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Auburn’s defense was supposed to get better in 2015 under the leadership of Will Muschamp. It hasn’t. Granted, the kind of improvements the Tigers want takes time, but it’s undeniably discouraging when your ninth-ranked defense last year is now ranked dead last in the conference.
Contributing to the problem has been Auburn’s secondary, which have been put on blast due to a lack of effective pass rush from the defensive line. The Tigers’ pass defense currently ranks 11th in the conference, allowing an average of 230.7 passing yards a game.
But remember that this is the part of the defense that looked shaky from the start. A grand total of five players who were part of the Auburn secondary in 2014 transferred away from the program during the offseason. That kind of situation puts any defensive coordinator in a tough place.
Luckily, however, Auburn also gained two big-time transfers in the secondary. Tray Matthews came to Auburn from Georgia in 2014, where he sat out the season under NCAA transfer rules. Blake Countess was a graduate transfer from Michigan. Both of them were desperately needed in fill out Auburn’s otherwise thin secondary.
So what has their impact been on this less-than-stellar defense? For starters, both of them have managed to stay relatively healthy in the face of many Auburn injuries. Joshua Holsey is out for the remainder of the season, and T.J. Davis is still questionable, having missed the past four games. By default, these injuries put more weight on Matthews and Countess’ shoulders.
However, the numbers also show that both players are doing their part as a member of the secondary. Countess is tied for second in passes defended. He also ranks third in solo tackles, below Johnathan Ford and Jonathan Jones, both leaders of the defense and expected to perform at a high level. Tray Matthews accounts for one of six Auburn interceptions on the year, returning it for 35 yards. He also ranks sixth in total tackles.
Auburn should be thankful to have Countess and Matthews in Tiger uniforms, but the team has many tough games of football still ahead. This very weekend the Auburn secondary faces Chad Kelly and Laquon Treadwell, a dangerous duo that’s difficult for anyone to guard against. In the face of opponents like this, Countess and Matthews’ positive contribution to the team may still not be enough to guarantee Auburn doesn’t end the season in embarrassment.
Christine Wang is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. She covers Auburn, Arkansas and Ole Miss.
