On Monday, junior defensive lineman Colby Wooden was named given the SEC honor of Defensive Linemen of the Week. He shares the honor with Alabama’s Byron Young.
His strip sack in the fourth quarter is what lead him to receive this honor and led to the field goal which finalized the Tigers' 13-10 win over Texas A&M.
At his press conference today, interim head coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams was asked who the players of the week were going to be, and he said that he was doing away with those in order to magnify team success over player success, but he did give a shoutout to one individual.
“I am going to recognize the defense and the players who did good. Congrats to Colby Wooden for getting defensive player of the week there so, I will recognize him before us,” said Williams.
This was the Lawrencville, Georgia native's sixth sack, his 11th tackle for loss and third forced fumble of the season. After the game on Saturday, Wooden emphasized his belief in his ability to make plays.
“I told a couple of people: ‘watch this I am going to go get it’. Then I just went and got it,” Wooden said.
Auburn held Texas A&M to 215 yards total, and he was on the field for all but two snaps where the Tigers held the offense to only 100 yards rushing. He also recorded a game-high of three applied quarterback pressures.
In a year where the Auburn defense didn't force a turnover until week four and has only won the turnover battle in two games, Wooden has been a defensive threat all season long. He has had six sacks for a total loss of 48 yards on the season along with 34 total tackles. His season-high came when Auburn took on Arkansas, and he finished the game with eight tackles. He also has two fumble recoveries this season.
Wooden’s season can be described as stellar, and it doesn't appear like he's slowing down anytime soon. He seems to be peaking right as the Tigers need him to going into their final two games of the season.
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Lily has been with The Plainsman for three years and started out as a Sports Writer before becoming the Operations Editor. She graduates in May of 2024 and is from Washington, D.C.
