Auburn's defense has really improved over the last 4 games. their first 3 games, they gave up 534.3 yards per game their last 4 games, they only gave up 307 yards per game they have held opponents to 14 points or less in three of their last four games in their last game vs Florida, they held Florida to a season-low 194 yards, better than the previous best by Bama and LSU (213 and 222). they also held Florida to a season-low 3.3 yards/play, better that the previous best by both LSU and Bama (4.4 and 4.3 yards/play) two games ago, their D held South Carolina to a season-low 289 yards Looking at October-only stats (Auburn's last 3 games, against Arkansas, South Carolina, and Florida): --Auburn's total D is #24 in the NCAA (307.0 ypg) --their scoring D is #26 in the NCAA --they are #5 in the NCAA in forced fumbles --they are #9 in the NCAA in opponent 3rd down conversion --they are #11 in the NCAA in fewest first downs per game allowed --they are #18 in the NCAA in sacks Compare to Aug/Sept only stats (Auburn's first 4 games): --#92 scoring D --#110 total D --#103 in sacks --#120 in opponents 3rd down conversion --#92 in in fewest first downs per game allowed --#15 in forced fumbles huge improvement. they had to replace a lot of starters so it took them time to gel. also, Chizik, who was a great DC back in his day, took more control of the D. not as good as LSU, but they are nowhere near horrible on D now...and if you judge them just by their last game vs Florida, their D is just as good as ours...will be interesting to see how good they are the rest of the season here are some notes on the defensive players they will play against us: Weakside DE #55 Corey Lemonier (6-4, 240), soph -- Rivals 100 (#35), ESPN 150, Rivals #3 weakside DE, Scout #7 DE, ESPN #9 DE. offers to LSU, Bama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Notre Dame, etc. --was SEC Coaches' All-Freshman Team last year. --currently one of the forerunners for SEC Defensive Player of the Year, currently #1 in the SEC in sacks (6), #1 in the SEC in sacks/game, #1 in the SEC in TFL/game, #2 in the SEC in TFL (10), #4 in the SEC in forced fumbles Strongside DE #94 Nosa Eguae (6-3, 258), redshirt soph -- Rivals #17 strongside DE -- in the last 4 games of last season (Georgia, Bama, SEC Championship Game, BCS Title Game), he had 3 sacks, 3 QB hurries, 5.5 TFL, 10 tackles -- This season (7 games), he has 8 QB hurries, 5 TFL, 24 tackles, 1 pass broken up DT #92 Kenneth Carter (6-4, 290), soph -- Scout #17 DT, Rivals #23 DT (4-star), offers to LSU, Bama, Auburn, Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Clemson, etc -- Alabama 5A Lineman of the Year in high school DT #54 Jeffrey Whitaker (6-4, 312), soph -- U.S. Army All-American, Rivals 100 (#54), Rivals #5 DT, Scout #11 DT offers to Bama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Miami, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Cal, Oregon, etc reserves: --soph DE Craig Sanders (6-4, 260) Rivals 200, Rivals #12 DE, offers to Bama, Florida, Florida State, Clemson, Tennessee, Georgia, Stanford, etc --junior DE Joel Bonomolo (6-2, 240), JUCO Rivals Top 50 overall (#29), #4 DE, 4-star --junior DT Jamar Travis (6-0, 294), ESPN #11 DT --freshman DT Angelo Blackson (6-4, 325 monster), ESPN #14 DT LB #21 Eltoro Freeman (5-11, 228), redshirt senior --JUCO All-American --Scout #7 MLB, Rivals 4-star, offers to Florida, Tennessee, Clemson, Georgia Tech LB #35 Jonathan Evans (5-11, 225), junior --Scout #31 weakside LB, offers to Tennessee, Oklahoma State, etc LB #25 Daren Bates (5-11, 205), junior --Freshman All-SEC in 2009 reserves: --sophomore Jake Holland (6-1, 235), Under Armour All-American, Rivals #8 MLB, ESPN #8 MLB, Scout #12 MLB, offers from Florida State, Tennessee, Stanford, UCLA, etc --freshman Justin Garrett (6-1, 205), Scout #12 OLB, offers from Alabama, Florida State, Wisconsin, Georgia, Clemson, South Carolina, Tennessee, etc --redshirt sophomore Harris Gaston (6-2, 236), Rivals #23 OLB, Scout #31 MLB CB #11 Chris Davis, sophmore --Scout #31 CB, offers to South Carolina, etc CB #22 T'Sharvan Bell, junior --pick six in the third quarter of the SEC Championship Game --Rivals 4-star, offers to Wisconsin, South Carolina, West Virginia, clemson, Georgia Tech, etc S #15 Demetruce McNeal, soph --Scout #31 S, offers to South Carolina, West Virginia, etc S Neiko Thorpe, senior --2010 Coaches' Second-Team Preseason All-SEC --2008 Coaches' All-SEC Freshman Team --Under Armour All-America, ESPN 150, offers to Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Georgia, South Carolina, etc reserves: --redshirt freshman Jonathon Mincy, offers to LSU, Oklahoma, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Tennessee, UNC, etc --freshman Robenson Therezie, Under Armour All-American, offers to LSU, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, South Carolina, Tennessee, etc --soph Ryan White, offers to Oregon, South Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia Tech, UNC, etc --freshman Jonathan Rose, U.S. Army All-American, Rivals 150, Rivals #7 CB, ESPN #11 CB, offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Tennessee, etc --freshman Jermaine Whitehead, offers to Notre Dame, Miami, Stanford, Arkansas, Tennessee, etc --freshman Erique Florence, Under Armour All-American, ESPN 100 (#52), Rival 100 (#69), Rivals #3 safety, ESPN #4 safety, Scout #5 safety, offers to LSU, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Southern Cal, Stanford, Georgia, Arkansas, Clemson, Georgia Tech, etc
Throw out the Arky game bc they got raped. A UF team that barely had a pulse by the time they played the barn and an SC team with more issues than time magazine. Color me unimpressed.
In their last 4 games they've only played one decent offense, Arkansas, and they got beat 38-14. Take it for what it's worth.
AU is ranked 20. Bunk. They should have lost the first game to Utah State, not Utah mind you! They beat FL because the gators turned the ball over 3 times, once around the 10 and once on a muffed punt. Their win over SCAR was totally due to Spurrier's inept clock management at the end of the game. I cannot stress this enough, Spurrier got a total pass on his terrible use of time-outs and clock management (not clocking the ball). If Miles had done exactly what Spurrier did, he would have been shredded by all the fans and media. AU will be exposed in Tiger Stadium. They will be routed, humiliated, and left to ponder the good old days of last year. Will they ever return for AU? No. They are toast, a second tier SECW team. Just where they belong. The glory belongs to the REAL TIGERS OF LSU!
Yep. I want them coming in here, riding high and full of themselves, only to get their sorry asses humiliated. Because f*ck Auburn, that's why.
Yes I already explained this in another thread. Very suspicious to know this much about our opponent.
