Auburn RUN GAME Must GET GOING Against Florida | Auburn Football Podcast

Mike G (0:00)

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Mike G (0:53)

It is going to be an uphill challenge, I think, for the Auburn Tigers, particularly along the offensive line. I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't have worries about this one. Byrum Brown has not been as effective as I would have hoped he would have been running the ball. So Auburn's got to do something there. They've got to get the run game going. Last year, Hugh Freeze poured in over 300 yards on the ground vs. Baylor. Auburn barely managed 130 this year, which is obviously not where they want to be. They've got to do a lot better here in conference play if they want to win games. But I keep getting asked the question, what's your level of hope for the season if Auburn loses this game? And I got to be honest with you, it's not high. I think this is a must win. I think the schedule is extremely hard. And if you cannot win a game like this at home to open your SEC season versus a first year head coach at Florida who has a first year quarterback, you're going to be in trouble. Golesh has got to figure out a way to get more out of this team offensively. What we've seen from Auburn defensively so far is pretty incredible when you look at it. The strength on defense continues to be scoring defense. It's actually amazing at what rate they don't allow people to score points. So you can move the ball between the 20s on Auburn, but once it comes time to try to punch it in, they're not letting a whole lot of people in there. Right now, Auburn allowing 12 points per game right now, and they've actually played somebody. So of the teams in front of them right now, you've got Texas A&M, who they played Missouri State and Arizona State. Texas A&M is allowing 10 points per game right now. So you could argue Arizona State is somebody, it's a powerful team, but you know, they're not a very good team right now. I got to remember they lost their quarterback to LSU. You've got Georgia doing Georgia type things defensively, allowing 11.5 points per game. But again, they've only played Tennessee State and Western Kentucky. So to be expected, you've got Oklahoma sitting there at second, allowing 8.5 points per game. They played UTEP and Michigan. I remember Michigan almost lost to Western Michigan. So they're struggling a little bit right now. Gave up points to UTEP and 10 points to Michigan. And then at number one, you've got South Carolina. They're giving up 4.5 points per game. That includes a shutout versus Kent State and only 9 points given up versus Towson. So if you're Auburn, you own the best win of all the teams, including yourself, ranked in front of you in terms of scoring defense. Four teams ranked ahead of Auburn. Auburn is the only team that played anybody with a pulse and Baylor.

So if you can continue to not give up points, you're going to have a chance in every single game you play.

DJ Durkin was worth every penny. I'm so impressed with his process, with how he continues to develop stars, with how he continues to produce an SEC level defense week in and week out. Smartest thing Golesh ever did was not bring his own defensive coordinator in here. Keep Durkin, keep it moving and find a way to score points. Now Durkin's got a tall task. This Saturday, he's got to stop Jaden Baw, who is an absolute monster.

So good on John Somerall, I mean, obviously, for keeping Jaden Baw around. But that kid is a special talent. But if you're Auburn, you have your own special talent. And Jeremiah Cobb, Baw is fourth in the nation right now in yards rushing, 296 yards rushing through two games. Again, they haven't played anybody with a pulse yet. Florida Atlantic and Campbell. Yes, those numbers should look fantastic. But he leads the SEC in rushing, averaging 10.6 yards per carry. The average will come down quite a bit versus Auburn. And then if you're Auburn, you've got to get Jeremiah Cobb going only 138 yards rushing through two games. I thought he'd have at least 200 yards on the ground, which would put him forth in the SEC right now in rushing, but he's got to find his way up the rushing list. And then of course, there's Byrum Brown. He's a massive part of your game offensively. All Alex Golesh talked about were the mismatches that Byrum Brown creates with his legs and how good he is at scoring in the red zone. We haven't seen it through two games. Now he did get the game winning touchdown versus Baylor, but go look at the totality of him running the ball in that game.