aubaseball 2,540 Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 1 hour ago, gr82b4au said: The defense could not get off the field even at the beginning of the game. People need to stop sticking up for them. ReWatch the MSU, UT, and UGA games- they were dreadful. We knew the offense was going to be a work in progress this year with a new OL and RB. I think the two most disappointing things this year have been the defense overall and the play of the quarterback. This is my feelings too. And I would throw in the lack of improvement of the offensive line. I thought going into the season that this would be the difference in having a very good to great season, but I’ve changed that to how the QB has played is the biggest reason for how the season has played out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auburn Kev 1,653 Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 Quote Auburn defense not playing up to its standards in the second half of the season Montgomery AdvertiserPublished 1:26 p.m. CT Nov. 14, 2018 | Updated 3:35 p.m. CT Nov. 14, 2018 The Tigers held an Ole Miss offense averaging nearly 38 points per game out of the end zone until the final minutes of a 31-16 win on Oct. 20. They held Texas A&M scoreless on its final six drives (which included Noah Igbinoghene’s momentum-shifting interception), paving the way for a come-from-behind, 28-24 victory on Nov. 3. There are even positives to be taken away from a 27-10 loss at Georgia this past Saturday, even if the final result was negative — Auburn held the Bulldogs to field goals on its first two trips inside the 5-yard line and allowed points on only one of five second-half drives. But sometimes, senior middle linebacker Deshaun Davis after the game in Athens, “we’ll do things that you’re just like, ‘What the heck?’” Auburn’s defense has surrendered more of those than usual over the latter half of this season to date. Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald rushed for 195 yards and Tennessee signal-caller Jarrett Guarantano threw for a career-high 328. Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams totaled 182 yards and became the first skill player since Leonard Fournette in 2015 to score three touchdowns against the Tigers. Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm captured every bit of momentum in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Terry Godwin on fourth-and-2 in the closing seconds of the first half, and running back D’Andre Swift provided the dagger with a 77-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Those were just two of the eight plays of at least 20 yards Auburn surrendered in Athens. The Bulldogs finished their win with 516 yards of total offense, which is more than the Tigers had allowed in any game since the 2016 Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma. More than 300 of those yards came on the ground, which makes this the first season since 2012 that Auburn has surrendered 300-plus rushing yards to two different opponents, with Mississippi State being the other. When October began a little more than six weeks ago, the Tigers boasted one of the best defenses in the nation. They allowed 304.6 yards and 12.6 points per game during a 4-1 start against Washington, Alabama State, LSU, Arkansas and Southern Miss. Those totals ranked 16th and third out of 130 FBS teams, respectively. In the five games since, the Tigers have allowed an average of 440 yards and 24 points. They’re 2-3 in those games, and they still have No. 1 Alabama on the schedule after this Saturday’s matchup with Liberty. “Same 11 guys going out there on the first snap, so, I mean, whatever the situation is or whatever the case is that’s going wrong, we got to just fix it,” Davis said. “Obviously if we don’t, in two more weeks we’re going to see the same thing.” OPPONENT PER-GAME AVERAGES AGAINST AUBURN'S DEFENSE 2018 Rush yards Pass yards TOP 3rd down Points First 5 games 92.8 211.8 31:18 25.3% 12.6 Last 5 games 209.2 230.8 36:36 43.2% 24 The level of opponent has certainly played into the offensive production Auburn has given up. Washington, LSU, Arkansas and Southern Miss all rank outside the top 80 nationally in scoring offense, and Alabama State is an FCS school. Mississippi State and Tennessee also fall within that range, but Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Georgia are significantly better in that regard. But it seems there is more to it than simply who the opponent has been. Auburn’s offensive struggles have led to the defense being on the field even more during the latter half of the season, and that group has struggled to get off the field on third down more than usual. No player has or likely will admit it, but it seems as if fatigue could be playing factor. Auburn’s offense averaged nearly 29 minutes of possession per game through its first five this season. It’s a low total that ranked only 93rd nationally, but with a defense that was playing as well as the Tigers’ was, it was enough — opponents converted only 20 of 79 third downs (25.3 percent), which ranked third nationally. In the five games since, though, Auburn’s offense is averaging a little more than 23 minutes of possession, which means its defense has been on the field for nearly 2/3 of those contests. Opponents have converted 35 of 81 third downs in those games, or 43.2 percent. That total would rank outside the top 100 nationally over the course of a full season. If you ask Davis, though, he’ll tell you that’s not an excuse. Auburn’s defense has held itself to a certain standard since Steele (who signed a new contract this season that will pay him north of $2 million per year) arrived as defensive coordinator in 2016, and allowing Georgia to convert 8 of 14 third downs during a 516-yard night isn’t meeting that standard, no matter what the offense is doing. And it won't get any easier during the final two games of the regular season — Alabama has by far the best offense in the SEC averaging more than 48 points per game, and Liberty isn't a pushover at more than 35 points per game. “We’re first responders. It has nothing to do with the other side of the ball,” Davis said. “If we’re on the field, we’re expected to execute, execute at a high level, and we expect everybody to do their job. We just have to find a way to get consistent right now." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG 33,852 Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 1 hour ago, Auburn Kev said: Both sides have been pretty inconsistent which is why apathy has completely set in with the fan base unfortunately. We keep hearing about consistency but it hasn’t reared it’s pretty face as of yet and now it might be too little too late. It would be nice to go 2 out 3 to finish the season off with both sides playing on a high note. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milehighfan 1,236 Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 This is JMO but this team, offensively and now defensively, seem to be waiting for something bad to happen and when it does, well, you know the rest of the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Eye 7 2,535 Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 1 hour ago, milehighfan said: This is JMO but this team, offensively and now defensively, seem to be waiting for something bad to happen and when it does, well, you know the rest of the story. You are so right Carl . And this is signs when you have lost the team. People think it’s just when they won’t play but it is also when they start to play scared. Not of the other team but of theirselves. They no longer trust theirselves . That’s why you are seeing players out of position. They are leaving their territory because they are not confident in theirselves or their teammates .Thats why I blame coaching. This is where they have to step in and repair the mental process just as much as the physical process . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aujeff11 6,243 Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 I’m glad our defensive players and coaches are holding themselves accountable to their mistakes. They aren’t tbe main reason why our record is what is it, but they have been disappointing most of the year as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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