Auburn’s defense faced an early test against Mercer, giving up two quick touchdowns that put the Tigers in an unexpected hole. But after a fiery halftime speech from head coach DJ Durkin, the defense came out with renewed focus and intensity, completely shutting down the Bears in the second half.
“Really none of it I can repeat,” defensive lineman Jay Hardy said. “We usually listen to what he says and how he says it. That helps us a lot. It kind of geared us up, put a little fire in us. It made us all mad just like him.