Auburn’s 21-15 win over Vanderbilt wasn’t pretty, but at the end of the day, it was a win the Tigers needed.

After getting blown out by Florida the week before, Auburn came back home and found a way to get its first SEC win of the season. The Tigers didn’t dominate Vanderbilt, and there are still plenty of things that need to be cleaned up, but there were also some encouraging signs.

Here are five things that stood out to me from Auburn’s win over Vanderbilt.

1. The defense bounced back

After giving up 44 points to Florida, Auburn’s defense needed to have a much better showing against Vanderbilt.

And it did.

The Tigers held Vanderbilt to 15 points and 311 total yards. Auburn also came up with four sacks and seven tackles for loss, with Xavier Atkins leading the way with eight tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack.

The defense wasn’t perfect, but it made plays when Auburn needed them.

Vanderbilt was able to move the ball at times, especially with quarterback Jared Curtis making plays with his legs, but Auburn did a much better job of getting off the field. The Commodores went just 4-for-17 on third down, which was a huge reason they weren’t able to turn more of those drives into points.

After what we saw against Florida, this was a much-needed bounce-back game from the defense.

2. The offense starts slow — again

If there’s one thing Auburn has to figure out, it’s how to get this offense going earlier.

The Tigers started the game with a three-and-out, then Byrum Brown threw an interception on the next possession. Auburn had just two yards across those first two drives before finally getting things moving.

Brown eventually settled in and finished 18-of-27 for 140 yards and a touchdown through the air, while also adding a rushing touchdown.

The offense did have some good moments, including a 75-yard touchdown drive, but it still felt like Auburn was waiting too long to find its rhythm.

And at this point, it’s becoming a trend.

Auburn can’t keep starting games this way and expect the defense and special teams to bail it out every week. Vanderbilt gave the Tigers enough chances to recover from the slow start, but better teams won’t always do that.

The offense doesn’t need to score every time it touches the ball, but Auburn has to find a way to be more consistent from the opening whistle.

3. Special teams came up huge

This was probably the biggest difference in the game.

Omar Mabson II got through and blocked a Vanderbilt punt in the second quarter, and Cade Carlson picked it up and took it into the end zone.

Just like that, Auburn went from leading 7-3 to leading 14-3.

That play ended up being massive.

Vanderbilt actually finished with more total yards than Auburn and controlled the clock for more than 37 minutes. So while the Tigers weren’t exactly dominating the game, they were able to create a huge play that gave them some breathing room.

Auburn also stopped a fake punt and benefited from a missed Vanderbilt field goal.

Those aren’t the plays that usually get all the attention after a game, but they were a big reason Auburn walked away with the win.

4. The offensive line looked better

There’s still plenty to improve up front, but this was a much better showing from Auburn’s offensive line.

After giving up seven sacks against Florida, Auburn gave up just one against Vanderbilt.

That’s a pretty big difference.

The Tigers also made some changes up front, including getting Kenneth McManus IV into the starting lineup at guard, and overall, Brown had more time to work with than he did against Florida.

The running game still wasn’t where it needs to be, and Auburn needs to do a better job getting blocks from its receivers and tight ends on the outside.

But at least Auburn wasn’t constantly playing behind the chains because of pressure.

Jeremiah Cobb also came up with one of the biggest plays of the game late, ripping off a 21-yard run that helped Auburn run more time off the clock.

It’s not like the offensive line suddenly has everything figured out, but this was definitely a step in the right direction.

5. Auburn finally got that SEC home win

This one shouldn’t get overlooked.

Auburn hadn’t won an SEC game at Jordan-Hare Stadium since Nov. 23, 2024, against Texas A&M.

That’s a 671-day wait that finally ended Saturday.

The Tigers had lost five straight SEC home games coming into this one, so getting that first conference win at home was important for a program that has struggled to find consistency over the last few seasons.

And Auburn had to work for it.

Vanderbilt cut the lead to 21-15 with 6:26 left, giving the Commodores a chance to make things really interesting.

Instead, Auburn made the plays it needed to make.

Brown found Keshaun Singleton for a 20-yard completion on third-and-5, and Cobb followed that up with a 21-yard run. Those plays helped Auburn keep the drive alive and eventually run out the clock.

It wasn’t a perfect ending, but it was the kind of situation Auburn hasn’t always handled well in recent years.

This time, the Tigers finished it.

There’s still work to do

Auburn has plenty to clean up after this game.

The offense has to start faster. The running game needs to become more consistent. And the defense still has some things to clean up despite playing much better than it did against Florida.

But Saturday was a step forward.

Auburn responded after a rough loss, won its first SEC home game in nearly two years and found a way to win a game where it didn’t necessarily control everything.

That’s something this team can build on.

Now the Tigers have to see if they can carry that momentum into their next challenge.