The Auburn Tigers posted a far-from-perfect performance last weekend against Baylor to open the season, leaving some fans disappointed due to high preseason expectations.
Head coach Alex Golesh might've claimed his first win with the Tigers, courtesy of an impressive game-saving tackle by safety Eric Winters at the goal line on Baylor's 2-point attempt to seal the 17-16 victory, but Auburn faces many issues to clean up before Florida comes to town next Saturday.
However, before their clash with the Gators , Golesh and company have a much-needed opportunity to make the proper changes and adjustments ahead of the SEC opener.
Here are three areas, including both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, in which Auburn needs to show improvement against Southern Miss ahead of a tough battle against Florida the following week.
One of Auburn's most noticeable struggles in its win over the Bears in Atlanta was the interior offensive line, particularly left guard Jacob Strand and right guard Cole Skinner.
The interior of the offensive line appeared lackluster many times throughout the contest, which was mostly evident by Auburn's inability to establish a rushing attack. Running back Jeremiah Cobb recorded just 53 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
Granted, Baylor's interior defensive line isn't an easy matchup, but the offensive line as a whole also allowed five sacks on quarterback Byrum Brown.
While center Cole Best, left tackle Jo Simmons and right tackle Stanton Ramil are solidified in their positions, the two guard spots have created the most conversation throughout the offseason and now into September.
Strand and Skinner started against Baylor, but Jack Leyrer and Kail Ellis certainly impressed when their name was called after Strand and Skinner went down with an injury on what turned out to be Auburn's game-winning drive. Miami transfer Deryc Plazz and Jacobe' Ward are other names to watch as Auburn continues to search for a consistent starting five.
If Auburn can nail down a true starting five and find the best possible rotation, it will create greater rushing lanes for Cobb and the running back room, which then opens up the passing game and allows for a balanced offense.
Baylor's 28-yard pass from DJ Lagway to Gavin Freeman on fourth-and-10 during the Bears' last series of the game to extend the drive was a perfect illustration of the Auburn defense's biggest flaw on Saturday.
The Tigers allowed Baylor to finish 4-of-6 on fourth downs, which Golesh called out in a press conference earlier this week as something Auburn must improve upon. The Bears also went 7-of-22 on third downs.
DJ Durkin's unit will undoubtedly keep Auburn in games this season when the offense stalls, similar to last season, but it needs to find a way to get off the field and not surrender chunk plays in late-down situations.
They're stout on the opening two downs, but the next step to becoming an elite defense is being able to make a play on third or fourth down and limit the offense's ability to extend drives.
Golesh said after the Baylor win that he blamed himself and the coaching staff for Brown's three interceptions, saying that he forced big plays downfield in moments that didn't necessarily require it.
However, the reality is that Brown did turn the ball over multiple times, making it the first three-interception game of his career. While some of the miscues were Brown's fault, aggressive play-calling at points in the game weren't helping the USF transfer, either.
If Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon can properly balance conservative and risky calls, it will allow Brown to find a better rhythm and become more comfortable, especially against elite SEC defenses.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/auburn as 3 Areas Auburn Must Improve Against Southern Miss .
