Greater emphasis on turnovers this spring

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Auburn's defense putting greater emphasis on turnovers this spring

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

4-5 minutes

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At the start of every practice, Auburn’s defense goes through a circuit with one focus in mind — turnovers.

Defenders will chase down a ball-carrier from behind and try to punch the ball loose or rip it out of his hands. They’ll run a screen drill and try to blow up the passes behind the line of scrimmage. They’ll run interception drills and go through a scoop-and-score station.

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The intention is clear: Auburn is putting an emphasis on forcing more turnovers this fall under new defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding.

“It’s all about the ball,” Schmedding said. “We know how important, and you hear it every time you watch a game, how important takeaways are. So again, we’re actively seeking those things. We’re making it a big deal in practice. A big deal whether or not it is a true takeaway. If that ball is on the ground, we’re picking it up.”

That has been one of Schmedding’s key points — along with stopping the run, pressuring the quarterback and mitigating explosive plays — since taking over as defensive coordinator this offseason. Schmedding knows it’s an area that Auburn lacked in last season under former defensive coordinator Derek Mason, and he’s making it his goal to see significant improvement in that aspect of the defense.

Auburn forced only a dozen turnovers in 2021, finishing 113th among 130 FBS programs in takeaways last season. The Tigers forced just three fumbles and picked off nine passes, as the program had an even turnover margin for the year (the offense committed 12 turnovers of its own). The team’s 12 takeaways were tied with Kentucky for fewest in the SEC last season, and it was the fewest in a single season for the program since 1995.

“That was a big part of our game last year; I feel like we didn’t create enough takeaways as a unit,” defensive lineman Marcus Harris said. “We got to improve on that this year if we want to be a top defense.”

Of course, there is a luck factor to forcing turnovers. Sometimes it’s about being at the right place at the right time. Schmedding wants that to become second nature for his defense, though, putting itself in the best position to create turnovers and try to disrupt opposing offenses.

That means doing any little thing to try to affect a play and force a turnover — without taking too big of a gamble or getting out of position. Defensive linemen are working on trying to punch the ball out when they get to the quarterback or ball-carrier, and if they can’t get a sack, they’re making sure to get their hands up to try and obscure passing lanes for quarterbacks with the hope of creating tipped balls or errant passes.

Harris claims to have the most forced turnovers of any defender so far this spring, saying Wednesday that he has forced a couple of fumbles through the first week and a half of practices. Other defensive players have been lauded for their ability to create some turnovers, too, including freshman defensive backs Caleb Wooden and JD Rhym, as well as redshirt sophomore Donovan Kaufman.

Wooden had a scoop-and-score and an interception on the first day of practice, while Rhym forced a fumble on a running back at the goal line during a live portion of practice last week, earning himself Player of the Day recognition. According to Harris, Rhym has also picked off some passes. Kaufman also forced a fumble on the first day of practice, according to head coach Bryan Harsin.

The goal each day is for the defense to get three takeaways. There’s a reward for achieving it—and consequences if they don’t, including sideline-to-sideline sprints. The Tigers hope these concerted efforts and newfound emphasis on forcing turnovers will pay dividends come fall.

“I feel like this year we’re going to see an improvement in the takeaway department,” Harris said.

Only time will tell.

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