While the two programs, Auburn and Baylor, that will take the field on Friday night in Waco are not plenty familiar with one another – considering this is just the fifth matchup between the two – Auburn’s Hugh Freeze and Baylor’s Dave Aranda know each other well.
Aranda, of course, is known as a defensive savant in the college football world. The sixth-year Baylor head coach is calling plays on the defensive side of the ball for the second consecutive year.
But he’s certainly not a “noobie” to calling plays. Aranda was the defensive coordinator for the 2019 LSU National Championship squad, which allowed just 21.9 points per game. Additionally, in six seasons as a defensive coordinator at Power Four schools from 2014-2019, his defenses were ranked top 12 nationally in total yards on five occasions.
“Yeah, obviously, I've known Dave for years, and we've gone against each other, and I have gone against guys that have come up under him, and have coached with some. It's all about the simulated pressures, and that certainly hasn't changed,” Freeze said of Aranda’s defensive approach.
Baylor returns six starters on the defensive side of the ball from last year. Freeze was quick to point out a handful of potential disrupters for the Bears that could cause problems for Auburn’s offense, including defensive tackle Jackie Marshall, linebackers Keaton Thomas and Matthews Fobbs-White, cornerback Tevin Williams III and safety Devyn Bobby.
Thomas, in particular, is a threat to stop Auburn’s running game – one that is trying to rebound from the loss of the fourth-leading rusher in program history: Jarquez Hunter. He returns in the middle of the defense as one of the top returning tacklers in all of college football with 114 tackles a season ago.
Freeze noted that the standout linebacker looks like a “true SEC type player.”
Additionally, Marshall posted a team-high 28 quarterback pressures last year with seven tackles for loss as a disruptor up front.
“They present a lot of fronts, a lot of movement, and they're very well-coached and disciplined defensively,” said Freeze.
Needless to say, with Auburn seeking improvements on the offensive side of the ball, Baylor presents the Tigers with a tough Week 1 matchup. But Auburn believes it has the talent to win some key matchups, regardless of who lines up in front of it.
“I've been around enough to know when you have enough talent to win games, and we do. We aren't going to run from that,” said Freeze. “Now, we have to go prove that."
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Fox.
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