Auburn’s defensive line cemented itself as one of the nation’s elite against Georgia last week, but it’s yet to face a challenge like the Missouri backfield.
In the controversial 20-10 loss to Georgia on Oct. 11, Auburn’s defense held them to just 79 rushing yards, by far the Bulldogs’ lowest total of the season.
For Auburn, it dropped its defense’s per-game total to just 86.5 rush yards allowed per contest, the 11th best in the country.
What the Line Is Facing
Tiger defensive coordinator D. J. Durkin has this line, led by edge rushers Keldric Faulk and Keyron Crawford, firing on all cylinders just in time for their biggest test of the season in the Missouri rushing attack led by running back Ahmad Hardy.
Hardy, a sophomore transfer who racked up over 1300 yards at Louisiana-Monroe as a freshman, has been one of the most impactful transfers in the country this season. Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz’s 16th-ranked Tigers were projected to take a step back this season offensively after they lost a bulk of their offensive firepower to the NFL in the offseason.
Hardy’s Year
The step up in competition for Hardy from the Sun Belt to the SEC hasn’t slowed him down at all. In fact, he’s putting himself firmly in the conversation of being the best running back in the country.
Despite a disappointing performance relative to the rest of his season in Missouri’s loss to Alabama last weekend, where he ran for only 52 yards on 12 attempts, Hardy sits at number two in the FBS in both rushing yards (782) and rushing touchdowns (9) through five games.
He’s shown a rare combination of speed and physicality, with an ability to run both in-and-outside the tackles. With quick feet, he usually makes the first man miss and has the strength to break the second man’s tackle.
Freeze
At his weekly press conference, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was asked by reporters if they felt the need to be more physical than usual this weekend.
”He’s big, strong, a really good running back. One of the better we’ve faced. (Physicality) definitely will be an emphasis. We put an emphasis each week on stopping the run, this is no different, but he is one of the better we’ve faced,” Freeze said.
It’s not just Hardy they need to worry about, either.
His backup, Jamal Roberts, averages 7.3 yards a pop (400 yards on 53 carries), even better than Hardy’s 6.8.
Running the Offense
Penn State transfer quarterback Beau Pribula has fully settled into running the offense this season. In addition to being one of the better passers in the SEC, he can hurt defenses with his legs, too, should a lane open up or the pocket break down.
With some additional yards coming on swing passes and other contributors, Missouri’s offense is currently producing 270.5 rushing yards a game, ranking them just one spot outside the top five nationally.
Durkin has his work cut out for him, namely in sealing the edges, where Hardy is at his best and where Pribula will take off when the pocket breaks down.
Auburn’s Run Defense
Auburn has plenty of capable run defenders, with defensive lineman Keldrick Faulk and Malik Blocton, and linebacker Xavier Atkins all popping on tape against Georgia. Durkin will need to continue to be creative in his scheme to contain the outside run. Stacking the box and continuing to sprinkle in blitzes from the nickel corner spot, which were extremely effective against Georgia, will be paramount in slowing the run game down.
From a Missouri playcalling perspective, a blitz-heavy Auburn defense, coupled with a restless Jordan-Hare crowd, could be a formula for Missouri to lean on its backfield more than usual.
The result should be a chess match between Durkin and Moore, in one of the best positional battles of the season so far.
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