There’s never much to complain about when your team opens the season with a 70-point win, but there were still aspects of Auburn’s defensive performance against Alabama A&M that didn’t satisfy head coach Hugh Freeze.

More than anything else, Freeze wanted to see more from the pass rush.

“I was a little shocked that we didn’t crush the pocket a little better,” Freeze said after the game.

Auburn finished the game with three sacks, but the way it was rushing the quarterback wasn’t always effective.

“We was trying to work edges. It wasn’t really beneficial to the pass rush,” defensive tackle Malik Blocton told reporters Tuesday.

Blocton, Keldric Faulk and Jalen McLeod were the three players to record sacks on Saturday. Much of Auburn’s pressure came off the edge and Blocton’s sack came with help from defensive end Amaris Williams.

Auburn’s defensive line is deep, so having the players to get the job done isn’t necessarily the issue.

Freeze continues to reiterate that he wants six to seven defensive linemen to rotate on the interior going forward. However, Auburn was missing veteran interior lineman Isaiah Raikes against Alabama A&M, but Freeze expects him to play versus Cal.

Auburn’s run defense was good against Alabama A&M, but it will have an increased challenge against Cal. The Golden Bears are led by running back Jadyn Ott, who rushed for over 1,200 yards in 2023.

Freeze called Ott “one of the best in the country,” when speaking on the SEC Coaches Teleconference Wednesday. While he did exit Cal’s Week 1 game early, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox said he was “probable” for Saturday’s game and Auburn is preparing as if he’s playing, according to Freeze.

Cal’s passing offense serves as another test for Auburn’s defense. The secondary made a few mistakes in coverage against Alabama A&M, the most notable one being a dropped interception by JC Hart that resulted in a 56-yard completion.

Alabama A&M didn’t throw the ball downfield much, but Auburn’s defensive backs were vulnerable at times when it did.

“They’re throwing it around a good bit, which we haven’t really been tested yet to see how we handle that,” Freeze said of Cal. “We’re very, very young, as everybody knows, in the secondary.”

Who plays for Auburn in the secondary isn’t completely decided either, according to Freeze. Outside of safety Jerrin Thompson and starting corners Keionte Scott and Kayin Lee, Freeze said they’re still figuring out who the best players are in the secondary.

Champ Anthony, who started at nickel, left the game early against Alabama A&M, and has been dealing with a calf strain, according to Freeze.

“He probably could have played more snaps, but we just wanted to make sure we’re trying to get him as healthy as possible,” Freeze said Monday.

Anthony and Caleb Wooden were the other starters in the secondary alongside Thompson, Scott and Lee on Saturday, but Sylvester Smith, JC Hart, Kaleb Harris and others all seem to be in the mix.

Auburn is still a double-digit favorite against Cal, but the step up in competition is an opportunity for improvement and for a larger statement to be made.

“It’s really a good test for us, truthfully, to see how well we can take success from Week 1 and play obviously, a deeper and better unit,” Freeze said. “I’m excited to see our defense get tested, and I’m sure they will.”

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m