number 2 defense in the country

[ReidMcLain 75]

Auburn is now allowing 12.6 points per game good for second in the country. The first team? Washington at 11.6. Had we prevented that touchdown vs Southern Miss we would be the #1 Defense in the country. Kevin Steele is earning every penny with our offense struggling how it has.

[DAG 36,541]

The defense is balling out .

[Dual-Threat Rigby 10,000]

Best Auburn defense and special teams we’ve had together maybe ever and what are they being used for 

[GwillMac6 20,851]

Like I get the defense is the one bright spot on our team right now but I just do not see a elite defense with the way we struggle to rush and sack the QB. We do not have that dee ford, lawson or holland on this team. Also we were horrific situationally against lsu against a average qb. We could not get off the field on third and long and gave up a crucial 4th and long as well on their game winning drive. Having said all that still a really really good defense that is being wasted because of OUR OL.

[AuburnEagle79 2,300]

This defense deserves a trophy. Only reason we are 4-1. 

[ALLINtheFamily 77]

4 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

Like I get the defense is the one bright spot on our team right now but I just do not see a elite defense with the way we struggle to rush and sack the QB. We do not have that dee ford, lawson or holland on this team. Also we were horrific situationally against lsu against a average qb. We could not get off the field on third and long and gave up a crucial 4th and long as well on their game winning drive. Having said all that still a really really good defense that is being wasted because of OUR OL.

What has happened to T.D.  Moultry?   

[gr82be 15,262]

8 minutes ago, ALLINtheFamily said:

What has happened to T.D.  Moultry?   

According to Gus he is inconsistent. Pot meet kettle. 

[GBAU83 212]

Glad our defense is doing so well, but we have yet to face a prolific offense (other than Washington), so we should be showing well.  I doubt we will be #2 by time we get to Georgia game and very doubtful we will be in top ten by end of the season.  Not that defense can't play well, but if our offense doesn't give them a break by ball control, they will get worn out against the better teams.

[AU64 10,122]

4 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

Like I get the defense is the one bright spot on our team right now but I just do not see a elite defense with the way we struggle to rush and sack the QB. We do not have that dee ford, lawson or holland on this team. Also we were horrific situationally against lsu against a average qb. We could not get off the field on third and long and gave up a crucial 4th and long as well on their game winning drive. Having said all that still a really really good defense that is being wasted because of OUR OL.

Good points but I think some of those issue that concern you are the result of the defensive strategy which appears to be.....stop the run, and keep the pass completions in front of the defenders. Not exactly a "bend don't break" but appears to be along those lines....but letting those "third and longs" get completed does  not help our offense and caused the team to lose the possibility of some short field drives. .  

O has not gotten good field position on many occasions when the D let the opponents get out of their own end zones to drive up the field for a few first downs before turning the ball back....so the O gets the ball deep in AU territory instead of around mid field.    

JMO but that's been a failure of the D and would be good to see them clamp down on an opponent when special teams have backed them up inside their own 20. '.   .  

[weagl1 1,859]

The D is all all the more impressive considering our putrid offense.  When the offense keeps going 3 and out, 3 and out, 3 and out, it’s hard to keep going out there time and time again with no rest.  They will wear out before the year is over if something doesn’t happen with the offense.  

[ALLINtheFamily 77]

15 minutes ago, gr82be said:

According to Gus he is inconsistent. Pot meet kettle. 

I would much rather hear what Mr. Steele has to say?

[gr82b4au 5,583]

We tackle very well. 

[Potatooooooes!! 1,461]

1 hour ago, GBAU83 said:

Glad our defense is doing so well, but we have yet to face a prolific offense (other than Washington), so we should be showing well.  I doubt we will be #2 by time we get to Georgia game and very doubtful we will be in top ten by end of the season.  Not that defense can't play well, but if our offense doesn't give them a break by ball control, they will get worn out against the better teams.

Our saving grace is the teams we play until Georgia are also pretty bad this year. I wouldn’t be surprised honestly 

[AU64 10,122]

4 hours ago, weagl1 said:

The D is all all the more impressive considering our putrid offense.  When the offense keeps going 3 and out, 3 and out, 3 and out, it’s hard to keep going out there time and time again with no rest.  They will wear out before the year is over if something doesn’t happen with the offense.  

The D could save itself some wear and tear if it could also get off the field with a few 3 and outs......especially when they have an opponent backed up near their own goal line.   Been giving up way too many third and long plays for first down.  

Does no good to stuff them for losses on first and second down if you give up a first down on third and 12 pass across the middle......which we have done with disturbing frequency.... The amount of time the D spends on the field is not just a function of ineptness of the offense.    JMO

[DAG 36,541]

I am not going to sit here and whine about the defense when they are putting up top tier numbers. They could go from great to excellent with a bit of tweaking. They have earned their keep . The offense I believe is in the bottom half of the conference in some of the major categories . That is just disgusting .

[AUsince72 11,084]

29 minutes ago, AU64 said:

The D could save itself some wear and tear if it could also get off the field with a few 3 and outs......especially when they have an opponent backed up near their own goal line.   Been giving up way too many third and long plays for first down.  

