Auburn Defense Rebounds in 21-15 Win Over Vanderbilt
The short version
- Auburn beat Vanderbilt 21-15 at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 26.
- The Tigers held Vanderbilt to one touchdown, 112 rushing yards and 4-of-17 on third down.
- Vanderbilt won time of possession 37:28 to 22:32; Auburn's defense played 75 snaps.
- Jared Curtis went 5-for-12 for 48 yards in the fourth quarter after a strong start.
- Auburn's next six games include four road games and five ranked opponents.
A week after allowing Florida to score on eight of 11 drives, Auburn held Vanderbilt to one touchdown in a 21-15 SEC win at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 26.
Auburn picked up a 21-15 win over Vanderbilt at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 26, with head coach Alex Golesh calling it a "gutsy" defensive effort. The victory came one week after the Tigers' SEC-opening loss to Florida, in which the Gators scored on eight of their 11 possessions.
Auburn's defense had been regarded as the team's strength since defensive coordinator DJ Durkin joined Hugh Freeze's staff in 2024, making the Florida performance an outlier. Florida, which went on to beat a top-five opponent the following week, ran the ball effectively against the Tigers in that game.
Against Vanderbilt, Auburn's defense was described as dependable rather than dominant. The Commodores managed just one touchdown and were held to 112 rushing yards, an average of 2.7 yards per carry. Running back Sedrick Alexander and the Vanderbilt ground game never got on track.
Vanderbilt freshman quarterback Jared Curtis, a former five-star recruit who had helped the Commodores rally against NC State the previous week, completed two-thirds of his passes and rushed for 46 yards. He entered the fourth quarter 17-for-22 passing for 151 yards but went just 5-for-12 for 48 yards in the final period as Auburn prevented him from heating up late.
Auburn defensive lineman Cody Sigler said the key was containment. "At the beginning of the game, I felt like we weren't keeping him in the pocket as much and forcing him to make some throws," Sigler said. "When we kept him in the pocket, I feel like we did a great job of it."
Time of possession remained a problem. Vanderbilt held the ball for 37:28 to Auburn's 22:32, and Auburn's defense logged 75 snaps. Entering the week, no SEC defense had played more snaps than Auburn's 233 through three games. Five of Vanderbilt's final eight possessions lasted at least three minutes, including back-to-back drives to open the second half that consumed more than 15 combined minutes.
Still, Vanderbilt scored on only four of its 11 possessions and went 4-for-17 on third down, an improvement from the 7-for-15 Auburn allowed to Florida. Defensive back Sylvester Smith-Reed described it as bend-but-don't-break defense, with the Tigers standing tall near the goal line and settling for field goals. Vanderbilt did go 4-for-5 on fourth down, including 4-for-4 in the second half.
Golesh said afterward that there is plenty to improve on, with Auburn facing a difficult schedule ahead. The next six games include four road trips and five ranked opponents, and Golesh noted the upcoming challenge of facing another young, mobile quarterback who, in his words, "can make every throw."
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