What a wacky game that was in Manhattan last Thursday.
For starters, Nick Marshall and Cameron Artis-Payne were never able to get the engine started on Gus Malzahn’s Hurry Up, No Huddle. The Tigers’ 20 points were the fewest points Auburn has scored under Malzahn.
If you’d told me before the game that Kansas State would hold Auburn to just 128 rushing yards, I’d have fully expected the Tigers to leave Manhattan with a L.
But lo and behold, Auburn’s oft-maligned defense came to the rescue, holding Jake Waters and the Wildcats to 40 rushing yards on 30 attempts and bailing the offense out of a rare poor performance.
The Tiger defense wasn’t perfect by any means, with a lack of pass rush often forcing the secondary into extended periods of coverage, but it’s hard to argue with the results.
While the secondary certainly hasn’t been a strength this year, it’s taken a major step forward in takeaways, picking off six passes already.
The group was a concern moving into the season after the loss of Chris Davis, Ryan White and Ryan Smith, and their replacements, a group of inexperienced, occasionally out of position starters, raised even more questions.
But, at least so far, the secondary has held their own, raising hopes that defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson’s scheme may finally be taking root. All despite a number of contributors playing foreign positions in 2014…
Trovon Reed
Position Change: Wide receiver to cornerback
Reed was a bit of a disappointment in his time at wide receiver considering the ratings out of high school.
The senior from Louisiana was widely considered a five-star athlete and one of the top receivers in the class, but that failed to translate to the SEC, where he caught just one touchdown pass in three years.
He’s been given new life, however, in his move to cornerback, a position Reed said he wanted to play out of high school.
His fourth quarter interception against Kansas State made it back-to-back games with an interception for the senior, who has been visibly growing into the position this season.
Reed still has a long way to go before becoming a consistently reliable option at defensive back, but as he told me after Kansas State, he’s just glad to be having fun again.
Johnathan ‘Rudy’ Ford
Position Change: Running back to safety
Another former offensive player, Ford made the switch from running back to safety in 2013 after being surpassed on the depth chart by the likes of Tre Mason Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant.
Ford still saw a little time in the backfield, but the move has become permanent in 2014. Similar to Reed, Rudy is still learning a number of the intricacies of the position, but is showing signs of improvement.
Ford grabbed his first career interception late in Auburn’s 59-13 victory over San Jose State and has shown fearlessness in laying down hits.
It’s still too soon to say whether the move was a success, but the early returns have been good for Ford who, as just a sophomore, has plenty of time to become a long-term contributor.
Josh Holsey
Position Change: Cornerback to safety to cornerback to safety…
I know, Holsey is a defensive back by trade.
The junior played corner in high school and was a starter at safety last fall before tearing his ACL.
But even though Holsey isn’t exactly playing out of position, the versatility and system knowledge required to play both positions is significant. And Holsey hasn’t just played those positions, he’s excelled.
His 11 tackle performance against Kansas State earned Holsey SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors in his first game back field safety.
Sure the junior was burned for a touchdown against San Jose State, but the versatility Holsey brings to the table is almost inexpendable, no matter where he’s lined up.
Robenson Therezie
Position Change: High school safety to “Star” linebacker
Again, it’s not as dramatic a change as Reed and Ford underwent, but Therezie’s move from pure corner to “Star” linebacker has been nothing short of a home run.
The team’s defensive MVP and interception leader in 2013, Therezie is a critical component in the 4-2-5 situation, as much for his run coverage as his pass.
While his ball skills and coverage are impressive, the senior is a ferocious tackler, as TJ Yeldon came to learn on the goal line in last year’s Iron Bowl. Plays, such as this one below, have become a common sight for SEC offenses running against “Cadillac” Therezie.
