The Auburn Tigers will spend Week 6 away from the gridiron and rest before resuming their brutal October schedule that features three teams ranked in the top 11 of the latest US LBM Coaches Poll, with two of those games being played away from Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Auburn football enters its bye week with a 3-2 record, most recently losing to No. 14 Tennessee, 24-14, in Neyland Stadium last Saturday, dropping its SEC record to 1-2, and will look to right the ship before playing its final seven regular season games.
Through five games, linebacker Elijah Melendez leads the team in tackles with 43 and is tied with fellow linebacker Xavier Atkins in sacks with three. Andre Jordan Jr. remains the team's leader in interceptions with two, both coming in Auburn's
Week 2 win over Southern Miss. Four others have logged interceptions this season, and Melendez has swatted a team-leading four passes.
As a team, how does Auburn football's defense stack up against the rest of the SEC? Here is where Auburn ranks in several major defensive categories through five games.
Yards per game allowed: No. 12
Auburn football is one of 11 teams that allow over 300 yards per game, at 357.2. Its best performance of the year came in Week 2 against Southern Miss, when Auburn only allowed the Golden Eagles to gain just 211 yards.
Here are the top five defenses in the SEC according to yards allowed per game:
- LSU (220.6 YPG)
- Oklahoma (238.0 YPG)
- Georgia (244.6 YPG)
- Texas (271.0 YPG)
- Tennessee (294.8 YPG)
Passing yards allowed per game: No. 8
This stat may be a surprise to some, but Auburn is in the middle of the pack among its SEC counterparts in defending the pass. Auburn ranks No. 8 in the SEC by allowing 208.2 yards through the air, which is better than the likes of Ole Miss, Missouri, Kentucky, Alabama, and Florida.
Here are the top five pass defenses in the SEC:
- Oklahoma (122.5 YPG)
- LSU (162.2 YPG)
- Tennessee (162.6 YPG)
- Texas (171.8 YPG)
- Georgia (187.2 YPG)
Rushing yards per game: No. 15
The SEC as a whole has been great at stopping the run through five weeks, which justifies Auburn's low ranking. Auburn's defense has allowed 745 yards through five games, which averages 149 yards per game. Auburn allows 45.8 yards less per game than the last-place team, Ole Miss.
Here are the top five defenses in the SEC at stopping the run
- Georgia (57.4 YPG)
- LSU (58.4 YPG)
- Alabama (78.6 YPG)
- Missouri (88.6 YPG)
- Texas (99.3 YPG)
Points allowed per game: No. 9
The top team in the SEC, Texas, gives up 13.3 points per game, which is just over a touchdown less than Auburn's 21.4 points allowed. Auburn is one of 10 SEC teams that allow opponents to score over 20 points per game.
Here are the toughest defenses in the SEC to score on
- Texas (13.3 PPG)
- Georgia (13.4 PPG)
- LSU (15.2 PPG)
- Tennessee (15.2 PPG)
- Oklahoma (16.0 PPG)
Sacks: No. 6
The Tigers are tied with Vanderbilt and Florida, recording 14 sacks through five games. Xavier Atkins and Elijah Melendez lead the way with three each, followed by Walter Mathis and Da'Shawn Womack with two each.
Here are the top five teams in the SEC with the most sacks
- Tennessee (23)
- LSU (22)
- Alabama (16)
- Texas (15)
- Missouri (15)
Interceptions: No. 2
Auburn is among the SEC's best at picking off the quarterback. Their six interceptions are tied with LSU and Kentucky for second-best in the conference and trail Alabama for the top spot. Andre Jordan Jr. leads the way with two interceptions, with Jared Smith, Xavier Atkins, Da'shawn Womack, and Sylvester Smith-Reed all snagging one.
SEC's interception leaders:
- Alabama (8)
- Auburn (6)
- LSU (6)
- Kentucky (6)
- Tennessee (5)
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Where Auburn's defense ranks in the SEC after five games
