AUBURN, Ala. — With 13 days until kickoff against Baylor in the Aflac Kickoff Game, Auburn head coach Alex Golesh is putting the Tigers through a mock game week. While preparation is the focus, Golesh says Auburn's biggest challenge isn't effort or leadership. It's experience.
In his first year leading Auburn, Golesh is using a dress rehearsal week to get the team in the mindset for game time.
“This week is just the focus piece, the ability to eliminate distractions, the ability to lock in,” Golesh said.
The mock week will allow Auburn to gauge the situational demands of a Saturday game.
“We're treating Saturday as if we're playing. We’ll finish the week with the mock game and work a lot of situational stuff. Work a lot of substitution stuff. Work a lot of coming off the sideline. Just continue where we left off in that last scrimmage,” he said.
Golesh said he feels confident in his starting group, but notes that the team "gets really young, really quickly, but really talented" as substitutions are made. Wide receivers Brian Williams Jr. and DeShawn Spencer, both of whom have never played college football, are learning what game preparation requires.
“A year ago they were going out and playing Friday night, and they were the best players on the field, and it was easy. And so, how fast can those guys mature?” Golesh said.
The challenge for Auburn will be their noticeable youth as they begin rotating players. Golesh emphasized the importance of gaining experience.
“I’ll feel a lot better as we get a couple games under our belt … they are learning and figuring it out. The unfortunate part is, you get a couple games under your belt, you're starting SEC play at the same time. So it's just like that learning curve, and the growth has got to happen congruently,” he said.
On offense, Golesh expressed enthusiasm about quarterback Byrum Brown, who he described as having a coach-like approach, perfecting every aspect of his game.
“He's super, super particular, and that's everything from what he eats to the order, the sequence in which he watches, to then his prehab into his rehab. All of it is down to the minute,” Golesh said.
Brown’s attention to detail has set the standard, with backups Tristan Ti'a, Locklen Hewlett and Rhys Brush all following Brown, bringing confidence to the program. Still, Golesh noted, veterans aren’t the concern. It’s the youth behind them.
“If it's just 11-on-11 ball, I feel like we're lightyears ahead. Once you start subbing out a little bit, which inevitably you do, you start feeling really young, and that'll be the challenge for us: can we get those young guys to go off in the corner?” he said.
Golesh also expressed excitement about the Tigers’ red-zone offensive potential. Auburn is strong from a size perspective, and in short-yardage situations, running backs Omar Mabson II, Jeremiah Cobb and Bryson Washington will be key contributors this year.
As Auburn continues preparing for Baylor, the Tigers will have to balance experience and growth among the roster. For Golesh, that growth must happen quickly as SEC play approaches.
