It’s been a long hard season for Auburn’s defense. No one would dispute that. But what’s the real story? What are the real issues?
I put those questions to people who are close to the program and who understand the intricacies of defense in general and Auburn’s defense in particular.
Here is some of what I learned:
Clearly, lack of depth is the main issue. When the backups played across the board, Ball State and Furman suddenly looked like offensive juggernauts. A Southeastern Conference team with only four available scholarship linebackers, one a freshman who would have certainly been redshirted in most seasons, is unheard of. There are few backups in the secondary or on the defensive line, for that matter.
But depth is far from the only issue. Here are the things, as I understand them, that cause big problems for Auburn’s defense:
At safety, juniors Zac Etheridge and Mike McNeil figured to be the starters . Christian Thompson and Aairon Savage were expected to be the top backups. Behind them was sophomore Drew Cole. Not one of those players is available today.
Freshman Daren Bates has started 11 games and has shown great promise. He is a big hitter, but he has had a problem with missed tackles. After Etheridge was lost for the season, Demond Washington moved from cornerback to safety. Washington has played remarkably well, considering he’d never played safety before. But he, too, sometimes makes costly mistakes.
At cornerback, sophomore Neiko Thorpe has been burned deep repeatedly. But there’s no reliable option. He has to keep playing. Walt McFadden is a big-time player, but most teams don’t bother to challenge him. There are better options elsewhere.
At linebacker, juniors Craig Stevens and Josh Bynes have played virtually every meaningful snap. Sophomore Eltoro Freeman, a junior college transfer, struggled early, missed one game, played special teams in another and then began making a serious impact. He suffered an apparent concussion against Georgia and missed most of the second half. Adam Herring, who held his own as Freeman’s replacement, is out with a foot injury. That leaves freshman Jonathan Evans as the only scholarship substitute. And if Freeman isn’t back, he’ll have to start against Alabama on Nov. 27.
At defensive end, senior Antonio Coleman is a great football player. Junior Antoine Carter, who missed the first three games with a knee injury, is getting better every game. Junior Michael Goggans is a solid, tough player. Behind those three, the next option is 220-pound freshman Dee Ford, potentially a very good player who has had to play before his time.
Inside, sophomore Nick Fairley is a potential star. But he’s not there yet. Junior Mike Blanc is a big, strong guy who plays hard. Senior Jake Ricks is in the same category. With Zach Clayton missing most of the season, those three have to carry the load. They’re not terrible, but they’re not great either.
As unseemly as the statistics are, they are somewhat skewed by the second halves against Ball State and Furman. And then there is the reality of Auburn’s uptempo offense. When Auburn gets more snaps by playing rapidly, so does the opponent. And if the opponent gets more snaps, it gets more yards and, often, more points.
That’s just the way it is.
Auburn coaches believe they will have freshmen next season who will significantly upgrade the talent level. Eight starters will return. The 2010 defense should certainly be improved. Will it be great? Not likely.
Like it or not, it’s going to take time to get Auburn defense back to what it once was.
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