The Auburn Tigers opened their 2026 season against the Baylor Bears last weekend, and it was far from a cupcake game. The Bears had a new quarterback and played at a high tempo, running nearly 100 plays on Saturday.
Still, the Auburn defense stayed locked in until the very last play of the game, which ended up being the one that won them the game. Eric Winters' goal line tackle kept the Bears out of the endzone for a two point conversion to win the game, something a worn out defense would not have been able to execute.
On the other side of the ball, Head Coach Alex Golesh and Offensive Coordinator Joel Gordon have spent the whole offseason emphasizing their intentions to run a high tempo offense. According to defensive lineman Dallas Walker IV, spending significant time practicing against such a speedy offense was key in preparing the defense to take on Baylor in week one.
"I mean, we go against them every day when it comes to tempo, so I feel like every day we just get a good feel for getting lined up, getting our eyes at the correct spot," Walker said. "I credit the offense for helping us get in shape and get ready for the opposing tempo."
Cornerback Rayshawn Pleasant echoed Walker's statement.
"We've been seeing it since spring," Pleasant said. "Going against them each and every day has been way harder, and then the game was just a breeze."
The Tigers' defense held the Bears' offense to 436 yards and only 2.3 yards per carry.
"Everybody played really hard, like with good effort," Walker said. "I feel like we had some good plays, there was some bad plays, but I feel like effort cleaned up a lot of the tiny mistakes."
Auburn football will return to action this weekend in their home opener against Southern Miss in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
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