Auburn’s 17-16 win over Baylor was far from perfect. 

The Tigers had plenty of issues to clean up after their first game under Alex Golesh, but there was one thing they did Saturday that Auburn struggled to do throughout last season: find a way to win when the game came down to the final possession. 

Auburn went 0-6 in one-score games last season. Saturday, the Tigers were one play away from another heartbreaking loss, but Eric Winters stopped Baylor’s two-point attempt just short of the goal line with nine seconds remaining. 

It was not pretty, but it was a win. 

And for this Auburn team, that matters. 

The defense still looks dangerous 

The biggest positive coming out of Atlanta may have been the Auburn defense. 

There are plenty of familiar faces, but the linebacker room is much deeper than simply being about Xavier Atkins and a few other players. Elijah Melendez had a career-high 12 tackles, while Winters finished with 11 tackles and two tackles for loss. Atkins also recorded a sack and two tackles for loss. 

Winters, however, was the difference-maker. 

He forced a fumble on Baylor’s opening drive that Auburn recovered, then later made the biggest tackle of the game. After Baylor scored with 11 seconds remaining, the Bears went for two instead of tying the game and sending it to overtime. 

Winters met tight end Matthew Klopfenstein before he could cross the goal line. 

That is the kind of play that can define a season. 

DJ Durkin’s defense is going to be aggressive. He will send pressure and try to force quarterbacks into uncomfortable situations, but that style comes with a tradeoff. When the pressure does not get home, Auburn’s defensive backs have to be able to stay with receivers. 

That was not always the case Saturday. 

DJ Lagway made some excellent throws, finishing 27-of-54 for 333 yards and two touchdowns. Baylor was able to hit several big plays through the air, and Auburn’s secondary will need to clean that up before Florida comes to Jordan-Hare Stadium. 

Still, there is plenty to like. 

Auburn held Baylor to 16 points, forced two takeaways and came up with two turnovers on downs. The defense was not perfect, but it was locked in when the game was on the line. 

Baylor deserves credit for slowing down Auburn’s offense 

There were plenty of questions about what Golesh’s offense would look like in its first game at Auburn. 

The answer was complicated. 

The Tigers struggled to consistently create the explosive plays that are expected from Golesh’s system, but Baylor deserves credit for that. The Bears’ defense played good football and made Auburn work for nearly everything. 

Brown finished 26-35 for 259 yards, three interceptions and 27 rushing yards, along with the game-winning 11-yard touchdown run. 

The interceptions obviously stand out, but Golesh did not put all of the blame on his quarterback. 

After the game, Golesh said he took more responsibility for the interceptions because Auburn was trying to force big plays downfield. 

That is something this offense will have to learn from. 

Brown showed that he can make plays, especially with his legs, but Auburn does not need to force the issue every time a big play is not immediately available. 

The offensive line has the most to fix 

The offensive line was shaky at times. 

Baylor finished with 11 tackles for loss, including five sacks, and consistently gave Auburn problems with stunts and switches along the defensive front. 

Some of the sacks were also on Brown for holding onto the ball too long, but the offensive line still has work to do. 

The guards, in particular, need to improve. 

The encouraging part is that the line looked much better when Baylor played straight-up and rushed without as much movement. The biggest problem came when the Bears started changing gaps and creating confusion up front. 

That is something Auburn can work on immediately. 

The Tigers also struggled to establish the running game. Jeremiah Cobb carried 12 times for 53 yards and scored Auburn’s first touchdown, but Baylor consistently did a good job clogging running lanes. 

I would have liked to see Cobb find more success, but this was also a Baylor defensive line that deserves credit for making things difficult. 

The receivers answered some questions 

One of the biggest questions surrounding Auburn entering the season was the revamped receiver room. 

After Saturday, that concern looks a little smaller. 

Keshaun Singleton had seven catches for 89 yards, tying his career high in receptions, and looked like a player Brown can consistently rely on. 

Auburn also got contributions from Chas Nimrod, who caught the critical 26-yard pass on the final scoring drive. 

The group had only one drop, which is an encouraging start for a room that had plenty to prove. 

Singleton already has a connection with Brown, and after Saturday, I expect him to continue becoming Brown’s go-to target. 

Southern Miss is coming at the perfect time 

Saturday showed Auburn exactly what it needs to work on. 

The offensive line needs to handle defensive movement better. The running game needs to become more consistent. The secondary needs to eliminate explosive plays. And the offense needs to be more comfortable taking what the defense gives it instead of forcing big plays. 

Southern Miss gives Auburn a chance to work through those problems before Florida comes to town. 

I expect the running game to be a bigger part of the offense next week, and I hope Southern Miss tries to create some of the same problems Baylor did up front. If it does, Auburn will get valuable reps against the exact issues that hurt it Saturday. 

This team showed some fight 

There is no reason for Auburn fans to feel bad about this being a one-score game. 

Of course, the Tigers have to get better. They cannot expect to play this way every week and survive an SEC schedule. 

But this was a game Auburn could have easily lost. 

Instead, it won. 

The defense never completely folded. Brown responded to three interceptions with a game-winning drive. The receivers made plays. Winters made the tackle Auburn needed most. 

Auburn was half a yard away from losing this game. 

Instead, the Tigers are 1-0. 

There is plenty to fix, but there is also something to build on. 

This team showed grit, and if Golesh can turn that fight into consistency, Saturday’s ugly win in Atlanta could end up meaning much more than the final score suggests.