SEC Football: The Most Valuable Player for Each Team in 2015
Nov 30, 2013; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers defensive end Carl Lawson (55) reacts after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide during the fourth quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. Auburn Tigers won 34-28. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
RELATED: Auburn Season Preview and Prediction
Nothing worked, and Auburn’s lack of a consistent pass rush was a big reason the Tigers ranked No. 13 out of 14 SEC teams in pass defense during the regular season and allowed 31 points or more in a school record seven consecutive games against FBS opponents. Johnson was fired following a 55-44 loss to Alabama in the Iron Bowl – a game in which the Crimson Tide racked up 538 yards of total offense.
Back in the lineup and fully healthy, Lawson is the most important member of new Auburn DC Will Muschamp’s defensive unit. The former Florida head coach is expected to use Lawson as the “Buck” hybrid defensive end/linebacker in Muschamp’s multiple 4-3 defense, much like he did with Dante Fowler, Jr. in recent seasons.
Lawson’s talent is on par with Fowler’s – who recorded 8.5 sacks in 2014 and became the third overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft – so the setup should help the Tigers rebound defensively.
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Carl Lawson
Defensive End, Auburn
You want to know how important Carl Lawson is to the Auburn defense? Ask former Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson.
Lawson tore his ACL last spring and didn’t appear in a single game for the Tigers last year. With a 6-foot-2, 261-pound hole missing at defensive end, Johnson tried to rotate defensive tackles outside, insert unheralded backups in Lawson’s place and shifted linebackers to end in obvious pass rushing situations.
RELATED: Auburn Season Preview and Prediction
Nothing worked, and Auburn’s lack of a consistent pass rush was a big reason the Tigers ranked No. 13 out of 14 SEC teams in pass defense during the regular season and allowed 31 points or more in a school record seven consecutive games against FBS opponents. Johnson was fired following a 55-44 loss to Alabama in the Iron Bowl – a game in which the Crimson Tide racked up 538 yards of total offense.
Back in the lineup and fully healthy, Lawson is the most important member of new Auburn DC Will Muschamp’s defensive unit. The former Florida head coach is expected to use Lawson as the “Buck” hybrid defensive end/linebacker in Muschamp’s multiple 4-3 defense, much like he did with Dante Fowler, Jr. in recent seasons.
Lawson’s talent is on par with Fowler’s – who recorded 8.5 sacks in 2014 and became the third overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft – so the setup should help the Tigers rebound defensively.
Next: Georgia