Following Auburn’s season-opening win at Baylor, many questioned whether the Tigers’ defense had regressed from its 2024 form.
Defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin and his unit silenced some of their doubters Saturday night, holding Ball State to three points in a 42-3 blowout victory.
“I thought our defense really played hungry and physical and kind of set the tone for the night,” said Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze.
Ball State quarterback Kiael Kelly had no room to work Saturday night as Auburn’s defense combined for 14 tackles for loss and six sacks in the home opener. The Cardinals’ signal-caller finished 10-for-16 with 71 yards passing.
The Tigers also shut down the Cardinals’ rushing attack, holding them to -3 total yards. It was the first time since 2001 that Auburn held an opponent to negative rushing yards in a game.
Sophomore linebacker Xavier Atkins had a career performance, registering five tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks.
“He’s going TikTok crazy in there, I hope he’s shooting some good ones tonight,” Freeze said on Atkins’ performance. “He’s one of a kind. His motor never stops, and it was good to see him have success tonight.”
Senior defensive end Keyron Crawford built on his solid performance last week, recording four tackles, two sacks, and two tackles for loss.
“I think he’s gotten better and better since the offseason. I think his speed to power rush and his flexibility off the edge have made him a tough matchup,” Freeze said.
The Auburn family brought the noise all night long, which helped the defense force nine three-and-outs in Ball State’s 12 drives. The Tigers held the Cardinals to negative yards in five of those nine drives.
“It was really fun. Everybody played with high energy. We celebrated each other. Celebrated the big plays each other played. Stuff like that, it’s really fun to be a part of,” said Malik Blocton.
Sylvester Smith, Elijah Melendez, Demarcus Riddick, Jared Smith, Bryce Deas, Amaris Williams, Blocton, Atkins and Crawford all recorded at least one tackle for loss. Smith led the way for the Auburn defense with six tackles.
“I mean, honestly, we’re just blessed to have that front. Those guys we have in that front, they’re different,” Smith said. “I think everybody’s kind of starting to realize that we got some dudes up front. So having those dudes up front and having that linebacker room, it’s gonna be tough to run at one point.”
Auburn’s defense will look to stack another solid outing next Saturday against Sun Belt foe South Alabama. Kickoff from Jordan-Hare Stadium is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. CST.
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Rory is a sophomore majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @RorymGarvin
