is able to “have the ball hit them in the face,” a phrase used by defensive coordinator Derek Mason to talk about getting turnovers.
Monday and Hall are not worried though. They believe their unit is going to show its full potential in the team’s upcoming game.
"We know they throw the ball a lot, so we just have to be efficient this week in delivering our pass rush," Hall said. "And making sure we're doing the right efforts and technique."
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Henry Zimmer is from Jacksonville, Florida, and is currently in his fifth year with The Plainsman. He is currently the Sports Reporter and can be followed on Twitter here: @henryzimmer
