Alex Golesh Breaks Auburn's Down Week 2 Offensive Line Performance: ‘Cleaned Up’

The Auburn Tigers have built a roster chock-full of talent and impact players, but one area of their depth chart has been shrouded in mystery for some time now: the offensive line. Even after two games, many are not sure what to think of the unit, which is due in large part to the heavy rotation the Tigers are utilizing in the interior.

The Tigers currently rotate three players at each guard position while keeping their tackles and center consistent, which has led to a fair bit of inconsistency in the blocking game. Certain players, like Kail Ellis and Deryc Plazz, have shown out when the opportunity presented itself, but others have struggled in the spotlight.

On Monday, after the Southern Miss game, head coach Alex Golesh broke down his thoughts on the offensive line as he works to solidify a consistent starting five.

“A lot was cleaned up,” he said. “Obviously a little bit different up front and a unique challenge of preparing for that game, like I mentioned earlier in the week, because you really didn't know totally what you were going to get. They did a good job adjusting... We got Wilson [Zierer] in there, got Jack Leyrer in there, rotated some guys and rotated in and out. Those guys played hard, they were physical.”

However, like in spring camp, fall camp and the matchup against Baylor, Golesh was not completely satisfied with his offensive line’s output, though he noted that there will always be something to focus on. Most notably for the offensive line, a long Byrum Brown rushing touchdown was erased by a holding call, and the Tigers’ quarterback did not find the end zone on a rush again in that matchup.

“There's still some stuff to clean up as there always will be in the protection world… Those are technique and fundamental things that I was frustrated with. There were a handful of those; there were a handful on the perimeter, but to me, that's when you get out of position, your feet aren't right and then you feel like you have to lean, hold and grab. That's what I was frustrated about.”

So, as always, there are things to be proud of and things to work on, but the time for experimentation appears to have come to an end, as on Saturday, the Jon Sumrall-led Florida Gators come to town, and they’re not known for letting opponents’ mistakes slide.

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