Auburn Defense Shines, Win Over Mississippi State Secures Bowl Berth

The Auburn Tigers picked up their second win in a row this Saturday, traveling to Starkville and taking down the native Mississippi State Bulldogs 41-9, a win that improved the group to 6-4 on the season and 4-4 in the SEC. Forty-one points is the most the Tigers have scored in a game this season, a big step for Alex Golesh and the team.

The win locks up bowl eligibility for the Tigers, marking this team as the first Tiger squad to do so since 2023, a strong sign that the Tigers are trending in the right direction under Alex Golesh, who will look to further his team’s two-game winning streak next week against Samford.

The Tigers have struggled to get things going in early-game situations all season without a boost from their defense, and this week’s matchup was no exception, as the Tigers went three-and-out on their first drive of the game, marking the 10th straight game in which they have been unable to score on their opening drive.

Those struggles didn’t last long, though, as the Tigers quickly sprang to life with help from their defense. In fact, all three of the Tigers’ first-half touchdowns came courtesy of a forced fumble from the Tigers’ defense, as Darrion Smith, Shadarius Toodle and Nate Johnson each forced fumbles that the Tigers were able to recover and punch in.

In total, the Tigers forced five fumbles throughout the first half, scoring on all four of their recoveries, including the aforementioned three touchdowns as well as an Alex McPherson field goal to close the half with a 20-point lead, the Tigers’ best lead through a half this season.

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The Tigers found a bit of stand-alone offensive momentum in the second half, as after an obligatory three-and-out to open the half, Byrum Brown connected with Chas Nimrod for a stellar 35-yard touchdown to extend the Tigers’ lead to 27, before connecting with Keshaun Singleton on the following drive for a 42-yard touchdown.

After a successful Tiger goal-line stand on fourth down, Omar Mabson was tackled in the end zone for a Bulldog safety, before a 10-yard Hudson Kaak punt put the Bulldogs deep into Auburn territory. Despite a push from the Bulldogs, the Tigers held strong at the goal line yet again, marking their third fourth-down stop of the day, before running out the clock to end the contest.

Throughout the game, the Bulldogs struggled to find an answer for the Tigers’ defensive line, and though Jeff Lebby tried three different quarterbacks over the course of the match, the Tigers were consistently able to create pressure, sacking the Bulldogs’ quarterbacks on seven different occasions, while holding a strong Bulldog rushing offense to just 46 total yards.

Shadarius Toodle, last week’s SEC Freshman of the Week, showed up in a big way for the Tigers for the second week in a row, totaling a team-high 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble.

Despite an early tip-ball interception, Byrum Brown settled in well this week, completing 19 of his 26 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 39 yards and a touchdown. His four touchdowns are the most he’s managed in a single game since the Tigers’ matchup with Florida in Week 3.

Up next for the Tigers is their at-home finale against Samford, before heading to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide to wrap up the season.

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