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mentality is to finish stronger


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Gallery: Auburn Spring Football Practice: March 6, 2018

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By Tom Green

tgreen@al.com

The saying is typically "spring forward," but Auburn's players have been looking back to the fall for motivation this spring.

After the Tigers made an impressive run to win the SEC West, the team faltered in its final two games of the season, losing to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and then UCF in the Peach Bowl in a fashion that didn't line up with the team's run to that point.

"We really can't look back in the past, but it left a chip on our shoulder knowing that we got that far and we didn't finish," cornerback Jamel Dean said. "Now our whole mentality is to make sure we finish this year."

Auburn's players aren't dwelling on the results of their 28-7 loss to Georgia and 34-27 loss to UCF, but rather looking back at the process that led to those results and using it as motivation this spring.

Last season marked the second consecutive year that the Tigers faltered down the stretch, but last year's finish differed because of what the team accomplished to that point. After early-season losses to Clemson and LSU on the road, Auburn rattled off five straight wins to close the regular season, including knocking off the nation's No. 1 team twice in a three-game span -- dominating the Bulldogs 40-17 at home on Nov. 11 and then defeating Alabama in the Iron Bowl, 26-14, two weeks later.

The latter win helped Auburn clinch the division and punch its ticket to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game, and it put the Tigers on the cusp of a College Football Playoff berth. That all fell apart against the Bulldogs, and then Auburn was unable to rebound for its bowl game against undefeated UCF, a Group of Five team.

"It's something that we've talked about and it's something we're going to continue to talk about," linebacker Deshaun Davis said. "I feel like that's our edge now. We went to the SEC Championship and it's the first time this unit went to the SEC Championship. We got a taste of what it felt like to be there and now we want to get a taste of what it feels like to win. We were right on the brink of being in the top four and playing for it all. We have the talent in the room, no doubt, but we have to find that inch to get better individually."

Another Chance - Auburn Spring Hype 2018

Part of what cost Auburn in those final two games were injuries to key players, including running back Kerryon Johnson, linebacker Tre' Williams and defensive backs Tray Matthews and Carlton Davis. That in part led to the Tigers deviating from their identity on both sides of the ball, as developing a consistent run game without the SEC's leading rusher became difficult, and the defense took a step back, particularly against the run.

"We just know we've got to finish," Davis said. "We had a pretty good year, had a lot of good players to go to the next level and a lot of good players came back. I feel like in this room we have whatever we want to do whatever we want. The players that are here that played last year, we have to take our game to the next level. The guys that weren't here have to step up and fill the void."

Those returning players have discussed last year's finish at length, and they've used it to fuel offseason workouts leading into spring practice. When the team reconvenes on Tuesday after more than a week off for spring break, the focus will return to being able to finish not only games, but seasons as well during the final three weeks of spring.

As receiver Darius Slayton said, the Tigers "want to finish the year stronger" in 2018.

"When the season is over with you definitely look back on the positives but you also got to look back on the negatives," defensive tackle Derrick Brown said. "I think that's what pushes you forward into the year.... We definitely put that upon each other and like, 'Man, we don't want to finish like that. If we're going to be here and doing this thing then let's do it the right way, let's go out with a bang.'"

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

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