Alex Golesh Previews Auburn’s Upcoming Matchup with Vanderbilt

The Auburn Tigers did not exactly have the statement game they were hoping for against the Florida Gators this past weekend, but they will still have a chance to send a message to the rest of the league this Saturday as the Vanderbilt Commodores come to town.

The Commodores are coming off a miraculous win against NC State, in which Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey attempted to run out the clock on a safety but fumbled, resulting in one of the craziest finishes we’ve ever seen.

🚨 VANDERBILT WALK-OFF FUMBLE RECOVERY IN THE END ZONE

NC STATE FUMBLED WHILE RUNNING OUT THE CLOCK 😳 pic.twitter.com/TrahtvSGmG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 19, 2026

Now, they will have to contend with the Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium. On Monday, Auburn head coach Alex Golesh took to the stand to let the media know his thoughts on the Tennessee-native program.

“Undefeated team, league game,” he said. “A team that's playing with a freshman quarterback who's playing really well, coming off a big win on Saturday night at home. Again, offensively similar to what we just saw. Multiple in every imaginable way of personnel, formationally, tempo, using it in and out.”

The Commodores switched from quarterback Blaze Berlowitz to true freshman Jared Curtis in Week 2 against Delaware, and Curtis is now expected to make the start against the Tigers. As it stands, the true freshman has passed for 547 yards across two games, including four touchdowns and two interceptions.

After the Tigers’ slow offensive start against their first SEC foe, though, Golesh is already preparing for the ‘multiplicity’ of the Commodores’ defense, as he put it.

“Defensively, they present a ton of challenges,” he said. “They try to dictate the flow of the game, and they've done that here through these first three weeks. It'll be a big challenge for us to, one, be ready for as much pressure as they bring and the multiplicity of what they do defensively. And then we've got to go find ways to go get first downs really early in the game.”

The Tigers will certainly be looking to improve from the -3 offensive yards they put up in the first quarter of the Florida game, though many Tiger fans are now more concerned about the defense than the offense, a surprising sight when compared to Tiger teams of the past few seasons.

The Tigers won’t have too much time to dwell on the loss, though, as the Vanderbilt matchup is looming large on the horizon. As it stands, kickoff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. CT and is set to be broadcast on SEC Network.

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