Home / Sports / Auburn's defense: The cure for Golesh's past woes?
Auburn's defense: The cure for Golesh's past woes?
7 Jul
Summary
- Auburn's strong returning defense mitigates concerns from Golesh's 2025 loss.
- USF's defense struggled significantly against Navy's offense in 2025.
- Auburn's kicker has a perfect PAT record, unlike USF's missed attempt.
Concerns surrounding new Auburn head coach Alex Golesh's past performance, specifically a 2025 41-38 loss to Navy, are being reassessed with a focus on the Auburn Tigers' strengths. The article suggests that Auburn fans need not worry excessively, primarily due to the significant difference in defensive capabilities between that USF team and the current Auburn squad.
Auburn is poised to field a formidable defense in 2026, with most key contributors returning. This established unit, which consistently kept games competitive, is expected to perform at a high level under defensive coordinator DJ Durkin. This is in stark contrast to the 2025 USF defense, which struggled immensely, allowing over 330 rushing yards and numerous big plays to Navy, including an 82-yard pass that was Navy's longest in nearly 16 years.
Furthermore, special teams performance also favors Auburn. While USF's kicker missed a critical point-after attempt late in the 2025 game, Auburn's kicker, Alex McPherson, boasts a perfect career record for extra points. This reliability in clutch moments should alleviate pressure on Golesh's offense, which, despite strong individual performances from quarterback Byrum Brown and promising plays from other players, had scoring lapses in the first half of the Navy game.