Does no good to stuff them for losses on first and second down if you give up a first down on third and 12 pass across the middle......which we have done with disturbing frequency.... The amount of time the D spends on the field is not just a function of ineptness of the offense.    JMO

The D does show a disturbing propensity to allow the opposing Offense to feel like 3rd & long "we got 'em right where we want 'em".  ...and give the occasional long play...

Though this is correct, can you imagine the success of this team if the offense shared the same amount of "deficiency" as this defense?

...heck, if they were only HALF as good as the D?

[WFE12 9,492]

UGA and Bama will murk us if we keep on like we are and I don't see this stopping anytime soon 

[auburn4ever 1,266]

The defense will have to carry the whole team on their backs all year.

[AU64 10,122]

4 hours ago, AUsince72 said:

The D does show a disturbing propensity to allow the opposing Offense to feel like 3rd & long "we got 'em right where we want 'em".  ...and give the occasional long play...

Though this is correct, can you imagine the success of this team if the offense shared the same amount of "deficiency" as this defense?

...heck, if they were only HALF as good as the D?

True but you have to go with what you have.

Not that many years ago we were crying because we had about the best offense in college football and the D could not stop the local 8 year old "Mites" team.....and we were totally dependent on the offense to just outscore the opponents....and yet with those deficiencies  Auburn rode that offense into a championship playoff. 

Not saying the situation is 100% flipped but also not saying that we should write the season off just because 1/2 of the team is not up to what we would like to see. 

[AUsince72 11,084]

18 minutes ago, AU64 said:

True but you have to go with what you have.

Not that many years ago we were crying because we had about the best offense in college football and the D could not stop the local 8 year old "Mites" team.....and we were totally dependent on the offense to just outscore the opponents....and yet with those deficiencies  Auburn rode that offense into a championship playoff. 

Not saying the situation is 100% flipped but also not saying that we should write the season off just because 1/2 of the team is not up to what we would like to see. 

So sad, but true.

I think once Gus hired competent, if not great, defensive coordinators & staff we thought he finally would meld the 2 phases together and voila, consistent championship contender.

Unfortunately, I think this offense is so far beyond the worst of Ellis Johnson's defenses that....as you said we have to go with what we have.

[tigerman1186 537]

I hope we can get in the MSU backfield as much as Florida did last night....need to put and keep pressure on the bulldogs....

[AU64 10,122]

46 minutes ago, AUsince72 said:

So sad, but true.

I think once Gus hired competent, if not great, defensive coordinators & staff we thought he finally would meld the 2 phases together and voila, consistent championship contender.

Unfortunately, I think this offense is so far beyond the worst of Ellis Johnson's defenses that....as you said we have to go with what we have.

Could be but I think the offense has the chance to improve.....assuming that Boobee is back...otherwise, the running game is gonna hurt us.   Kam gave it a good effort but our OL is not good enough for him to thrive in SEC play.   

And I almost cried this afternoon after watching Kerryon bulldoze a couple Dallas defensive players near the goal line to score on a ten yard run......thinking  that he could be the difference in a reasonable offense for AU this year as opposed to what we are seeing right now. 

[AUsince72 11,084]

4 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Could be but I think the offense has the chance to improve.....assuming that Boobee is back...otherwise, the running game is gonna hurt us.   Kam gave it a good effort but our OL is not good enough for him to thrive in SEC play.   

And I almost cried this afternoon after watching Kerryon bulldoze a couple Dallas defensive players near the goal line to score on a ten yard run......thinking  that he could be the difference in a reasonable offense for AU this year as opposed to what we are seeing right now. 

My gosh, I hope you're right!

I do believe that MSU is not what we thought they'd be coming in and truthfully it might do this AU team some good to play a road game (afterall, the best performance they had this year was away from JHS).  So another (ugly) win is possible.

I think Kam is serviceable and gives great effort but I don't think Boobee will be back this week (shouldn't be IMO) so I hope they'll give the other 3 some carries too.  Frankly, maybe having a couple O-linemen miss the game will be helpful too....mix it up a bit cuz what they been doing ain't working.

I'm just ready for that corner to be turned as is usually is by now.  I have my doubts but we'll see.  Like I said after the Arky game, I have a bit of a tin-foil hat feeling about the offense right now.  ... something is just fishy (more than usual).

[ReidMcLain 75]

Correction: Cincinnati is the #2. Were at #3, having allowed only 2 more points than Cincy.

[Tiger 8,930]

I get that sometimes our D could get off the field faster, and as @GwillMac6said we are missing a game changing pass rusher, but overall our D is good enough to give us a chance to win every game on our schedule until we get to Bama. We will have to put up 2014 Iron Bowl type offensive numbers in that one (LOL), but otherwise it feels like the offensive ineptness has made some people forget about how good our D is. I certainly am not taking this group for granted. Not after the dark era of AU Defense of 2009-2016. The D is what has been winning us games this year.