Defense ‘a little antsy’

[aubiefifty 18,248]

Auburn defense ‘a little antsy’ after failing to force a turnover through 2 games

Published: Sep. 11, 2022, 11:00 a.m.

Coaches celebrate what they thought was a fumble recovery by Keionte Scott in the fourth quarter of Auburn's win against San Jose State at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 10, 2022. (Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics)Todd Van Emst / AU Athletics

NEW!

By

Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Auburn’s defense made it “all about the ball” this offseason, putting a greater emphasis on forcing turnovers this year. Through two games, however, the Tigers have had nothing to show for it.

Auburn has yet to force a turnover this season after coming up empty for the second straight game, as the defense was unable to register a takeaway in the team’s 24-16 win against San Jose State. Through two weeks, Auburn is one of just eight FBS teams that has not forced a turnover this season.

The others? Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame — all of whom were ranked in the top-10 entering Week 2 — as well as Fresno State, Army, Temple and Maryland.

Read more Auburn football: Tank Bigsby sets tone after halftime, provides “big relief” for Auburn

Grading Auburn’s 24-16 win against San Jose State

“Let’s not fall into that category”: Auburn grateful to avoid disaster on upset-filled Saturday

“We’re getting a little antsy,” defensive lineman Marcus Harris said. “But we keep playing, we keep hunting.”

It’s the first time since at least 2000 that Auburn has opened the season with back-to-back games without a forced turnover, and the Tigers are now minus-four in turnover margin through two games — against lower-level competition, no less: an FCS school (Mercer) and a Group of 5 program (San Jose State).

Auburn committed two turnovers against SJSU, with Robby Ashford and T.J. Finley each throwing an interception in the first quarter. The Tigers have thrown four interceptions so far this season, and they’ve been fortunate that they haven’t proven too costly. San Jose State only scored three points off Auburn’s two turnovers Saturday, settling for a field goal for a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter despite getting a first-and-goal down at the Tigers’ 1-yard line after Finley’s interception.

Though the turnovers haven’t dinged Auburn too much, they haven’t helped the cause when it comes to turnover margin. Only seven FBS teams have a worse turnover margin than Auburn’s minus-four so far this season: Stanford (minus-seven), New Mexico State (minus-seven in three games), Temple (minus-six), UConn (minus-five), Eastern Michigan (minus-five), Kent State (minus-five) and Navy (minus-five).

“At the end of the day, on defense, the goal is to be a plus-one in turnovers,” Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said. “We’re minus-four in the last two games. When the ball is being thrown, at some point we have to be positioned to make a play. We have to make more plays on the ball than we did. We have to find ways to come down with those 50/50 balls.”

Auburn nearly had its first takeaway of the season in the fourth quarter against San Jose State, when D.J. James was thisclose to coming up with one for the Tigers. He came within inches of picking off Spartans quarterback Chevan Cordeiro on a quick pass to the left sideline late in the game, and then appeared to force a fumble after Cordeiro’s pass was completed, with fellow defensive back Keionte Scott coming up with the recovery on the sideline.

The play was initially ruled a completion and a fumble, though officials said the ball went out of bounds before Scott recovered it, leaving possession with SJSU. Auburn called a timeout to challenge the play, and upon review, the pass was ruled incomplete. James was instead credited with a pass breakup on the play, which Harsin said afterward he agreed was the correct call.

A takeaway will come for Auburn’s defense, eventually, but the lack of turnovers produced is an early concern — especially for a team that recorded just 12 of them last season — as the schedule begins to ramp up. Auburn welcomes Penn State to Jordan-Hare Stadium next weekend, and then the start of SEC play follows that.

“We’ve very motivated,” safety Zion Puckett said. “We worked on that all practice, and we’re going to keep working on it, game after game, week after week, so I feel like that’s something that we’re going to establish and keep growing with.”

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

[Sizzle 3,948]

It’s mostly due to pass rushing. Guys just not getting home. To me it looks like the ends are usually slow off the ball every time in pass rushing situations