Auburn Offensive Lineman Speaks on Baylor Game: ‘Unacceptable’

The Auburn Tigers barely survived their season opener against the Baylor Bears this past Saturday, and transfer senior offensive lineman Jo Simmons was not pleased with the way his unit operated in the matchup. On Tuesday, the Tigers’ starting left tackle took to the media to express exactly where his displeasure stemmed from.

“If the quarterback is on the ground, that’s on us,” he said. “Five sacks is unacceptable.”

Indeed, Byrum Brown was sacked five times throughout the game and did not even crack 30 total rushing yards throughout the game, a stark departure from the dominant numbers he typically put up last season at USF. However, the offensive line is clearly still in development, as for the Baylor game, three players were slated to rotate at each of the guard positions, a trend that will continue into the Tigers’ matchup with Southern Mississippi.

As with much of the Tigers’ offense at this point in the season, Alex Golesh is still working out the kinks in the trenches, but a lot can be learned from the Baylor game, especially on the offensive line. Certain players, like Deryc Plazz and Kail Ellis, showed that they deserve more playing time throughout the season, while others made a case for the bench.

So, it is difficult to blame Auburn’s linemen for struggling in a clearly developmental period, and though some fans have argued that the Tigers should already have their trenches figured out, Golesh is clearly working at his own pace as he works to build the best team he can.

However, there is a time limit on how long Golesh has to work on his offensive line, at least in theory, as the Tigers are slated to face the Florida Gators, their closest projected matchup of the season, per ESPN’s FPI, in week three. Florida, especially under Jon Sumrall, is looking quite strong so far in the season, and the Tigers will need to be fully ready for that matchup.

If the Tigers can get their offensive line in proper working order, much can be expected to improve over the course of the season, including their rushing attack, which looked flat against Baylor but should develop some depth that will make the Tigers quite hard to defend, especially with so many talented rushers on the roster.

Additionally, Brown should have to scramble less than he did against Baylor; as good as Brown is at salvaging plays, the opportunity to spend more time in the pocket or make a confident decision to rush should improve the Tigers’ offense dramatically.

So, for now, much rests on the offensive line, but if Golesh continues working in the right direction, things should improve on the Plains before long.

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