Strong defensive performance not enough in Auburn's loss to Vanderbilt

A constant trend of stout defense and lackluster offense remained persistent in Auburn’s 17-7 loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday, marking the Commodores’ first win ever at Jordan-Hare Stadium. 

The Auburn defense stood strong against a way-too-familiar foe, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, for most of the game despite an underwhelming performance from Payton Thorne and the Tigers’ offense. Vanderbilt only generated 227 yards of total offense and 84 rushing yards, good for its worst performance of the season in both categories. 

“I thought our defense played their guts out,” Auburn head coach Huge Freeze said. “Played well enough to win and probably did the best job against that squad of anyone all year.”

Contrary to what occurred last time he faced this defense, the Tigers limited Pavia’s production and did a solid job not allowing him to scramble for extended yardage outside the pocket. Auburn held Pavia to just nine-for-22 passing and two touchdowns, which is his lowest completion percentage of the season by almost 15% (40.9%). 

He only recorded 143 yards through the air – tied for his second-lowest of the year – and added 26 rushing yards on 12 carries, also his fewest of the 2024 campaign. The Tigers clearly proved they knew what it took to slow down Pavia.

“The keys to victory for the game were to cage the quarterback, win on third down… that’s how we get off the field,” senior lineback Dorian Mausi said. “We have to get off the field early, hold the ball a lot. You can’t let him (Pavia) be unsequenced.”

Seven of the Commodores’ first eight drives of the contest stalled and resulted in a punt. The one exception came late in the first quarter, as Vanderbilt found the endzone first via a 28-yard touchdown pass from Pavia to AJ Newberry, capping off a six-play, 81-yard TD drive.

Auburn returned the favor with an impressive 30-yard touchdown pass to Rivaldo Fairweather midway through the second period, evening the game at seven a piece. 

The score remained locked at 7-7 for the rest of the half and most of the third quarter, a large part due to Auburn’s tough defensive play. Pavia didn’t complete a pass in the third quarter, as Vanderbilt’s completion drought spanned across almost 22 minutes of gameplay. His first completion in the second half came with 9:56 remaining in regulation – a 22-yard pass to Quincy Skinner Jr. that kickstarted their game-securing touchdown drive. 

The Commodores went on to make it 17-7, capitalizing on a controversial Auburn penalty during a made field goal. The Tigers were called for “leverage” during the play, giving Vanderbilt a new opportunity to extend the lead even further, which is what it did.

Mausi, Safety Jerrin Thompson and true freshman cornerback Jay Crawford each made a huge impact on the game and contributed heavily to Auburn’s strong defensive effort. Mausi led the team in tackles with eight (all solo), and Thompson was right behind him with five, including one tackle for loss. Thompson also had one pass breakup.

Building on what he has displayed in recent weeks, Crawford continued to soar for the Tigers in the defensive backfield. He seemed to be everywhere, as he recorded three pass breakups and proved to be a force on the outside. Crawford has been a bright spot for DJ Durkin’s defense in the past few weeks, and his teammates recognize that. 

“When I see the ball go up in the air and I see one-on-one with Jay Crawford, I’m like ‘okay, we’re good’, " Mausi said. “Before they catch the ball, ‘we’re good’. He’s gonna make a play. We have confidence in young guys and that’s something special.”

Despite the loss, Auburn’s defense will look to carry this momentum into ULM in two Saturdays – after the bye week – as Freeze and company are hopeful the offense can get on track in hopes of ending the season on a high note.