Alex Golesh in Mobile: Auburn Has ‘a Ton to Get Better At’ Before Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss

MOBILE, Ala. — Auburn head coach Alex Golesh told a Mobile audience Monday night that his Tigers have “a ton to get better at” as they use an open week to regroup before a brutal stretch of the Southeastern Conference schedule. Golesh was the guest speaker at the 68 Ventures Bowl’s 1st and 10 club meeting, two days after Auburn’s 24-14 loss at Tennessee.

Before his address, Golesh took questions on the Tennessee film, his first season on the Plains, quarterback Byrum Brown, Saraland product Deshaun Spencer, recruiting in Mobile and the upcoming trip to Georgia.

Alex Golesh in Mobile: Where Auburn Stands

The loss at then-No. 17 Tennessee on Saturday dropped Auburn to 3-2 overall and 1-2 against SEC opponents. It was also the first game of a four-game run against ranked opponents. Tennessee moved up to No. 15 after beating Auburn, and the next three opponents are all ranked in the Top 10:

• Oct. 17: at No. 2 Georgia
• Oct. 24: vs. No. 10 LSU
• Oct. 31: at No. 9 Ole Miss

Auburn is off this week before heading to Georgia.

‘A Ton to Get Better At’ After Tennessee

Asked what stood out on the Tennessee film, Golesh started with the road crowd at Neyland Stadium and his offense’s slow start.

“Yeah, there’s a ton to get better at. First thing that stands out, obviously handling the crowd noise would be a big piece of it. I thought we had a great plan going in (at Tennessee). That was a huge piece of the first half of that game where it took us a minute to get settled in and it took us a minute to get out of first and 15.”

He said improving efficiency on early downs is a priority during the bye week. Defensively, Golesh said Auburn played well enough to win early in the third quarter and early in the fourth, but struggled when Tennessee went to bigger, 12-personnel formations — one running back and two tight ends.

“We didn’t fit things 100% the way you need to,” he said. “So I’d say that’s a good starting point. It’s going to continue to be that way as we get ready to play Georgia.”

He tied both issues to the road ahead: “Crowd noise will be a factor. Being able to stop the run in the bigger sets will be a factor. Really, this league as we go, both of those things will be a piece of it. So we’ve got a lot to clean up there.”

Laying a ‘Year 1’ Foundation

Golesh, in his first season at Auburn after coaching South Florida, pushed back gently on the idea that the open week is a chance to breathe. “Yeah, I don’t know about the breath part,” he said.

What he is proud of, he said, is the culture he believes has taken hold — players who are bought in, play hard snap to snap, communicate at a league level and play with urgency.

“As many times as I’ve been through these ‘Year 1s,’ that’s usually the hardest piece is, can you lay a true foundation for how you play? Talked so much in the offseason about laying an identity for what this program is going to be. Kids play hard. Kids are bought in. They’re urgent.”

He was also clear about what is missing. “Now, there’s so much detail and development that’s got to happen for us to take this somewhere we’ve got to go,” Golesh said. “Need more detail. Need more, certainly, schematically, we’ve got to continue to grow into what we want to be.” Still, he said, the effort shows up on film, “and I’m the biggest critic of ourselves. That’s the piece I’m proud of right now.”

Becoming an ‘Auburn Man’

Auburn has played four of its five games in front of friendly crowds — one in Atlanta and three at home. Golesh said the Atlanta game felt like a home game, and described playing in a sold-out stadium in front of “a fan base that’s as eager to go win as any I’ve been a part of.”

He referenced the familiar Auburn saying, “if you love Auburn, Auburn will love you back,” and said he has tried to invest in the community and the university.

“That reception has been awesome,” Golesh said. “I try to stay off social media, so I don’t know the general reception out there, but hopefully what people are seeing is a team that’s working their tails off to continue to get better every single week.”

Byrum Brown: ‘His Best Football … Is Ahead of Him’

On quarterback Byrum Brown, Golesh said he has continued to evolve within the system. He pointed to growth as a mid-range passer, in adjusting to the pass rush and in creating with his feet, while noting Brown would acknowledge he needs to be more accurate throwing on the run.

“But he’s done some really, really positive things,” Golesh said. “He’s continued to get better every single week. I think he’s adjusting to the speed of it all. I think his best football here is ahead of him.”

Saraland’s Deshaun Spencer Earning Trust as a Freshman

Asked about freshman Deshaun Spencer, a product of Saraland, Golesh praised his work ethic and the winning background he brought from one of the state’s most successful high school programs.

“Deshaun’s been a pleasure, just the work ethic. For a guy that has come in as a freshman, obviously coming from a program like Saraland where he knew what it took to win — that’s such a huge part of our recruiting right now, is we want to take guys that are coming from programs where they know how to win.”

Golesh said Spencer has worked hard to learn the system and develop physically and has “made some big, big plays in some big moments.” He added that Spencer’s best football is ahead of him — “and not in the sense of next year” — and that he has continued to earn playing time, including on special teams.

“He’s a guy that the quarterbacks trust. He’s a guy that we trust as a staff, and that’s a lot as a freshman in this league,” Golesh said. “I’m so excited for what the future holds for him.”

‘Who Can Own Mobile?’ Recruiting the Port City

Golesh was asked about Mobile-area talent, with the question naming Bryce Cain, “the Toodle boys” and D.J. Broughton. He said the area has produced great players for programs all over the country and that his staff has made it a priority.

“There’s some guys that in this class that we’re really excited about. This has been a huge point of emphasis for us. I spent a lot of time here in January. Our staff has spent a lot of time here through the spring. These guys are tough. They’re hard-nosed. And forever it’s been, ‘man, who can own Mobile?’ We’ve poured a lot of time into making sure that we’re in every single fight with these kids here.”

Next Up: Georgia

Asked what it will take to turn the Georgia rivalry back in Auburn’s direction, Golesh kept it short: “Yeah, a lot of work. A lot of work.”

He described the Bulldogs as “incredibly physical, incredibly detailed,” and said little has changed schematically since he last game-planned against them in 2022, when he was offensive coordinator at Tennessee.

“Big, physical, can run. And that’s at all three levels,” he said of Georgia’s defense. On offense, he noted a veteran quarterback “that’s been there, done that.”

“That’s the battle you’re fighting is a team that knows who they are, a team that knows if they have deficiencies what those deficiencies are, and there aren’t very many. And we’re a team that’s figuring that out as we go. So that’s the challenge is can you create enough plays on both sides of the ball to make sure that you’re in it in the fourth quarter.”

Would a win in Athens help recruiting?

Auburn has long recruited heavily in Georgia. Asked whether a strong showing against the Bulldogs could pay off on the recruiting trail, Golesh said relationships matter more than any single result.

“I don’t know if one game has an outcome. It certainly would help (to) say, ‘man, like we beat those guys,’” he said. He credited Georgia coach Kirby Smart with doing “an incredible job over the years of establishing who they are and what they are,” and said every head-to-head recruiting battle with Georgia is “gloves off.”

About the 1st and 10 Club

The 1st and 10 club is a speaker series hosted by the 68 Ventures Bowl, the postseason college football game played in Mobile at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the University of South Alabama campus. The club’s meetings bring coaches and football figures to town to speak to local fans and supporters.

Key Dates for Auburn

• This week: Open date
• Oct. 17: at Georgia
• Oct. 24: vs. LSU
• Oct. 31: at Ole Miss