Auburn’s defense faced an early test against Mercer, giving up two quick touchdowns that put the Tigers in an unexpected hole. But after a fiery halftime speech from head coach DJ Durkin, the defense came out with renewed focus and intensity, completely shutting down the Bears in the second half.
“Really none of it I can repeat,” defensive lineman Jay Hardy said. “We usually listen to what he says and how he says it. That helps us a lot. It kind of geared us up, put a little fire in us. It made us all mad just like him.” Hardy, a senior, added, “I think we all just played to the standard. That was one of the key elements to win this game — our standard, our speed. Not like playing down to competition, that's probably how we started off. We already knew that this is what we want to be, and if we want to get ready to win an SEC game next week we have to step it up.”
The Tigers’ second-half performance was dominant across the board. Mercer managed just 113 total yards on 37 plays, averaging only 3.1 yards per snap, while Auburn racked up 209 yards on just 21 plays, scoring 27 unanswered points. The defense limited Mercer to 2.1 yards per carry on 22 rush attempts, forced two turnovers, and recorded two sacks. Third-down efficiency was also key, with Mercer converting only 20 percent, and Auburn shutting them out entirely on fourth-down attempts.
Senior linebacker Chris Murray highlighted the value of leadership and resilience in moments like these.
“Anybody could just think, ‘Oh, my goodness, we’re playing an FCS team,’ but we show up the next day and go to work," he said. "That shows we’re a great group of guys.”
That mindset, shared across Auburn’s defensive unit, allowed the Tigers to reset and execute a near-flawless second half.
Durkin praised the team’s response, noting the discipline it took to turn the game around.
“We demand a lot of them, and they always respond," he said. "Through the first half, some things weren’t right, but they came together and played a complete game in the second half. We shut them out. I thought we played much better defense and executed in all three phases.”