(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect) Christian Rauh Mon, October 26, 2026 at 7:07 AM UTC · 2 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Auburn Tigers defense had arguably its worst performance of the season in Saturday's 38-17 loss to LSU at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
They allowed 552 total yards, including 387 through the air, as Sam Leavitt and the LSU offense had their way with Auburn's secondary. But one of the biggest questions coming out of the loss is why Auburn didn't make more personnel adjustments defensively.
Especially considering how the coaching staff handled mistakes on the offensive side of the football.
Auburn's secondary struggled all afternoon.
LSU wide receiver Jackson Harris finished with nine receptions for 178 yards and two touchdowns.
Andre Jordan Jr. had a difficult afternoon in coverage, while the Tigers also struggled with assignments and tackling in the secondary. After being successful, especially as a boundary defender against Georgia a week ago, he struggled mightily against LSU. He allowed 10 receptions on 10 targets, 100% of the passes thrown his way were caught by LSU receivers, for a total of 114 yards.
One of the biggest plays came after Auburn safety Eric Winters left the game with an injury.
AnQuon Fegans entered the contest and missed his coverage assignment as the helping safety, allowing Harris to score on a 70-yard touchdown reception.
And while mistakes are going to happen, Auburn continued to struggle without finding an answer.
That's where some questions about the coaching staff come into play.
Auburn has other defensive backs on its roster, including Gavin Jenkins, who earlier this offseason Alex Golesh stated is an NFL-caliber corner. However, he isn't getting any reps.
Yet the Tigers continued relying on the same players while LSU consistently found success throwing the football. The fact they didn't at least try different combinations, even when the game was out of reach is certainly head scratching.
And that's interesting considering what happened with Auburn running back Jeremiah Cobb.
Cobb reportedly missed a blitz pickup during the contest and was subsequently held out for three consecutive offensive series.
That's a significant consequence for one mistake.
But on the defensive side of the football, Auburn had players repeatedly struggling in coverage without seeing similar changes. There's certainly a difference between missing an assignment and simply getting beaten by a talented opponent.
When LSU is consistently finding open receivers, shouldn't Auburn at least consider trying something different?
Auburn's defensive coordinator has now watched his unit struggle against multiple SEC opponents this season.
And Saturday was arguably the most concerning performance yet.
The Tigers couldn't consistently pressure Leavitt, struggled to tackle in open space, and allowed too many explosive plays.
Auburn has shown that it can compete with some of the best teams in college football.
But the loss to LSU showed that the coaching staff still has plenty to figure out.
And that includes knowing when it's time to make a change.
Source: Sports
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