At last, Auburn’s defense is whole again.
For the first time since the Penn State game in Week 3, Auburn’s defense was at full strength on Saturday against Ole Miss as two key starters returning to the fold. Owen Pappoe returned from a leg injury that sidelined him for four-plus games, while T.D. Moultry returned following a three-game absence.
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It couldn’t have come at a better time for Auburn, which was tasked with its most difficult challenge to date: slowing down Ole Miss’ high-octane offense.
“It was great having OP back,” cornerback Roger McCreary said. “He made big plays out there. It just feels like that was the missing piece of our defense. So, when he came out there and made plays, I feel like we just fed off that energy… and having T.D. back too, I feel like that was a huge piece to our defense. So, I feel like that was the reason why our defense was successful today.”
Pappoe and Moultry provided some extra oomph to the Tigers’ defense in the 31-20 win against the 10th-ranked Rebels. Pappoe, one of the team’s two permanent captains, finished with five tackles, including one for a loss as he returned to the starting lineup alongside Chandler Wooten and Zakoby McClain. Moultry chipped in with two tackles in his return to action, rotating in off the edge behind Northwestern transfer Eku Leota.
The two pitched in as Auburn’s defense answered the call against Ole Miss. The Tigers held the Rebels to their lowest-scoring total of the Lane Kiffin era, their second-worst rushing performance of the season and arguably the worst game of the year for quarterback Matt Corral, who entered the game as a top contender for the Heisman.
Ole Miss mustered just 20 points in Jordan-Hare Stadium, including a lone field goal in the second half. The Rebels finished with just 157 rushing yards after entering the game with the nation’s No. 3 rushing attack (and the best by a non-service academy offense). Corral completed just 21-of-37 passes (56.8 percent) for 289 yards, no touchdowns and just his second interception of the season.
Pappoe helped anchor a linebacker corps that accounted for 24 tackles, including three for a loss, as McClain finished with a game-high 14 tackles and two sacks, while Wooten had five stops, including one behind the line of scrimmage.
“It was great to have Owen back,” Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said. “That showed up… Those three guys in the middle, that’s really where it’s at. You’ve got to be able to stop the run inside, and those guys did that. They played well. I mean, that’s a group, talking about out there just having some fun throughout the game in a good way. Like, they’re playing hard, they’re getting after it, they’re making plays.
“You know, there was, between the three of them too, I think there was a good edge with that group as far as getting into this game and having Owen back and those three guys playing kind of like we had at the beginning of the year. It showed up well tonight throughout the course of the game.”
Pappoe’s return was weeks in the making, with Harsin touting a similar line leading up to each of Auburn’s past few games, repeatedly saying he was hopeful the junior linebacker would return. The bye week afforded Pappoe with some additional time to recover and get right, and while Harsin remained optimistic about his return, he did not tip his hand about the three-year starter’s availability until just before kickoff, when Pappoe was announced as a starter at linebacker.
Moultry’s return, meanwhile, was more sudden. He had been unavailable for Auburn since the start of SEC play, not traveling with the team to LSU or Arkansas.
A source confirmed to AL.com on Saturday afternoon that Moultry’s reported eligibility issues were resolved and that he was expected to be available against the Rebels. While he didn’t start, he did see the field for the first time since the Georgia State game, contributing to the rotation off the edge as the Tigers did their best to bottle up Corral and the Rebels’ explosive offense.
McClain said getting Moultry back was “shocking” to everyone.
“We didn’t think it was ever going to happen,” McClain said. “It feels amazing, because T.D., he’s going to make some plays. I just love to have T.D. back.”
As McCreary noted, Pappoe and Moultry provided Auburn’s defense with the missing pieces to its defensive puzzle.
“It feels amazing,” McClain said. “Owen, he’s a good leader, and he brings the juice out there. He’s just always excited. He always brings a lot of energy.”
Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.
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