AUBURN — Winning in the trenches is key to any team’s success.
Hugh Freeze knows that to succeed in the SEC, you’ve got to have some guys who can compete with the best of the best, especially along the lines of scrimmage.
Heading into week one unsure of what the offensive line rotation was going to look like, specifically along the left side, Freeze came away impressed with how the guys up front played on Saturday.
“I thought it was solid. I thought we protected well, kept the quarterback clean and the run game was efficient,” Freeze said. “I thought Percy’s (Lewis) snaps were really good. Tyler (Johnson) made a few MA’s, but overall I thought he was pretty solid. So, good to see both of them play well.”
The offensive line room, which started rotating early in the game, didn’t allow a single quarterback pressure in the contest. According to PFF, the unit earned a 94.1 pass-blocking grade.
Freeze mentioned weeks ago that it would take a few games into the season to solidify a starting five along the offensive line with Tyler Johnson and Percy Lewis still battling it out for the left tackle spot.
On the other side of things, the defensive line play was stout in week one, contributing in a performance where the defense only allowed 38 yards rushing. Freeze and defensive line coach Vontrell-King Williams added a lot of experience and depth this offseason to go along with the young talent in the room.
“Rotated a lot of guys in there and thought they were solid against the run. We didn’t crush the pocket quite as well,” Freeze said. “We didn’t call too many pressures early on, and they were getting rid of the ball pretty fast. So, it wasn’t as bad as maybe I felt postgame, but I thought the inside guys played really well.”
After holding out Isaiah Raikes with a nagging ankle injury, the group helped pave the way for 11 tackles for loss and three sacks on Saturday night against the Alabama A&M offense.
“I continue to see six or seven guys in there. I hope,” Freeze said on rotation in that room.
The Tigers will need the improved play on both lines of scrimmage to continue as competition ramps up, beginning with ACC foe Cal on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN2.
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