Auburn football opened the Alex Golesh era with a clutch 17-16 win over the Baylor Bears on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on the heels of several clutch defensive plays.
Auburn made adjustments in the second half, which limited Baylor to converting just 7-of-22 opportunities on 3rd down and limiting the Bears to just three red zone trips. The key players from the Tigers defense on Saturday were a pair of sophomores, Elijah Melendez and Eric Winters, who were No. 1 and No. 2 in tackles for the day.
The duo, who were roommates as freshmen, are each other’s biggest fans and fed off each other’s energy throughout the game. When one needed lifting up, the other is always there.
“That’s one of my best friends on the team,” Saturday’s hero Eric Winters said postgame of his teammate, Elijah Melendez. “We have great chemistry, I am literally his biggest fan. If he’s got no fans, I’m his fan, and vise versa. I’m just proud of him.”
Several others joined Melendez and Winters as key players in Auburn’s win. Here is a look at who our Auburn Wire staff, as well as Auburn fans, picked for their “Tigers of the Game” in Auburn’s 17-16 win over Baylor on Saturday.
Taylor Jones: Elijah Melendez
The biggest storyline regarding Auburn linebacker Elijah Melendez this offseason was his time in the weight room. Melendez added muscle, and it could be seen during Auburn’s 17-16 win. The Tigers’ sophomore linebacker led the team in tackles with 12 total.
Phillip Jordan: Xavier Atkins
Auburn’s leading tackler from last season got off to another great start on Saturday. He made five total tackles, but he ended the game with two tackles for loss, which was tied with the hero of the game, Eric Winters, for the most on the Tigers’ defense.
Jac Myrick: Jared Smith
EDGE rushers are usually judged by how many times they can pressure the opposing quarterback or by how many stops they get behind the line of scrimmage. Smith’s game against Baylor, however, will be remembered by how much he aggrevated DJ Lagway in other ways. Smith logged Lagway’s lone interception of the game in the 1st quarter.
Fan vote: Eric Winters
Auburn fans have spoken and have chosen Eric Winters as their “Tiger of the Game” in Auburn’s 17-16 win over Baylor on Saturday. Winters earned XX% of the vote and beat out the likes of Elijah Melendez, Byrum Brown, and Keshaun Singleton for the honor.
To have a say in who wins next week’s “Tiger of the Game,” head over to Auburn Wire on X to cast your vote.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Tigers of the Game: Defense wins leather helmets
