When Gus Malzahn was hired as the Auburn coach, Tiger fans had visions of a potent offense with high scores and lots of wins dancing in their heads.
And they haven’t been disappointed as the Tigers have reeled off five wins in their first six games. Last week against outmanned Western Carolina, Auburn rolled up a school-record 712 yards and 62 points behind true freshman Jeremy Johnson, who made his first collegiate start at quarterback.
But one area of the 5-1 Tigers that has been overlooked has been the play of the Auburn defense. Of course it is not too hard to play good defense when your offense is putting up 62 points, but that is not always going to be the case.
That theory is going to be put to its biggest test this weekend when Auburn goes to Texas A&M to play the Aggies, also 5-1 on the season. That means it will be Auburn’s turn to attempt to contain defending Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Johnny Manziel.
“He’s got great mobility but he’s also got great vision downfield when he’s scrambling,” said Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson of Manziel. “As a defensive player you don’t know when to come out of coverage. He’s got great accuracy.
“They are so balanced that, if you try to take one element away, another element is going to beat you. Any time you have a good team like that with good players, you have to get it out of your mind that you are going to stop them. You have to disrupt them. You have to slow them down. You have to get some takeaways. You have to play really good in the red zone.”
Auburn’s defense is putting up good numbers in the SEC and nationally. Johnson’s unit is third in the SEC with 16 sacks for minus-96 yards. The Tigers are tied for second in red zone defense, are second in pass efficiency defense and have been holding opponents to only 32 of 96 third down conversion tries. Auburn’s pass efficiency defense is fifth nationally — giving up a touchdown every 56 pass attempts. The Tigers have allowed just four passing touchdowns this year on 224 pass attempts by their opponents. Only UCF, Miami (Fla.), Florida, and Oregon have a better ratio.
“Statistically we are looking pretty good in the red zone. We’ve improved a lot on third down,” said Johnson. “Manziel is the most dynamic player in the country right now as far as with the ball in his hands at the same time he’s got great players around him. It boils down to having good players. They’ve got a good system and a coach that knows how to operate it.
“They got two NFL-looking tight ends that don’t even get on the field but for about 10 or 12 plays a game. Obviously the quarterback is what makes them dynamic. But they would be a very good looking team even without him on the field. They have a good offensive line, good rotation, depth.”
With the runaway win over Western Carolina, Johnson got to play a lot of players and he believes that experience will pay dividends as the season progresses.
“Obviously, we played an opponent we should’ve beaten. We got to play a lot of young guys. For some of them, it was a reward. It helps to be on a game field against a game opponent,”
he said. “There’s so much similarity in Western Carolina and Texas A&M and Ole Miss in terms of formations and plays and some of the routes.”
But not in talent. The Aggies will be the most talented team the Tigers have faced thus far and will put pressure on the Auburn defense, particularly in the second half when the Tigers defense has excelled this season.
Out of 40 second-half drives, the Auburn defense has only given up five touchdowns and four field goals. In the fourth quarter, the Tigers have given up just 402 yards on 93 plays and allowed only 13 points.
Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin knows his team will be in for a battle on Saturday before a 12th Man Kyle Field crowd in College Station.
“They’re very different from the team we played last year. They’ve got a lot of energy. In some respects, it’s a lot like where we were last year. They’ve got a new coach. They’ve got new players. They’re playing with a lot of confidence,” said Sumlin.
“Gus (Malzahn) does a great job schematically. (Ellis) Johnson does a great job as the defensive coordinator. The kids believe in what they’re doing. They’ve got a great punter. He’s one of the best punters in the country. They’ve already returned a kickoff for a touchdown. They’re playing very well. They’ve played some close games and gained some confidence. It might be a lot of the same guys, but it’s a completely different football team from an attitude standpoint. That shows up, not only in their record, but in their approach as well.”