Auburn FootballWednesday, November 4
Auburn's defense has given up more yards than any SEC team heading into Arkansas
The Auburn Morning News team
If you're headed to Jordan-Hare on Saturday, you'll see a defense with something to prove. Heading into the final month, no SEC defense has given up as many yards as Auburn, and the Tigers haven't finished last in the conference in total defense since 1996. Kickoff against Arkansas is 11:45 a.m. on SEC Network.
Total yards aren't the best measure, since pace of play skews them. Per play and per game, the Tigers land in the middle of the SEC, but both are slips from a defense that ranked sixth and seventh there last season.
Auburn's defense has dropped in four national rankings since last season
National rank, lower is better
Source: The Auburn Observer
View as table
| Last season | 2026 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rush defense | 6 | 55 | +817% |
| 3rd-down D | 36 | 100 | +178% |
| Sacks per game | 31 | 63 | +103% |
| Red zone D | 105 | 133 | +27% |
“Biggest thing is finishing, that's our biggest thing.”
- SP+ defense: No. 16 last season, No. 42 for 2026
- Six of the last nine Power 4 games: more than 435 yards allowed
- Previous 18 Power 4 games: that happened three times
Auburn's defense sits mid-pack per play and per game
- 10th
- in yards allowed per play among 16 SEC defenses
- 12th
- in points allowed per game among SEC defenses
- 1996
- the last time Auburn finished last in SEC total defense
Source: The Auburn Observer
Opelika-Auburn News says inconsistency was the theme of Monday's press conferences, and AL.com reports a senior leader called Alex Golesh "the right man for the job".
Sources: The Auburn Observer, Opelika-Auburn News, AL.com, Fly War Eagle