Auburn's Dorian Mausi after Beating Vanderbilt Everywhere but Scoreboard: 'It Sucked'

Auburn's leading tackler Dorian Mausi is getting tired of winning the box score but losing the game. However he likes what he sees from the young Tigers.

Auburn's defense smothered Vanderbilt in their 17-7 loss. / Austin Perryman, Auburn Tigers

Auburn, Ala. – Dorian Mausi and the Auburn defense played well enough for a win on Saturday holding the Vanderbilt offense to less than 10 completions and also less than 100 yards rushing. But alas, maintaining the theme of 2024 the Tigers couldn’t grind out a win.

“It sucked,” Mausi said. “It sucks to go out there and beat somebody on the stat sheet and not come out with a win.”

A first-year Tiger as a transfer from Duke, Mausi has been a solid pick-up from the transfer portal leading the Auburn defense in tackles with 58 stops – 39 solos and 19 assists – 14 more than the next highest tackler.

Mausi, as a three-down linebacker, was again the leading tackler for Auburn on Saturday with eight as the Tigers contained Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia both in the air and on the ground.

Pavia was 9-22 passing for 143 yards. He had 12 carries for 26 yards as Vandy had just 227 yards total offense.

Pavia was one of five off-season transfers from the New Mexico State team that won at Jordan-Hare Stadium last year, along with offensive coordinator Tim Beck and head coach turned analyst Jerry Kill.

Pavia, tight end Eli Stowers who scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and the other NMSU transfers got to celebrate winning on Pat Dye Field for the second time in 365 days. The Commodores as a team celebrated their first ever victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“The keys to victory for this game were to cage the quarterback, win on third down,” Mausi said. “You have to get off the field early. You can’t let them be on sequence. You’ve got to stop them on first down and second down because you want to leave them with three or four yards a pop then have third and short. Then make a play. That’s how they play football, so you have to keep them in third-and-long situations.”

Mausi and the Auburn defense did exactly that for a majority of the game, but it wasn’t enough. The Auburn offense could only muster seven points on its 327 yards of offense.

All except for a six-play, 81-yard drive in the first quarter and a 14-play, 78-yard drive in the fourth that was extended by a special teams penalty, Mausi and the Tigers defense shut down the Vanderbilt quarterback. Pavia didn’t have a single completion in the second or third quarter. The long run of the day for the ‘Dores was a seven-yard scamper by Pavia.

Auburn won down and distance on first and second down throughout the game. On the 81-yard drive Vanderbilt hit three chunk plays throwing to the backs matched up with Auburn linebackers. And then on the fourth quarter drive, the Tigers finally showed fatigue and struggled to get off the field against the 'Dores' unbalanced sets.

Vanderbilt had a strong edge over Auburn in special teams execution on Saturday, which proved to be the difference combined with the Tigers poor offensive showing.

Auburn, at 3-6, is forcing less than a turnover per game (0.89) this year, and had zero on Saturday. That puts them tied for 105th in the nation in turnovers gained.

“You win games on turnover margin,” Mausi said. “We’ve got to make turnovers on defense, and create turnovers to give the offense possessions. That’s how you win football games, especially in the league right here where the margin for error is so small.”

After the game Mausi was all smiles talking about Auburn’s young talent. On Saturday cornerback Jay Crawford was matched up one-on-one without safety help for much of the afternoon. Demarcus Riddick is playing better and getting more snaps each week at linebacker. Safety Kaleb Harris and ends Malik Blocton and Amaris Williams are continuing to blossom for an Auburn defense that’s allowing just 314.4 yards per game.

“I’ve seen them grow,” Mausi said. “They came in as athletes. They came in just hoopers, really. Just raw talent. Toward the end of the season as it’s been going on I’ve seen them in the film room more. They’ve become more honed in on their assignments. They’ve become really good at knowing down and distance where they can make a play.

“For example, Demarcus, knowing not to back up when he’s a QB spy because the line is going back already, so just stay there, and go make a play,” Mausi added. “Crawford, knowing the down and distance. Knowing when he can make a break on a ball. Knowing when he can make a play and when he has help over the top, everything. They’re just good players.

“When I see the ball go up in the air and I see one-on-one Jay Crawford, I’m like, ‘Okay, we’re good.’ He’s going to make a play. We have confidence in the young guys and that’s something special.”