Should Auburn Be Concerned about the Defense Following 2015 Spring Game?

Defense doesn't win championships anymore, "just enough defense" does.

Will Muschamp was hired as Auburn's defensive coordinator to help head coach Gus Malzahn break through that glass ceiling and find "just enough."

The Tigers were 13 seconds away from a title two seasons ago despite posting the SEC's third-worst defense (420.7 yards per game), and then stumbled last year when they finished the season with just 21 sacks—fourth-worst in the conference.

Muschamp got his first chance to show fans the new-look defense during Saturday's A-Day game, and the reviews were mixed.

The Tigers second-team defense gave up 252 passing yards to starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson in the first half, and running back "Roc" Thomas sliced and diced the front seven, which suggests that the depth isn't there yet for Muschamp's Tigers.

Spring-game success is always a double-edged sword, because when one unit succeeds, it could be used as an indictment of another.

As Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network and WUMP 730 in Huntsville noted during the game, Muschamp was getting after it up front despite the success of the offense.

That's not the most concerning thing in the world, though.

Muschamp was without stud defensive end Carl Lawson and coaches second-team All-SEC cornerback Jonathan Jones for the spring game, which impacted the depth of both the first- and second-team defenses.

There were still plenty of bright spots for Auburn's defense—particularly up front.

Each unit managed three sacks on the afternoon. Sure, quarterbacks aren't live and sometimes sacks are called when the breeze of a passing defensive lineman hits the quarterback. But defensive end Gimel President and defensive tackle Montravius Adams routinely moved second-string quarterback Sean White off of his point and impacted the pocket.

That's important news for Auburn and will only help once Lawson is at full speed after suffering an ACL injury last year, and stud defensive end Byron Cowart arrives on campus. Great defenses can rotate eight or nine players up front, and Auburn looks like it can do that in 2015.

At the back end, Auburn desperately needs to find a ball-hawking safety that can take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.

Enter: Tray Matthews.

The transfer from Georgia is now eligible after sitting out last year and made his presence felt in the spring game. The Newnan, Georgia, native had five tackles, a forced fumble and an interception in the end zone for the first-team defense, according to stats released by Auburn, earning defensive MVP honors in the process.

Matthews commented on the potential of the 2015 Tigers defense after the game: "It’s scary how much potential this team has. I can’t stress enough the potential of this team. People ask me all the time how I’m doing, and I say, ‘I’m doing great, but I have so many good players around me.’ Our defensive line is awesome. The linebackers have great communication with us."

Auburn's defensive performance in the spring game is best described as either a "work in progress" or "incomplete."

There were plenty of positives that went along with the negatives, and the return of Lawson and Jones—two bona fide stars—certainly will give Muschamp's group a boost during fall camp.

Plus, it's not like Auburn needs to lead the conference in defense. In fact, that's not a goal at all.

"Defensive-wise, I just expect us to be a top-5 defense in the SEC and the nation," Adams said in quotes released by Auburn.

The nation may be a stretch, but the SEC would certainly be "just enough" defense. Auburn hasn't finished in the top half of the conference in total defense since Muschamp's final season of his first stint as defensive coordinator in 2007.

It certainly looks capable of doing that in 2015 once its best players get healthy, and that might be all Auburn needs to reach the College Football Playoff.

 

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.

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