DJ Durkin looks back at Auburn's loss against Vanderbilt and shared what he should've done differently.
loss to Vanderbilt, the Tigers looked like a completely different football team under interim head coach DJ Durkin in that game. After failing to score a touchdown against Kentucky the week prior, Auburn put together its most yards of total offense in the 45-38 loss to the Commodores.
However, Durkin still views that game as a missed opportunity after sharing the things he wishes he done differently that could’ve affected the game’s outcome. “That game, probably both sides went a little different than anyone thought it was going to go. That changed throughout it. I really wish looking back I had made some different adjustments defensively. I’m certainly going to be better in that way moving forward,” Durkin said Monday afternoon. “We coach our guys all the time and grade them on their film and what they did. I think as coaches we need to do the same thing.” Auburn interim head coach DJ Durkin walks off the field after the team's overtime loss in an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. Diego Pavia got the best of the Tigers after completing 76% of his passes for 377 yards and four total touchdowns, adding 112 yards on the ground. Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers was also a matchup problem for Auburn’s defense, as he led Vanderbilt with 12 receptions for 122 yards. Thirty-five of Vanderbilt’s 45 points came after halftime and the Commodores 544 yards of total offense were the most Auburn’s defense has allowed this season. “That game kind of changed. They went to a different offense than what they’d been running for the past two years. It kind of changed what we’d been practicing and looking at. Again, credit to them,” Durkin said. “They saw early on that the game itself kind of changed. We were being successful on offense, moving the ball, scoring points. They were not moving the ball very well on offense, so they did a great job as a staff and as a team. They have a quarterback that’s able to do that in kind of changing it out.” In the second half, Vanderbilt played with a lot more tempo, which allowed Pavia to make plenty of downfield throws in the hurry-up offense. This completely threw off Auburn’s defense as he extended plays on designed quarterback runs that also allowed for coverage busts in the Tigers secondary. Durkin explained how during the open week the defense worked on the adjustments they had seen against Vanderbilt, as Auburn prepares for its final two games against Mercer and Alabama. “Just for us, it’s a lot about technique, and fundamentals and high control. That’s what we focused on in the open week. I think we had talented guys in the back end. We’ve played really well, obviously, at times. I think it’s coming back to that. You’ve got to have your cleats in the dirt and your eyes in the right place and play the call, not be looking around. I think we got out of position at times in that game, just based on some of those simple fundamentals,” Durkin said. Kickoff for Auburn and Mercer is set for 1 p.m. this Saturday. The game will be streaming on SEC Network+.Jerry Humphrey III is an Auburn Sports Beat Writer for AL.com since Oct. 2024, covering football, basketball and all things Auburn sports. Prior to joining the sports staff at AL.com, Jerry spent time at...If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
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