Ole Miss has a historic rushing day as linebacker woes and early offensive mistakes create the worst case scenario for Auburn’s defense.
It wasn’t quite clear how the linebackers would fare this season with the departure of stalwart Zakoby McClain and steady senior linebacker Chandler Wooten. Owen Pappoe had typically played outside linebacker and spent most of the 2021 season injured. So there were questions about how effective he could be in his 4th year after missing so much time and with a new position coach.
Unfortunately, the doubts about the linebacker position seem to be very well founded. After some early embarrassment against Penn St with tackling and assignment issues, the group hasn’t fared much better since, and an injury to Cam Riley hasn’t helped the situation. Missed tackled and missed assignments continue to plague the group, even as Wesley Steiner appears to be improving his play.
Do we just fundamentally lack talent – specifically in the linebacking core – or have we not found the right combination of guys?
– Ike on The Auburn Express Podcast
Ole Miss was the most successful run team on Auburn’s schedule, so it’s not shocking that they were able to run the ball so well given the Auburn defense’s documented deficiencies. But Arkansas, Alabama, and Texas A&M are no pushovers running the ball. Is there any hope for our run defense improving? Are there unexplored personnel options that can fix the issues?
You can catch more conversations like these from The War Rapport on The Auburn Express Podcast, updated every weekday.
