Auburn’s first win under Alex Golesh came with a blunt review from the head coach. Meeting reporters Monday after the Tigers’ 17-16 escape against Baylor in the Aflac Kickoff, Golesh said he thought his team was “just OK at best,” while calling the tight finish a useful early measuring stick.
Golesh said he was glad the opener came against a quality opponent — “the earlier you can find that out, the better” — and singled out the interior offensive line as the group that disappointed him most. He defended quarterback Byrum Brown, who threw three interceptions but whom the coach said played “really well” overall, and downplayed concerns about a pass rush that rarely got Baylor’s quarterback on the ground.
The defining play was Eric Winters’ stop on Baylor’s late two-point conversion attempt, which preserved the win for a program that went 0-6 in one-score games a year ago.
Auburn makes its home debut Saturday, Sept. 12, hosting Southern Miss at 6:45 p.m. CT at Jordan-Hare Stadium in this year’s Kickoff on The Plains. The game will air on SEC Network. Golesh said Monday that the Tigers came out of the opener without major injuries.
Source: AL.com
Opelika Daily News — Tuesday Report, Sept. 8, 2026 | Compiled by Viktor AI for Opelika Daily News
