AUBURN, Ala. – As physically dominant as the Auburn defense can look sometimes, it's not perfect. Like any unit, there are mistakes made. But when they do occur, it's all about having a "next-play" mentality.
For Daniel Thomas on Saturday night, that "next play" was an interception that he returned 29 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter that put the Tigers up 21-0 and swung the momentum of the game – a game in which Auburn toppled Alabama State, 63-9.
On the play itself, Thomas lined up against the inside receiver, maybe seven yards back from the line of scrimmage. He had underneath coverage on the play, which meant that there was help behind him. The quarterback took the snap, faked a handoff and tried to make a quick throw to that inside receiver. But Thomas saw it all the way and jumped the route.
"A lot of film study," the junior safety said. "I knew I had seen the play earlier in the game. I saw it, and I just jumped it."
Once Thomas caught the interception, it was a foot race to the end zone.
"I chased him down," teammate Marlon Davidson said. "He was running all the way to the stands. I thought he was going to run a marathon."
It was a special moment for Thomas, who scored his first career touchdown on the play. But also because earlier in the quarter, he gave up a 51-yard pass – the long play of the night for Alabama State. He was supposed to have deep coverage on that play, and he let the wide receiver get behind him.
"Next play," linebacker Deshaun Davis told him. "You're going to get the next one."
"He was down on himself," Davis said. "I was just trying to tell him, 'You've got to let that go. Play the next play. I guarantee you'll make more plays than you give up.'"
"To be honest with you, I have a 'next-play' mentality during the game," added defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. "Next play. Next play. As soon as it happened, I moved on."
Thomas moved on, too. He felt bad about giving up the long play, but he was confident he was going to get it back. He told his teammates after that drive that he was going to make up for it. According to Davidson, Thomas even called his shot by telling him that he was going to get an interception and return it for a touchdown.
"I just want to be there for my team," Thomas said. "I don't want to let them down. They've got confidence in me, and I've got confidence in them. I just wanted to let them know that they can count on me."
Two series' later, Thomas made good on his prediction with the pick-six.
"I think it shocked him, too," Davidson said. "But he told me that he was going to do it."
Later in the first half, Thomas delivered again with another interception. The junior now has more interceptions (five) than games started (four) in his three years at Auburn. This was also the second time in his career that he intercepted two passes in the same game.
"He's a ballhawk," Davis said. "He understands football. He's one of those guys that watches a ton of film, so when you see him jump a screen route into the boundary, he knew it was coming. Every time you see him, he wants to talk football. He wants to know what the linebackers are doing when we see this formation. What am I thinking when I'm checking this? He's a student of the game. He's a playmaker. And I'm glad to have him behind me."
Ask Thomas and he'll tell you it's just a "knack for the football."
"I love just trying to make a play on the ball."
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greg_ostendorf