defensive line can be 'more dominant

[aubiefifty 16,770]

Auburn Football

Why Auburn thinks defensive line can be 'more dominant' than 2017 unit

Updated 7:02 AM; Posted 7:00 AM

By Tom Green

tgreen@al.com

Auburn must replace its best pass rusher from last season, but the Tigers are still confident their defensive line can be even better than the 2017 version.

"I think we can be more dominant than we were last year," junior defensive tackle Derrick Brown said.

Auburn's defensive line set the tone for the defense throughout the season, with defensive coordinator Kevin Steele routinely preaching that everything the defense accomplished started with the guys up front.

That unit helped lead a defense that totaled 37 sacks, which ranked 19th nationally, and 82 tackles for a loss. The Tigers also ranked 35th nationally against the run, 11th in scoring defense and was in the upper echelon of several other statistical categories.

Related: Projected Auburn depth chart for Week 3 of spring practice

Now that defensive line must replace edge-rusher Jeff Holland, who led the team with 13 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks, while returning its other three starters and several key rotation pieces.

"We definitely got a lot of guys back and we're starting to jell," Brown said. "...Trying to push each other and we need to put together a full D-line so that way everybody is able to play in the fall and build right now before the new guys come in as well."

Along with Brown, the Tigers return starting defensive tackle Dontavius Russell and defensive end Marlon Davidson. Russell, who injured his hand in an auto accident this month, is entering his fourth season as a starter at tackle, while Davidson will be a third-year starter at defensive end.

Auburn also brings back versatile defensive end Nick Coe, who enjoyed a breakout campaign as a redshirt freshman in 2017 with 4.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks, as well as interior linemen Andrew Williams and Tyrone Truesdell, defensive end Markaviest Bryant and edge-rusher T.D. Moultry -- who is expected to step in and replace Holland as the program's next great pass-rusher.

Auburn confident T.D. Moultry can be its next top pass rusher

T.D. Moultry spent the first four spring practices with the first-team defensive line and will likely be the successor to Jeff Holland as Auburn's starting Buck end

So what makes Brown believe this group can be even more dominant than last year's, despite the loss of Holland?

"I think more want-to," Brown said. "Every single day Coach G (Rodney Garner) just tells us when we come in the room to try to pick a certain area and try to improve on it. When you come out to practice, yea he's yelling and fussing, but at the end of the day, you've got to choose to basically be a man about things and not take it to heart and take it as corrective criticism."

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

[aucanucktiger 1,791]

This may be true but IMO our upperclassmen defensive leadership has been spotty the last 3 -4 seasons, leading to some painfully underachieving talent on that side of the ball. We'll see.

[LKEEL75 2,566]

8 minutes ago, aucanucktiger said:

This may be true but IMO our upperclassmen defensive leadership has been spotty the last 3 -4 seasons, leading to some painfully underachieving talent on that side of the ball. We'll see.

So... 

Quote

That unit helped lead a defense that totaled 37 sacks, which ranked 19th nationally, and 82 tackles for a loss. The Tigers also ranked 35th nationally against the run, 11th in scoring defense and was in the upper echelon of several other statistical categories.

Is underachieving?

[aucanucktiger 1,791]

Underachieving generally means not as good as they could have been, not how good they in fact were. Just an opinion and without naming players, 3 specific ones come to mind.

[Eagle-1 3,821]

3 hours ago, aucanucktiger said:

Underachieving generally means not as good as they could have been, not how good they in fact were. Just an opinion and without naming players, 3 specific ones come to mind.

I agree. Not. Sure if we are thinking of the same guys, but I perceive too much I, and not enough team from some of our upperclassmen last year. 35th nationally against the Run is certainly a step in the right direction, but below the Auburn standards that we grew accustomed to over the years.

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

Every group of players can play better, that does not mean they are underachievers.Part of the reason we were 35th against the run is the teams we played against. Georgia probably had the best Running back group in the country and Alabama was not far behind. Statistics only tell part of the story.

[AUIH1 1,515]

Win an SEC Championship based on the DL then we can talk.  

 

wde

[TigerFanAU 586]

I thought our defense was great last year. Plenty of 3-and-outs from our offense that kept the D on the field longer than they needed to be. Give me more of last year all day long.

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

56 minutes ago, AUIH1 said:

Win an SEC Championship based on the DL then we can talk.  

 

wde

No one group wins an SEC championship. I would agree with your statement if it said something like win an SEC championship with DL being most dominant part of the team.

[AUatHeart 624]

2 hours ago, TigerFanAU said:

I thought our defense was great last year. Plenty of 3-and-outs from our offense that kept the D on the field longer than they needed to be. Give me more of last year all day long.

Exactly!  No matter how much talent you have and how many rotations you have, you will still get wore down if the offense isn't staying on the field.