defense allows 300-plus rushing

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Auburn defense allows 300-plus rushing yards, again

Updated 10:49 AM; Posted 10:47 AM

Nov 10, 2018 Athens: Georgia tailback D'Andre Swift breaks away from Auburn defenders for a 77-yard touchdown run during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in Athens. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) (Curtis Compton)

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By Sam Blum | SBlum@al.com

SBlum@al.com

Following Auburn’s 23-9 loss to Mississippi State on Oct. 6, senior linebacker Deshaun Davis was tasked with answering questions about how this vaunted rush defense could allow 349 rushing yards — an unprecedented total.

“That’s not our standard,” Davis said at the time. “No one’s supposed to rush for that many yards on us.”

Fast forward just about 35 days later. Same season, same defenders, and same very ugly results with the Bulldogs bulldozing 305 yards on the ground.

It hadn’t been since 2015 when the heralded LSU running back led a 411-yard assault on AU’s defense. Now, it’s happened two times in three games on the road — this time resulting in a 27-10 road loss to No. 5 Georgia. Auburn dropped to 6-4 on the season with a 3-4 SEC record.

And, following the game, it again was Davis who was there to answer for it.

“It’s something we’ve got to fix,” he said. “I don’t know what the team next week is going to do. But I know two weeks from now, we’re going to stop the run, or we’re going to be in trouble again.”

To his credit, Davis took the blame, saying it’s his job to put guys in the right position. But it would be unfair to place the blame totally on his shoulders. One factor was the loss of defensive end Nick Coe to a hand injury in the second half, and the loss of defensive end Big Kat Bryant to a targeting ejection in the first half.

With a lack of depth there, Auburn rotated in a walk-on, Gary Walker, at times.

“That’s two our defensive ends,” said head coach Gus Malzahn, “so the third and fourth quarter there it was a little tough.”

The capper on the big run game was a D’Andre Swift 77-yard touchdown. It was on the opening drive of the fourth quarter, and there was no catching him in the open field.

But there were 11 rushing plays of at least 10 yards for Georgia — many of which were much longer. In the first half, the Bulldogs took only six snaps that didn’t move the ball forward. The Bulldogs spend 17 more minutes with the ball in their hands than Auburn did, and that’s largely because they controlled the tempo with the run game working so effective.

“Just missed assignments, that’s all it was,” said safety Jeremiah Dinson, who acknowledged the frustration as well. "We’ll watch film tomorrow.”

Georgia rushed for 13 first downs, compared to six for Auburn, who’s run game on offense has been equally bad as it was on defense. The Bulldogs ran the ball six times on third down and averaged six yards a play in that area. Consistently there were big holes and a secondary scrambling in pursuit.

In all fairness, Georgia ranks atop the SEC in rushing yards per game all season at 233.8 after Saturday’s demolition. They’re definitely good against most rush defenses. But that is Auburn’s calling card, or, at least, it was.

“Give those guys credit," Malzahn said of Georgia. “They did a good job and we didn’t do a very good job with our run fits and they had that big run and had some other runs. We didn’t play well in all three phases.”