AUBURN, Ala. – When their courageous captain K.J. Britt could no longer play this season after surgery, fellow Auburn linebackers Zakoby McClain and Owen Pappoe emerged among the SEC's elite defenders.
With 102 tackles, McClain ranks second in the Southeastern Conference. Pappoe's 82 stops are No. 9 in the league. In Auburn's 24-10 victory at Mississippi State in the Tigers' regular season finale, the pair combined for 17 tackles.
"I feel great right now," said Pappoe, who led Auburn with nine tackles against the Bulldogs. "It's not about how you start, but it's about how you finish. To send our seniors out like that, it mean's everything to us."
'How you finish': Owen Pappoe led Auburn with nine tackles vs. MSU
"This is the last opportunity we have to play for them," said sophomore defensive end Derick Hall, who earned SEC defensive lineman of the week honors for recording two of Auburn's six sacks. "To put it all on the line for them and for Auburn, it was huge to be able to send those guys out the right way."
The 10 points allowed against Mississippi State are the fewest surrendered this season by Auburn, while MSU's 19 rushing yards are the fewest by an opponent since the Tigers held Tennessee to 4 in 2003.
Auburn's D-line and secondary also delivered notable performances this season. Colby Wooden tied for second among all FBS freshmen with 9.5 tackles for loss in 2020. Junior Roger McCreary is the first Tiger with three interceptions in a season since Josh Holsey in 2016.
Roger McCreary made his third interception of the season vs. Mississippi State
'A CRAZY GRIND'
Playing the first 10-game, conference-only schedule in SEC history amid a pandemic, Auburn completed the gauntlet with a 6-4 record without being the reason for a postponement or cancellation, a testament to the team's discipline in following protocols to prevent coronavirus spread.
"It's been a crazy grind," Hall said. "Coming in on June 4, all the way to now. Playing nonstop, being around the same guys every day. You see them more than you see your family. It definitely took a physical toll playing 10 straight SEC games, with COVID and everything going around the world. Mentally, it definitely took a toll."
"This is has been the longest season ever in my life," Auburn freshman Tank Bigsby said. "It's been a real grind. Nobody knows what goes on inside, they just see what goes on outside. Everybody said we weren't going to be able to play. We got through it, played 10 SEC games. It was tough but we got through it with this pandemic going on. We did really well with that, our team, looking out for each other. It was a hard year but we got through it."
TANK REFUELS FOR 2021
Looking ahead to 2021, Auburn fans can expect to see Bigsby on preseason all-SEC teams and watch lists. That's to be expected when you pass Bo Jackson for the second-most rushing yards by an Auburn freshman in program history. Jackson gained 829 rushing yards in 1982.
"That feels really good," said Bigsby, whose 834 rushing yards rank behind only Michael Dyer's 1,093 in 2010. "Coaches were telling me that I could beat it and I knew I could beat it. That felt really good."
Though he'll be only a sophomore next season, Bigsby figures to be one of Auburn's team leaders. Against Mississippi State, he encouraged his teammates during the course of a tight game.
"I just said, 'Keep your head up,'" Bigsby recounted. "'We've got to finish the year positively.' Being a leader. Just being there for them."
Against Mississippi State, Bigsby rushed for a career-high 192 yards, his fourth 100-yard game and the third-best rushing performance by an Auburn freshman, topped only by Travis Tidwell's 222 yards vs. Furman in 1946 and Tommie Agee's 219 vs. Maryland in 1983.
"I'm very confident," Bigsby said. "You've got to have confidence playing in this league. I'm very confident in myself. I just want to work on the little things, the things I need to get better on, to make my game better. That's what I'm looking for for the 2021 season. I'm ready for that season."Besting Bo: Tank Bigsby passed Bo Jackson for the second most rushing yards by an Auburn freshman
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
