Auburn’s defense has the task of stopping South Carolina’s tandem of freshman tailback Marcus Lattimore and sophomore receiver Alshon Jeffery in Saturday afternoon’s Southeastern Conference title game in Atlanta.
Another objective will be not allowing 21 first-quarter points again.
The Tigers have been torched for three quick touchdowns in their past two games before doing what they’ve done all season – perform an about-face. Auburn spotted Georgia a 21-7 lead on Nov. 13 before roaring back for a 49-31 triumph, and the Tigers fell behind Alabama 24-0 in the second quarter last Friday before rallying for a 28-27 win.
“There might be an opponent that scores 21 on us and we might not be able to come back,” Auburn senior linebacker Josh Bynes said Monday. “It’s a scary thing to think of. We’re not that great of a football team to get down 21-0 and always be able to come back. We’ve got to play better and play a complete game.”
It’s long been said that defense wins championships, but if Auburn wins Saturday for the right to play for a BCS national crown, that adage might have to be altered. Second-half defense wins championships, perhaps?
Auburn has allowed 301 points this season under second-year coordinator Ted Roof, which ranks 57th nationally and ninth in the SEC. The Tigers have yielded 187 points in the first halves of games but a more respectable 114 points in the second halves.
They’ve been outstanding in fourth quarters, allowing 45 points, or a scant 3.8-point average.
“I think their defense rises to the occasion when they need to,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said. “They’re obviously giving up some yards and points here and there, but their offense has been so good that they’ve been in the game. Obviously in their last game, what Auburn’s defense did in the second half to really shut Alabama down was impressive.
“I think Ted and those defensive coaches have done an excellent job. They’re 12-0, so they’ve done a very good job of getting the stops when they’ve needed to have them to win the game.”
The Tigers have struggled in pass defense, ranking 106th nationally and yielding 255.3 yards per game. They have allowed 164 and 199 yards the past two games to receivers A.J. Green and Julio Jones and gave up 192 to Jeffery in their first meeting against the Gamecocks.
It’s a different story against the run, as Auburn ranks 10th nationally (108 per game) behind interior menace Nick Fairley.
“We didn’t run the ball well against them,” Gamecocks fullback Patrick DiMarco said. “They slammed their gaps good, and their defensive backs covered well. We’ll have to get what we can get at times, because they’re a tough defense.”
Lattimore has rushed for 1,114 yards, but his 2.4-yard average (14 for 33) at Auburn was his worst league showing.
The Gamecocks scored 20 first-half points at Auburn but only seven in the second half of their 35-27 loss. Auburn has allowed more points in the second half only once all season, yielding 22 to Arkansas after 21 in the first half.
Auburn coach Gene Chizik credits Roof for making halftime adjustments, which he said are mostly minor but that “the devil is in the details.” His players say they need to calm down more quickly, and they’re surprised the slow starts continue to occur.
“Other teams have come out trying to attack us in different ways, and there is some stuff we haven’t seen, so they get a quick jump on us,” safety Zac Etheridge said. “Once we figure out what they’re trying to do and their game plan and everybody starts reading their keys, the game starts to get slower. We’re able to play fast at that point and execute what the coaches expect from us.”
Said Bynes: “If we could play the first two quarters as well as we play the last two, we would probably be one of the most dominant defenses in the nation.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.