Improved Defense Gives Auburn Big Momentum Heading into LSU Matchup

AUBURN, Ala. — Through their first four games of the 2014 season, it's safe to say the Auburn Tigers offense doesn't have quite the same efficiency it had toward the end of 2013.

But as the nation's No. 5 team heads into a brutal SEC slate, there should be no reason to panic, thanks to the play of its defense.

Yes, the Auburn defense—a unit that has received plenty of criticism over the last several seasons, even when the Tigers were national title contenders—is playing some of its best football at the moment.

"Coach said if we came to play, it’s our time to make a statement," freshman linebacker Tre' Williams said after Auburn's 45-17 win against Louisiana Tech on Saturday. "Nobody really talks about the defense in the last few years. It’s about that time for people to start saying that defense is a prime thing for Auburn."

Opponent	Passing Yards	Rushing Yards	Points Allowed	Takeaways
vs. Arkansas	175	153	21	1
vs. San Jose State	254	65	13	3
at Kansas State	245	40	14	3
vs. Louisiana Tech	216	105	17	2

After allowing just 285 yards and 14 points away from home to a ranked Kansas State team, the Tigers, followed it up on homecoming Saturday by holding Louisiana Tech to only 321 total yards.

Opponents are averaging 313 yards of total offense and 16 points against Auburn this season, which is only 66 yards and six points more than the team's best defensive performance against a power-conference team in 2013.

Members of Auburn's defense said they feel like the unit is hitting its stride at the right time—right before the Tigers face six straight opponents who are currently ranked in the Top 25.

"I really think we're getting better on the defensive side," sophomore defensive tackle Montravius Adams said. "Of course, we've got to keep doing that every day and every practice."

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With 45 points and 473 yards against Louisiana Tech, Auburn's offense rebounded from a rough game against Kansas State, but the unit still disappointed with several three-and-outs.

While the offense continues to work out the kinks, senior running back Corey Grant noted just how valuable the defense's play this season is to everyone on the team.

"It helps us out and gives us motivation," Grant said. "They've done their job, so we've got to step up and do ours. If one end of the team is holding their job up, the other side has to do it as well."

The Auburn defense did more than just motivate its offense Saturday—it opened the door for two easy first-half touchdowns.

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The Tigers' defensive line got great penetration early against the Louisiana Tech offensive line and swatted down several of quarterback Cody Sokol's passes.

"We were playing our backfield," head coach Gus Malzahn said. "We batted a couple of balls down so that was big...Our defensive line really set the tone, playing the backfield early."

Adams took advantage of one of those tipped passes by coming down with what he called "the first interception of [his] life." The 305-pound defensive tackle then rumbled up the sideline and was five yards short of getting a pick-six.

"Lately, [defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson] has been talking about turnovers," Adams said. "This game I thought we did well with that. That’s what we came in to do, to capitalize on mistakes."

The Tigers also forced a fumble late in the second quarter. Cornerback Jonathan Jones stripped the ball away from a Bulldog receiver on a third-down conversion attempt, and Adams landed on the ball to complete an incredible first-half performance.

A few plays later, quarterback Nick Marshall took advantage of the great field position with a 37-yard touchdown pass to receiver Quan Bray.

Grant said Auburn fans can expect to see that same synergy between the offense and the defense as the season goes on, with each side playing off the performance of the other.

"I think we started off slow but as the game went on, we picked it up as an offense and defense," Grant said. "We came together and played as a team."

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Both sides of the ball were bit by the injury bug. Starting middle linebacker Cassanova McKinzy and weak-side linebacker Kris Frost left the game early, while Adams missed a stretch of time with a leg issue.

But even with the setbacks, Auburn's defense showed an impressive amount of depth against the Bulldogs, plugging in key reserves and freshmen to sustain momentum—something that has been a problem for the unit in recent years.

"We have a balanced rotation at practice," senior cornerback Jonathon Mincy said. "Everybody knows what they are doing. Everyone is keyed into their assignment, whether they are a starter or not. Everyone takes part of their assignments and just goes out there and plays."

As Auburn's playmakers keep working back to their old ways on offense, they are confident in the play of their teammates on defense.

The Tigers have shown great improvement and depth through the first four games of the season, and they believe it has only just begun heading into the toughest part of their schedule.

"They've come very far," Grant said. "And they've got a ton of room to improve. That's the scary thing about it. They get better every week."

All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports. All stats courtesy of CFBStats.com.

Justin Ferguson is Bleacher Report's lead Auburn writer. Follow him on Twitter @JFergusonAU.