The Auburn Tigers’ defense put up an incredibly strong showing against Georgia last week, forcing three turnovers over the course of the game, including a fumble that sealed one of the biggest wins in program history.
They will need to keep up that pace, though, as the Tigers are scheduled to take on the No. 18 LSU Tigers, who are hot off a 31-0 win over Mississippi State, this weekend. Though LSU has not won an away game this season, the Tigers will still need to play at the top of their game if they want to take down Lane Kiffin’s squad.
Of course, any Tiger could be a difference-maker on Pat Dye Field tomorrow, but these three defensive players seem to be in the best position to dictate the flow of the game.
Elijah Melendez - Linebacker
Without Xavier Atkins, who was dismissed from the team earlier this week, the weight of Auburn’s linebacker core falls nearly squarely on Melendez, who has already been having the best season of any player on the Tigers’ defense.
The sophomore currently leads the Tigers in total tackles, solo tackles, pass deflections, sacks and a host of other stats, though, as always, he’ll have a clean slate as the Tigers take on LSU, and expectations for his production have only grown over the course of the season.
Melendez has proven to be a significant threat to opposing offenses throughout the year, but LSU presents a new series of challenges. If Melendez can adjust himself and his defense well over the course of the game, though, the visiting Tigers should quickly understand how this defense was able to contain Georgia.
Da’Shawn Womack - Edge Rusher
Pressure is the name of the game when playing against quarterbacks like Sam Leavitt, and Womack, a former five-star, has all the pieces to make Leavitt’s life quite difficult this coming Saturday. So far, Womack has totaled just two sacks this season to complement his 11 total tackles, and it feels like a big-time performance is on the horizon for the senior.
If Womack, along with the rest of the Tigers’ defensive line, can keep consistent pressure on Leavitt, they should be able to force some mistakes from the first-year LSU transfer quarterback. After all, Leavitt has thrown eight interceptions this season, and the Tigers have shown they perform quite well when holding a positive turnover differential.
Cody Sigler - Defensive Line
To force Leavitt into uncomfortable situations, though, the Tigers will first need to contain their rushing attack. Against Georgia, the Tigers contained several different types of rushers as the Dawgs tried to find an attack that worked, but in the end, the Dawgs were forced to rely on their passing attack, which, when pressured, ultimately cost them the game.
The Tigers’ path to beating LSU likely looks quite similar–contain the rush, force Leavitt into uncomfortable situations and take advantage of mistakes. Few players have contained the rush better than Sigler this year, and he’ll need another hallmark performance if the Tigers are to take down Kiffin’s squad.
Plus, once Sigler has contained the rush, he’s also proven to be an effective pass-rusher, which would create even more discomfort for the LSU offense. It’ll be a tall order to stop LSU’s offense entirely, but keeping it limited starts with Sigler and the Tiger trenches.
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