What changed for Auburn's defense after the first quarter? “We had to secure our jobs”

After Kentucky scored on each of its first two drives, there was a deflating feeling in the air about Auburn's defense.

The Tigers had given up 10 quick points to an offense that had yet to score more than 20 points in a Southeastern Conference game, and it seemed like things could only get worse.

However, after Auburn ended the first quarter trailing by 10, things began to click for the defense. Kentucky didn't score another point in the final three quarters and gained just 109 yards.

What has changed for Auburn's defense?

“There were a few mental mistakes and a few things we really had to tighten up on,” defensive end Keldric Faulk said after the game. “We do really well when we focus on what we’re supposed to do.”

Faulk and other Auburn players attributed the first quarter problems to mental errors and missed tackles. Some of these were obvious, but Kentucky's early success was due in no small part to wide receiver Dane Key.

Key is Kentucky's leading receiver this season, catching passes of 21 and 34 yards on the first two drives, with both catches barely covered.

Auburn began to apply more and more pressure after those drives and Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff never seemed comfortable. He seemed to be affected by pressure on almost every dropback, and the most notable miss was an interception caught by Jay Crawford.

Vandagriff shared snaps with dual-threat quarterback Gavin Wimsatt in the first half, but after a difficult second quarter, Kentucky relied entirely on Wimsatt in the second half.

Auburn maintained its success for much of the second half, achieving a total of 22 pressures in the game. Jalen McLeod took the lead with four chips, but he, Faulk and Keyron Crawford kept disrupting the pocket.

“They can’t block our D-line. Hardly anyone in the country can do that, blocking them 1-on-1,” linebacker Dorian Mausi Jr. said after the game. “J-Mac, Keldric, the D-tackles…they just make plays.”

The back end was also solid, outscoring Kentucky twice, with the second drive sealing the game on a goal line. Both Kayin Lee and Crawford played well on the outside and grabbed Auburn's two interceptions.

Crawford's play was one of the stories of the season for Auburn, impressing as one of the many freshmen to get playing time. According to Pro Football Focus, he had an 87.9 coverage grade and allowed just two catches for 25 yards on six targets.

“I won’t call myself a newbie. I consider myself a sophomore,” Crawford said. “We’ve already played eight games? I just feel like it will be better for me next year knowing I have a lot more experience than a lot of people.”

While all the numbers look good, the nicest part of Auburn's defense's performance was that it was rewarded. The unit is no stranger to the offense blowing great defensive plays, but Jarquez Hunter's 278 rushing yards prevented that from happening against Kentucky.

It's a performance Auburn hopes to repeat when it returns home for the first time in over a month and faces a Vanderbilt team that is tricky at worst and dangerously good at best.

“The hope is that you win one along the way and that boosts your confidence for next time,” Hugh Freeze said. “Because with the teams we play against, it doesn’t get any easier.”

Peter Rauterkus reports on Auburn Sports AL.com. You can follow him on X below @peter_rauterkus or send him an email at [email protected]M