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Auburn Football: Muschamp Will Make Best Use of His Players on Defense

By Nicholas Ian Allen

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The Auburn Tigers are in desperate need of a defensive turnaround under new coordinator Will Muschamp. Fortunately for Auburn football fans, Coach Boom has a terrific track record, which includes making the best use of his players.

Looking ahead to the 2015 season, new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is the most important addition to the Auburn football program.

Despite not winning enough games as the head coach at Florida to keep his job, Muschamp is a defensive mastermind and top-notch recruiter that should pay big dividends in his third tour on the Auburn coaching staff. Expectations are already sky high.

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“We just hired the best defensive coach in college football,” head coach Gus Malzahn said following the 34-31 Outback Bowl loss to Wisconsin. “And he’s going to get our defense going 100 percent.”

Auburn was pretty bad on defense in 2014. The Tigers allowed 398.8 yards per game, which ranked 64th nationally. Auburn was equally bad against the run (168.8 yards per game, 67th nationally), as they were against the pass (230.1 yards per game, 68th overall).

With the help of an explosive offense, the Tigers managed to win eight wins. With an improved defense, Auburn should have a better chance for success in 2015.

On the other hand, Florida won seven games in 2014 (five before Muschamp was relieved of his head coaching duties). Unfortunately for Muschamp, his Gators struggled mightily on offense.

However, Florida allowed only 311 total yards per game in the 2014 regular season, which ranked in the nation’s top ten. Muschamp’s 2013 Gators defense ranked eighth in the country with 314 yards per game, and he had a top-15 unit every season he was in Gainesville. Overall, in 12 seasons as a head coach or defensive coordinator, ten of his units have ranked in the top ten nationally.

Part of his success comes from the talent he recruited to Gainesville (and Austin and Baton Rouge, and yes, Auburn). The rest comes from what Will Muschamp does with that talent.

Oct 12, 2013; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp against the LSU Tigers during the first half of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Muschamp has a history of being creative when it comes to utilizing his best players. In fact, it may have been his decision to move Jonathan Bullard around the defensive line that led to Leon Orr jumping on a Greyhound bus in Nashville.

Bullard, a talented junior that considered turning pro after the 2014 season, played in all 12 games for the Gators in 2014. He saw extended time at a variety of positions, including defensive end, defensive tackle and nose guard because Muschamp wanted to get his best players on the field at the same time.

Bullard had 52 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks and two pass breakups for Florida in 2014, and the Gators were at their best defensively when he, Bryan Cox, Jr., Darious Cummings, and Dante Fowler, Jr. were on the field together.

Therefore, Muschamp found ways to implement the four players – three of which were traditionally defensive ends – in his multiple 4-3 defense. As part of that strategy, Fowler was also utilized him in a variety of ways.

“I think we have a special rusher in Dante,” Muschamp said in the spring of 2014 when describing how he intended to create more quarterback pressure for the Gators. “There’s no doubt about that. So you build off that. You find different ways to create some situations for him. …

Muschamp succeeded in putting more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. After finishing 11th in the SEC with 1.6 sacks per game in 2013 (19 total), the Gators had 30 sacks in 12 games in 2014 (2.5 per contest).

Coach Boom found ways to put Fowler in a position to record 60 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks this season. By contrast, Auburn’s best combination of TFLs and sacks came from junior linebacker Kris Frost with ten and 3.5, respectively.

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    • “You find out where you’re going to get the matchups on him, whether it’s inside or outside. We started the latter part of the (2013) season – actually against Florida State we put him at nose guard to get him in a one-on-one matchup. Those are things you do with a special rusher and then you build off of that.”

    The next Dante Fowler, Jr. may very well be Carl Lawson – arguably Auburn’s most talented defensive player who missed the entire 2014 season wit a torn ACL.

    Lawson, who will be a third-year sophomore in 2015, is expected to play the “Buck” in Muschamp’s defense next season, but is sure to be utilized elsewhere when a matchup presents itself.

    The same can be said for Frost, fellow linebacker Cassanova McKinzy (who had 11 TFLs and two sacks in 2014) and defensive lineman Montravius Adams – who saw time at both end and defensive tackle in 2014. In fact, Adams – though roughly 30 pounds heavier – could be used in a similar manner to Bullard.

    It’s too early to tell in what positions exactly everyone will end up in 2015 (though we’ll continue to make projections), but rest assured that Will Muschamp and his defensive coaching staff will make the best use of the talent at their disposal.

    Next: Coaching Staff Update: Michael Barrow a LB Coach Candidate?

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