Auburn needed some time to hit the reset button.
From ineffective offensive starts to collapses in run defense, the first five games of the season raised several concerns with the team as it heads into the thick of its SEC slate. However, the extended time in between games with the bye week allowed head coach Alex Golesh to take a closer look at the core issues.
“Allowed us to really look at, man, what are we really good at? What are we not?” Golesh said. “We do it every week, but it gave you an opportunity to take an even deeper dive into it. So I thought it was positive in a lot of ways for us.”
While Auburn didn’t play a game Saturday, the preparation for the rest of the season continued. It began by reassessing the details and going back to fundamental football.
“I think the timing was big,” said safety Sylvester Smith-Reed of the bye week. “To go back on the bye week and get back to the fundamentals and how we do things and also see the things that bit us in the tail. We were able to get back to what we’re coached to do the right way.”
Meanwhile, the same thing applies on offense.
“It was essential,” said offensive lineman Stanton Ramil. “Just being able to go back, watch the film, review what we did good, review what we're struggling with, make the adjustments needed, and then go from there. And then obviously, give us some time to get healthy, to get our bodies back as best as we can. So, it was an essential week to get a lot better.”
However, the bye week also brought upon new questions for Golesh. Where is the energy of the team? Is there attention to detail? What about playing with intent?
After all, Auburn just got run over by Tennessee the week prior for another discouraging loss. The bye week became not just a checkpoint for where the team was at performance-wise, but also response-wise. Can Auburn learn from its past mistakes, while also turning the page?
Golesh kept it simple:
“Mature football teams can and immature football teams can't.”
The bye week has come and gone. Preparation for Georgia is now in full swing. How Auburn responds for the rest of the season is what Golesh will pay attention to.
“For me, that's what I'm looking at,” Golesh said. “Not just looking at, but forcing it to happen. I thought the intent was really real. It was really positive. I think there's enough maturity to say, when we are at our best we can play at the highest level football. When we're not, we're just good enough to get embarrassed. So, it's continuing to drive the fact that we've got to be at our best every single day.”
Auburn faces Georgia Oct. 17, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN.
