Auburn Defenders Looking to Make A Difference Against Georgia on Saturday
The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry takes place again this Saturday when the No. Georgia Bulldogs get their first road test in Jordan-Hare stadium to take on the 3-1 Auburn Tigers led by newly hired head coach Hugh Freeze. The Tigers come into the game with a 3-1 record after losing their first SEC West game to Texas A&M last week. Defensively, the Tigers have looked solid and provide a few defenders who could be looking to make a difference against Georgia on Saturday.
Secondary Room
Zac Etheridge and Wesley McGriff have come in and turned their secondary rooms into a turnover and a tackling machine. Etheridge and Donovan Kauffman have been locking down the back end of Auburn's defense, dominating on all levels of the field. Kauffman has picked up 16 total tackles, a sack, and two forced fumbles. McGriff has also gotten his corners into shape with Jaylin Simpson, D.J. James, and Kaylin Lee. Simpson has 13 total tackles, three interceptions, and a fumble recovery, while James has 11 total tackles and an interception, and Lee has picked up ten total tackles and a forced fumble. So far, Beck has thrown one interception, and the Bulldogs have not fumbled the ball at all this season. The Tigers turnover machine will be looking to grow those numbers.
Auburn Tigers linebacker Eugene Asante (9) recovered a fumble and ran the ball in for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Eugene Asante
Eugene Asante is the leading defender on the defensive coordinator's Ron Roberts defense. Asante has 28 total tackles, with 20 of them being solo, two sacks that lost opposing offenses 17 yards, and a fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown. He has helped lead the way to a rushing defense that has given up 627 yards, 91 yards for loss, and only four rushing touchdowns. Kendall Milton will likely see some action this week for Georgia, and Daijun Edwards will continue to see his touches unless he proves otherwise. Seeing how Asante and the Tigers' rushing defense contains Milton and Edwards will be interesting.
Marcus Harris
Jeremy Grant's top defensive lineman is his big-nose tackle, Marcus Harris. The 6' 3" 295-pound DL has been one of the major contributors to the Tigers defense. The third-year transfer from Kansas amassed 20.5 sacks in his first two seasons in the SEC and has added two more to the ledger this year, along with 12 total tackles. Grant's first unit ranks within the top ten tackles for Roberts' defense, but Harris has the only sacks from their unit.
Overall, the Tigers have the 24th-best defense in the NCAA, giving up 1,104 yards, averaging at just under 300 yards per game. The Tigers' defense has only given up 64 points on the season, the highest-scoring game being against Texas A&M, where they lost 27-10, and every other game their opponent scored 14 points or below. Hugh Freeze's defense could provide a serious threat against a Bulldogs offense looking to find their stride.
