Giving up chunk plays may be a concern for Auburn football in 2022

The Penn State and Mississippi State games from 2021 are probably going to haunt Auburn fans for a while. Both for the same reason.

Auburn didn't blow a massive lead against the Nittany Lions. But what they did do was give up several chunk pass plays, and it absolutely killed the Tigers when they needed a stop.

They did, however, give up a 28-3 lead (which sports fans have learned is NEVER safe) to the Bulldogs, completely falling apart in the secondary with no answers.

Giving up chunk plays was a problem last season. Could it be an issue this year?

Check out our stat of the day.

Stat of the day

Auburn gave up 4.61 plays of 20+ yards per game in 2021, which was 80th nationally.

The Tigers were 86th nationally in plays of 10+ yards allowed (185, 14.2 per game).

What it means

Auburn's defensive scheme appeared to be a work in progress last season.

After operating primarily in a 4-3 man-to-man scheme for several years under Kevin Steele, the Tigers switched to a 3-4 scheme with a lot of zone coverage looks. The adjustment for Auburn's personnel was rocky at times.

This season, Auburn should be able to limit opponents from creating explosive plays, which in turn will allow the defense to get off of the field.

If the Tigers can do so, their defense should be pretty stout. Auburn was 24th nationally in red zone touchdown percentage (51%). They bent, but they usually didn't break. When they did, it was outside of the redone. Stopping opponents from getting there to begin with will go a long way for Jeff Schmedding's defense.