Secondary ‘up for the challenge’ of bama receivers

[aubiefifty 18,230]

al.com

Auburn’s secondary ‘up for the challenge’ of Alabama’s dangerous trio of receivers

Posted Nov 24, 2019

4-6 minutes

Auburn Football

Auburn’s secondary is about to go from its easiest test of the season to, perhaps, its toughest.

After shutting out FCS opponent Samford and holding the Bulldogs to just 63 passing yards, Auburn must now turn its attention to fifth-ranked Alabama and its trio of talented receivers: Jerry Jeudy, Devonta Smith and Henry Ruggs in next weekend’s Iron Bowl.

“Man, it’s a challenge, you know,” Auburn starting nickelback Christian Tutt said. “We’re always up for the challenge to go out there and compete, get better, execute. They’re going to make plays; we’re going to make plays. It’s all a game. It’s a chess game. We just got to go out there and make more plays than they do.”

It will be a daunting task for Auburn’s secondary, even with Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sidelined with a hip injury. Alabama’s trio of wideouts is one of the top groups in the nation, if not the best. Two of the three, Jeudy and Smith, are semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award — which Jeudy himself took home last season.

Smith leads the team with 1,120 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 60 receptions, while Jeudy leads the Tide in catches with 66 for 933 yards and nine touchdowns. Ruggs, who missed Saturday’s game against Western Carolina, has 32 receptions for 620 yards and six scores.

Outside of LSU’s trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Terrace Marshall, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better receiving corps in college football.

“Both the trios are good,” Auburn cornerback Roger McCreary said. “I respect both of them. We just have to come out and execute and do what we do.”

Auburn has already faced that group from LSU, and the Tigers’ secondary believes that’s an experience they can lean on in preparing for a Tide offense that ranks second nationally at 48.55 points per game. In Death Valley last month, Auburn limited LSU and its high-octane offense to a season-low 23 points, including its worst passing efficiency game of the year (143.49).

“I think it means a lot going into next week, you know, because I think they’re going to give us a lot of unnecessary formations, a lot of just trick, crazy things to get us out of gaps, get us out of our zone fits, picks routes and everything like that,” Tutt said. “We just got to be technique-sound, eyes on them and go out there and execute.”

Auburn’s defense is allowing 196.91 yards per game, which is 28th nationally, and has only allowed two teams to eclipse 300 yards passing against it. One was the aforementioned LSU offense, while the other was Texas A&M, with the bulk of the Aggies’ yards coming in the fourth quarter after the Tigers had the game relatively in hand. The Tigers also boast a top-20 passing efficiency defense, holding opposing teams to a 112.54 passer rating, which is 18th nationally.

Auburn is also tied for 17th nationally in fewest 30-yard pass plays allowed, surrendering just 10 such plays this season — a raw number that is the fifth-fewest allowed as the Tigers have generally done well in keeping the top on the defense. That number will be put to the test against an Alabama passing attack that has racked up 30 such plays this season, including four during the Tide’s 66-3 win against Western Carolina on Saturday, which is tied for fourth-most in FBS.

The Tigers as a whole also have 52 total passes defended this year, with 45 pass breakups and seven interceptions, which is tied for 33rd in the nation.

Ratcheting up the difficulty for Auburn will be the fact that the Tigers will be without one of their best defensive backs for the first half, as sophomore safety Jamien Sherwood will be suspended the first two quarters due to an ejection for targeting in the second half against Samford. Sherwood has been stellar throughout his sophomore season as a key rotation piece in the secondary, but it will be next man up for Auburn — at least in the first half as he serves out his suspension in the locker room.

“I’m looking forward to (the challenge), I really am,” said McCreary, who leads Auburn with 10 pass breakups this season. “They’re good. We’re good. We’ll just see how it’s going to roll.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[Swamp Eagle 5,267]

I foresee a bevy of DPI flags, especially on critical, potentially game-changing plays.  It's what we do, and it's what the ref's do to us; bad combination.

[keesler 5,957]

1 hour ago, Swamp Eagle said:

I foresee a bevy of DPI flags, especially on critical, potentially game-changing plays.  It's what we do, and it's what the ref's do to us; bad combination.

I agree, those WRs are pro level talent right now. They make the QB look good and make something out of nothing on their catches.

[Swamp Eagle 5,267]

3 hours ago, keesler said:

I agree, those WRs are pro level talent right now. They make the QB look good and make something out of nothing on their catches.

I hope Steele comes up with something that never includes our LB's getting caught in space with any of them.