In a recent Bryan Matthews column, he mentioned Auburn's relative, long-term paucity of five-star signees in positions beyond the defensive line. It's a salient observation and there's a reason it exists. Mainly because Auburn's modern football legacy was revamped by a head coach who believed in building his stalwart defenses from the trenches outward.
Pat Dye went hard after kids who could dominate up front. It started early in his regime but maybe reached its apex in his squads of the late 1980s. Auburn often enjoyed a DL rotation as good as any squad in the nation, with second-stringers who could have started on most other teams. The team featured below was the first of what were likely Dye's best two defenses during his Auburn era. It is obvious when watching the footage how much of it was built around the Tigers' ability to control the line of scrimmage with just four men. Paired with a group of head-hunting ballhawks in the secondary and it adds to a huge headache for opponents.
Pat Dye went hard after kids who could dominate up front. It started early in his regime but maybe reached its apex in his squads of the late 1980s. Auburn often enjoyed a DL rotation as good as any squad in the nation, with second-stringers who could have started on most other teams. The team featured below was the first of what were likely Dye's best two defenses during his Auburn era. It is obvious when watching the footage how much of it was built around the Tigers' ability to control the line of scrimmage with just four men. Paired with a group of head-hunting ballhawks in the secondary and it adds to a huge headache for opponents.
