Monday, Auburn Head Coach Alex Golesh and Defensive Coordinator DJ Durkin expressed their pride in the team’s response to falling behind 14-0, then fighting back against Georgia last Saturday.
Senior cornerback Rayshawn Pleasant was available to the media for questions after Tuesday’s practice, talking about where the defense was mentally following the early hole.
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“We knew it was no panic,” Pleasant said. “This is a dogfight league, it’s a dogfight game. It’s just the culture that we have and everything that we have built around here. Knowing we are driven in our work. Just continue to go down, next play, continue to work on what we trained on.”
Pleasant also made an impact on special teams in the Tigers’ victory. Late in the first half, Peyton Woodring lined up for a go-ahead field goal for the Bulldogs.
Pleasant brought pressure off the edge, and with the help of Jared Smith, blocked the kick to keep the game tied at 14. He talked about what goes into making a play like that on special teams.
“I knew I was going to be free like that,” Pleasant said. “It’s just all about me getting off. It’s really just watching the ball. Just watching the ball and having a good get off. Having a good, explosive first two steps.”
On the offensive side of the ball, Auburn got its best production of the season in the run game. The offensive line was opening running lanes for Byrum Brown, Jeremiah Cobb and Omar Mabson.
Cobb said it was because of stout execution that they were able to get things done on the ground.
“Everyone was doing their job from tight ends, O-line, quarterback and even to the running backs making the right steps,” Cobb said. “It was a whole group thing.”
Now though, the Tigers are turning their attention to Saturday’s matchup against LSU and leaving the win in the past, a theme Golesh stressed on Monday.
“It was awesome to go and do that Saturday, especially for the guys who have been here,” Cobb said. “We don’t just want to that one time. Everybody’s on the same track. Keep doing that. Keep building this.”
Pleasant echoed those thoughts and emphasized the importance of continuing to trust the process over the desired result.
“We are a program built off work, not success,” Pleasant said. “It’s just about us controlling what we can control. Come out here everyday and attack the practice field with the right mindset knowing we can be the same ones losing the next week.”
Auburn will look to move to 3-2 in the SEC on Saturday. If it does, it will be the first time it has had a winning SEC record since 2021.
The Tigers will also be trying to win back-to-back SEC games, something they last accomplished in 2023. Auburn hosts LSU at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday at 11 a.m. CST on ABC.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
