defensive lineman appreciates off week before Rebels

[aubiefifty 17,487]

AUBURN, Alabama–Heading into Saturday night’s Halloween Eve football showdown vs. the Ole Miss Rebels, Auburn’s Colby Wooden and his teammates on the defensive front will try to come up with some tricks for the visitors and treats for the home folks at Jordan-Hare Stadium. After seven consecutive Saturdays of competition, Wooden noted that the opportunity to come into this week’s contest following time off will be helpful for the Tigers.

“The bye week was amazing,” said Wooden, a 6-3, 276 junior from Archer High School in Lawrenceville, Ga.

“I got to go home, watch my little brother, spend some time with my mom and my father,” he pointed out. “It was cool, relaxed. Got some key members back on defense. It is great.”

Wooden’s “little brother” is 6-2, 185 safety Caleb Wooden, who is a verbal commitment to play for Coach Bryan Harsin’s Auburn Tigers. The younger Wooden is also a standout performer for Archer High. The older brother is in his second season as a starter for the Tigers.

Harsin agrees with Wooden that the bye week was helpful and it came at a good time for his team. “The bye week provided for the players was a chance to heal,” said the coach, who is hoping to get one of the defense’s top players. linebacker Owen Pappoe, back in the mix after he missed the previous four games due to an ankle injury.

Auburn will bring a 5-2 record into Saturday night’s contest and the Tigers are 3-1 in the SEC with a No. 18 ranking in this week’s AP Top 25. The Rebels are ranked 10th and are 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference thanks to a strong offense that is effective in the air and on the ground.

Ole Miss is expected to be one of the biggest challenges that Wooden and his teammates on defense will face this year. Asked what the Tigers need to do to improve during their final five games of the regular season as they try to stay in the hunt to win the SEC West, Wooden said consistency is a key “whether it is more consistent with our techniques, our fundamentals, just being more consistent.

Colby Wooden had a big day for the Auburn defense vs. Arkansas with two quarterback sacks. (Photo: Jason Caldwell/Inside Auburn Tigers, 247Sports)

“Getting our hands on more balls, being more disruptive, coming to the  ball and ripping it out,” he added. “We get there and gang tackle, but forcing fumbles and forcing turnovers would make us a more dangerous defense, more dangerous than we are now.”

Opponents have fumbled 13 times vs. the Tigers, but Auburn has only recovered two. Auburn is four pass interceptions. The Tigers are plus 0.14 per game in turnover margin, which ranks seventh in the SEC and is tied for 48th nationally.

9COMMENTS

The Tigers, who won their last game 38-23 at Arkansas, will try to make themselves more dangerous defensively shortly after 6 p.m. CDT on Saturday as they look to win for a sixth consecutive year in matchups vs. the Rebels.

[sevenlee36 1,654]

Anyone else pay attention to JJ Pegues’s play against Arkansas? I think at time he looked promising at DT? 

[God Cam It 97]

15 hours ago, sevenlee36 said:

Anyone else pay attention to JJ Pegues’s play against Arkansas? I think at time he looked promising at DT? 

Definitely. He played the most snaps of the season for him against Ark (29 snaps). Harris and Wooden played in the low 40s so he is definitely moving up the depth chart. Fair had 18 for comparison. 

[woodford 3,688]

16 hours ago, sevenlee36 said:

Anyone else pay attention to JJ Pegues’s play against Arkansas? I think at time he looked promising at DT? 

Hope so. His size needs to used for good.