'Less is better': Jeff Schmedding, Auburn defense playing 'simple football' moving forward
AUBURN — It couldn’t have been easy for Jeff Schmedding to watch his friends and colleagues fired last Monday, in what turned out to be a wild day about the Auburn football complex.
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Schmedding came to Auburn with former head coach Bryan Harsin. He was the Boise State defensive coordinator for two seasons prior to arriving at Auburn. Following his first season at Auburn coaching linebackers and coordinating the run defense, Schmedding was promoted by Harsin to defensive coordinator.
It was, and is, a major opportunity for Schmedding given to him by Harsin. But on Monday, he watched as Harsin and fellow former Boise State coaches Eric Kiesau and Brad Bedell, plus former Boise State staffers, were relieved of their duties by Auburn’s deputy athletics director Rich McGlynn.
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Schmedding had to wonder if McGlynn was coming to deliver him bad news next, but that news never came. Instead, Schmedding was retained, and on Saturday night in Starkville, helped lead Auburn to one of their better defensive performances of the season.
The strategy was, well, simple.
“Coach Schmedding played a pivotal role in getting that defense ready to play,” Williams said on Monday. “Let’s play simple. This wasn’t the week to put in all types of looks. Let’s play simple football and let’s give these kids a plan. Let’s put them in position where they know the plan and they can execute it.”
And outside of the first quarter, that’s what the Tigers did.
The Tigers surrendered only 26 offensive points in regulation to Mississippi State, holding the Bulldogs to 13 yards rushing, and forcing 24 of Will Rogers’ 42 completions to be completed within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Auburn recorded a season-high five sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
Pro Football Focus gave Auburn’s defense its third-best overall grade of the season (behind only Mercer and San Jose State), second-best tackling grade of the season, and overall best coverage grade of the season. Essentially, according to PFF, it was Auburn’s best defensive game all year. Players with very limited playing time until Saturday night like Jake Levant, Barton Lester, Cayden Bridges, Caleb Wooden and more, played double-digit snaps. It was all hands on deck for the Tigers’ defense.
“That was Auburn football. That was Auburn defense,” Williams said. “What we lack in numbers and talent, we can make that up in effort, in being precise and disciplined. The defense, they did that. They flew to the ball, they were relentless, they played together and did their job.”
It was also the first time since Harsin was hired that the Tigers’ defense had forced three or more turnovers.
“To me right now, less is better,” Williams said. “We need to play with effort, play relentless, fight until the end. Right now, over the x’s and o’s, that’s more important. These kids know football, know our system, not much has changed, but I want less, so guys can play faster and react. We can adjust from there.”
