Auburn football: Smoke Monday, secondary not intimidated by MSU air raid
#16 Auburn football will host the unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs on the Plains this weekend for the last home game before the Iron Bowl. After taking a tough loss to Texas A&M on the road last weekend, the Tigers will be looking to make significant corrections and improvements before taking on the Bulldogs.
Though it’s been six full quarters of football since Auburn football’s offense scored a touchdown, it’s also been six quarters since the Tigers’ defense has allowed an offensive touchdown. Keeping up that streak will get tougher for the defense this week as they prepare to face the third-leading passer in all of college football.
MSU’s sophomore QB Will Rogers is currently passing at 75 percent, going 363-483 for 3,307 yards this season and averaging 367.44 yards per game. But senior defensive back Smoke Monday is not intimidated by Mike Leach’s pass-heavy offense. Instead, he sees it as a chance for Auburn football’s secondary to show why they’re one of the best in the nation:
Monday on the pass-heavy Mississippi State offense: "It's just a chance to show what we've got with our ball skills ... We're just going to prepare ourselves for that type of game"
— Jordan D. Hill (@JordanDavisHill) November 9, 2021
Auburn safety Smoke Monday said facing the Mississippi State Air Raid "is gonna show that we're one of the best secondaries in the country."
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) November 9, 2021
"I feel like we've got one of the best secondaries in the country, so for them to come in and throw the ball fifty times, I feel like it's a chance for us to show our game" -Smoke Monday isn't going to let Will Rogers' completion rate throw off his game.
— Callie Stanford (@Stanford1Callie) November 9, 2021
Monday is the Tigers’ third-leading tackler with 45 total behind linebacker duo Zakoby McClain and Chandler Wooten. Monday has also recorded seven tackles for loss, one sack, and three pass breakups.
Auburn football’s passing defense may have been an issue in the past, but they’re buckling down to prepare for Will Rogers and Mississippi State this weekend in Jordan-Hare Stadium with an 11:00 a.m. kickoff.
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