As Auburn prepares for its fourth top-10 matchup of the season, the pressure is on for the offense.
“We know the defense is going to show up, and they're going to show out like always,” wide receiver Seth Williams said. “They're going to be lights out.”
Now, the offense just needs to execute, Williams said.
Except for a slow start against Oregon, the defense had strong games in the last four games against ranked opponents.
It held Oregon to 4-of-14 on third down conversions and Texas A&M to 56 rushing yards. Auburn forced four turnovers against Florida, and it held LSU to less than half of its average points per game.
Meanwhile, the offense played ok against Texas A&M and Oregon but struggled against Florida and LSU, which made the difference. Auburn went 2-2, with the two losses in the games the offense struggled the most.
In each of those games, the defense took equal blame for the losses.
“We did good. We did good,” safety Jeremiah Dinson said after LSU. “But we still lost, so it really doesn't matter.”
“Nobody's fault,” defensive tackle Derrick Brown said.
While the defense is careful not to lay blame, the offense is more aware of the discrepancy between how it plays and how the defense plays. After the Florida loss where Auburn failed to capitalize on four takeaways, Brown said “it is what it is” while Williams said it was “devastating.”
The constant support from the defense has lifted the offense — both on the field by helping win games and off the field by keeping morale up.
“We feed off our defense a lot,” left guard Marquel Harrell said. “Man, those guys always bring great energy. And we just want to play at the level they’re at.”
Harrell feels the offense has gotten better each game. The games they struggled are a part of that learning process. Having been through the fire four times, there will be less of a shock factor, coach Gus Malzahn said. Quarterback Bo Nix agreed, saying he’ll be more prepared for Georgia having played LSU and Florida in enemy territory.
Even so, Georgia’s defense will be the biggest test yet. Its rushing defense is ranked four in the nation and first in the SEC. Its passing defense is also in the top three in the SEC.
That’s a good thing, though, Williams said. Auburn wants to play tough teams.
“It's a chance to show how good of an offense we are,” Williams said. “And that even though we had a couple bad games, we still have a chance to prove ourselves as an offense.”
They’ve had a bye week to prepare for Georgia, and they’re ready and excited. As long as they stick to their fundamentals, do what they’re coached to do and play the “Auburn way,” they’ll be good.
But still...
“The pressure is there,” Harrell said. “You know, like, ‘Get to it.’ ”