What changed for Auburn’s defense after the first quarter? ‘Necessary to keep our jobs’

After Kentucky scored on each of its first two drives, there was a deflating feeling in the air about Auburn’s defense.

The Tigers had given up 10 quick points to an offense that had yet to score more than 20 points in a Southeastern Conference game and it seemed like things could only get worse.

After Auburn ended the first quarter trailing by 10, things started to click for the defense. Kentucky didn’t score another point in the final three quarters and gained just 109 more yards.

What changed for Auburn’s defense?

“There were some mental mistakes and some things where we really had to keep our lane,” defenseman Keldric Faulk said after the game. “We’re really good once we know what to do.”

Faulk and other Auburn players attributed the first quarter struggles to mental errors and missed tackles. Some of that was obvious, but Kentucky’s early success was due in no small part to wide receiver Dane Key.

Key is Kentucky’s leading receiver this season, catching passes of 21 and 34 yards on the first two drives, with both catches coming in tight coverage.

Auburn began to consistently apply more pressure after those drives and Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff never looked comfortable. He seemed to be affected by the pressure on almost every dropback, with the most notable mistake being an interception caught by Jay Crawford.

Vandagriff split snaps with dual-threat quarterback Gavin Wimsatt during the first half, but after a tough second quarter, Kentucky went with Wimsatt full-time in the second half.

For much of the second half, Auburn continued the same success, with a total pressure of 22 in the game. Jalen McLeod led the way with four, but he, Faulk and Keyron Crawford all consistently disrupted the pocket.

“They can’t block our d-line. Hardly anyone in the country can do that, block them 1-on-1,” linebacker Dorian Mausi Jr. said. after the match. “J-Mac, Keldric, the d-tackles… they just make plays.”

The back end was also solid, with Kentucky being shut down twice, with the second ending the game on a goal-line stand. Both Kayin Lee and Crawford played well on the outside and grabbed Auburn’s two interceptions.

Crawford’s play was one of the stories of the season for Auburn, making an impact as one of several freshmen to get playing time. He had a coverage ratio of 87.9, according to Pro Football Focusallowing just two catches for 25 yards on six targets.

‘I don’t consider myself a freshman now. I consider myself a sophomore,” Crawford said. “We have now played eight games? I just feel like it will be better for me going into next year knowing that I have a lot more experience than a lot of the other guys.

While all the numbers look good, the best part of the performance for Auburn’s defense was that it was rewarded. The unit has become no stranger to seeing the offense squander big defensive plays, but 278 rushing yards from Jarquez Hunter kept that from happening against Kentucky.

It’s a feat Auburn hopes to emulate as it returns home for the first time in more than a month and faces a Vanderbilt team that is tough at worst and dangerously good at best.

“The hope is that you’ll win one along the way and grow your confidence for next time,” said Hugh Freeze. “Because it doesn’t get any easier with the teams we’re playing against.”

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn Sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X on @peter_rauterkus or email him [email protected]M