The Auburn Tigers have what is, in all likelihood, the most difficult matchup of their season coming up this Saturday, as Alex Golesh will take his Tigers to Athens for the very first time. The Georgia Bulldogs are the No. 1 team in the country after Texas lost to Oklahoma last week, and they are certainly not looking to give up that honor anytime soon.
The Tigers now stand in their way, but they’ll have to do so without Xavier Atkins, a junior who has been one of the Tigers’ top linebackers over the past two seasons. Atkins was suspended from the team for the Georgia game for a reason Golesh would not disclose, leaving a gaping hole in DJ Durkin’s defensive front.
So, who steps up in his stead? These three defensive Tigers, in my opinion, have the best chance to not only make up for the loss of Atkins, but also to have a significant impact on the outcome of the game.
Elijah Melendez - Linebacker
With Atkins by the wayside for the time being, the pressure to perform now falls squarely on the shoulders of Melendez, who is a sophomore this year. Melendez is no stranger to the spotlight; after all, he currently leads the team or ties for the lead in most defensive stats amidst a stellar breakout sophomore season.
Without Atkins, though, Melendez’s job gets quite a bit harder. Sure, he will have the help of De’Marcus Riddick and Bryce Deas in the midfield, but replacing an All-American is never an easy task. Georgia will likely target the Tigers’ linebackers in their offensive game plan, so the group will need to step up if they want to keep the Bulldogs in check.
Eric Winters - Safety
Winters had a marquee moment with his game-saving tackle against Baylor, evidence that he can, and will, show up in the biggest of moments. Since then, he has continued to produce, ranking third on the Tigers in terms of total and solo tackles and has even forced a fumble.
The Tigers will need that gutsy level of play this weekend against the country’s premier team, and Winters has shown, in spades, that he is able to rise to the occasion, ending plays as soon as they get to him. Additionally, he has proven to be a great weapon in the secondary, limiting receivers across the board, regardless of program or prestige.
Winters is also a sophomore, meaning the Tigers will be leaning heavily on young talent this weekend against the Bulldogs. We’ll see how it pays off.
Cody Sigler - Defensive Tackle
The Tigers have struggled to contain the run against some of the SEC’s stronger teams, like Florida and Tennessee, and it is imperative that they contain Georgia if they want to walk out of Athens with a win. The Bulldogs are battered in the rushing attack, so they’ll likely be leaning heavily on Dwight Phillips Jr., who managed 120 yards against Alabama on just 17 carries.
If Phillips wants a repeat of last week, he’ll first have to get through Sigler, who is one of the better run stoppers in the SEC. Auburn’s rush defense has proven that it can live and die by Sigler; when he’s on, the Tigers are tough to break through, but when he’s off, chunk plays abound.
A big game from Sigler, alongside Melendez and Winters, could see the Bulldogs limited in many aspects of their offense, which would put the pressure on the offense to keep up with what Kirby Smart’s group is able to produce. Though that may not be exactly where the Tigers want to be at this point in the season, if there were ever a path to winning this game, it would be that way.
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