When the Auburn Tigers return home this weekend to face No. 17 LSU, it will be a matchup of two coaches who know each other well.
D.J. Durkin served as Lane Kiffin's defensive coordinator at Ole Miss in 2020 and 2021. Both seasons, the defense finished near the bottom of the SEC in most categories. Those Ole Miss teams slanted more on the offensive side in Kiffin's early years in Oxford. Durkin left after the 2021 season to become the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M. He stayed in College Station for two seasons before joining the Tigers coaching staff in 2024.
Despite the lack of statistical success at Ole Miss, Durkin knows what to expect from a Lane Kiffin offense.
“They have a unique style in terms of their tempo, and it definitely puts stress
on a defense. They do a really good job within their tempo of the multiple formations and motions," Durkin said Monday. "A lot of times, tempo teams kind of keep it basic because they’re trying to go fast, line up and roll, but I think they have a good mix of both. Lane (Kiffin) and Charlie (Weis Jr.) and his guys understand defense, so they do things for a reason. They can identify and know what you’re doing and have ways to attack it. They present a unique challenge, for sure," he continued.
An advantage the Auburn defense will have going into Saturday's game is that they're used to practicing against the Tigers' tempo. A huge key to success against LSU will be creating pressure on quarterback Sam Leavitt. He has shown he loses his fundamentals when pressured. His eight interceptions are a direct result.
Auburn and LSU renew their rivalry on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: D.J. Durkin details the 'unique challenge' LSU's offense presents
