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nashibirne · 3 years

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London Calling - 1

Yes, I'm still in my August phase and I'm not even sorry...I just can't stop thinking about the sexy mf and so this idea crossed my mind and turned into a storyline. I have to admit I'm even more nervous about posting this than usual because it's a little different from what I've written before and I really hope it's not going to bore the shit out of you. If you like this although the tension between August and my ofc builds slowly, please let me know. I appreciate every single comment, reblog and/or like! Thanks 💜

Pairing: Augut Walker x OFC (Lu Johnson)

Words: ~3.0 k

Summary and A/N: This story plays with the thought of "what if…" What if August Walker had taken another road? What if he had turned into John Lark for completely different reasons? What if he had found love before becoming a bitter, disillusioned man?So the events of "London Calling" take place about ten years prior to MI:Fallout and August Walker hasn't joined the CIA yet, he's an FBI Agent and his new mission in London that lies ahead of him is going to be a challenging one. Maybe it's even going to change his life.

Warnings: 18+! This story deals with the topic of a toxic/abusive relationship, gaslighting and problematic behavior of one of the protagonists in general. Please don't read if these topics trigger you or make you feel uncomfortable. Luckily I've never been in any kind of toxic or abusive relationship, so I lack personal experience but I hope still do this sensitive topic justice.

English is not my mother tongue but the lovely @sillyrabbit81 was so kind to be my very helpful and patient Beta! Thank you so, so much, bunny 🐇💜 You have no idea how much I appreciate your support, your encouragement, your help and the fact that you took the time to proofread this. (Edited by me, so there might still be mistakes and they're all mine)

📖 You can find my other fics on my Masterlist 📖

Credits: I don't own August Walker or anything related to MI:Fallout. Pics for the moodboard from pinterest, face claims: Lu - Hannah van der Westhuysen, Adam - Freddie Thorpe. FaceApp helped me with making August look a little younger

Taglist

@lunedelorient @inlovewithhisblueeyes @willkatfanfromasia @hell1129-blog @mis-lil-red @agniavateira @kebabgirl67 @omgkatinka @legendarywizarddetective @summersong69 @taebfada @xxxkatxo @artandotherdelights @notabronte @littlefreya @luclittlepond @eldarwen333 @meowpurrbooks @marantha @liliumdream @enchantedbytomandhenry @greensleeves888 @witcherfanfics101 @margauxmargaux07 @radaofrivia @m07belzen @a-little-counter-esperanto @starstruckkittyangel @mary-ann84 @sillyrabbit81 @emelinelovesjc @wheretheriversrunintothesea @lam0ureuxq @kingliam2019 @pandaxnienke

So...now...off we go...story under the cut!

"London? Are you kidding me, Kyle?"

August Walker stopped pacing the room with an incredulous frown. He raised his eyebrows, his blue eyes fixed on the other man's face.

"Absolutely not," his superior and close friend of many years said slowly, drawling both words more than necessary to stress that he wasn't joking. "They want you in London."

"What about my promotion? You gave me your word. You wanted me to finish Operation Old Bridge and that's what I did. You wanted Tony Salerno's head on a silver platter, that's what you got."

August's voice was surprisingly calm, his expression blank but his gaze was blazing with anger and frustration. His hands were balled into fists and he only opened them to lean on Kyle's wooden desk, which was very tidy, except for the piles of case files that slowly grew larger than him.

"Damn, Kyle, I risked my life when I went undercover and joined this Mafia mob."

"I know, August, but unfortunately my hands are tied. Interpol wants our best undercover Agent and that's you. Just this last job and afterwards you can happily join the CIA." SSA Kyle Langdon leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his neck with a sigh and an apologetic shrug.

"That's exactly what you said last time. Do you expect me to believe you?"

"As I said, it's not my doing. Manchester contacted Bill because the NCB needs help, blue notice, August. You know that we cannot say no and that means...London calling, man," Kyle pointed out with a smile. "You should be grateful, it's a great opportunity. So just do your job there, return and get your promotion."

"Why don't you just send someone else and I get my promotion right now? We have many great undercover agents. Craig for example. He's crazy about British pussies. He'll love London." August straightened his tall body before crossing his arms in front of his broad chest that was forced into a white button down shirt and a black suit jacket.

"No, Craig cannot go because they want you in this operation. They asked explicitly for Agent August Walker. That's a huge appreciation of your work and a big compliment. You're only 27, August, not many FBI agents are this well known and respected at such a young age." Kyle sat up straight, mirroring August's body language.

"I don't give a shit about their respect and appreciation. I know my worth and I know I'm your best agent. I've worked very hard to get where I stand now... just one step away from becoming a CIA agent," August said angrily, his brows furrowed, his eyes dark. "Fuck, Kyle...why use an American agent in a purely British matter in the first place? They could easily…"

"Listen, August," Kyle cut in and he got up and walked around his desk to face his friend, "the thing is, I am not asking you to do this, okay? It's not a request, it's an order. There's no room to negotiate."

He gave him a friendly smile to temper his words before placing a hand on August's shoulder. "No hard feelings. It's…"

"It's the job. Yeah. I know." August took a step back and nodded his head slowly, curling his lip. He had heard his boss say these words so many times and he hated that line although he was perfectly aware that it was the truth. That was the way it worked. They got orders, they did the job, no matter what. He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes for a moment, feeling a bad headache brewing behind his forehead.

"I have already talked to Sloane about this. Erica seconds the motion by Interpol because she wants you to prove yourself in another operation abroad. If you are successful you will be part of her team. It's simple, Walker. Just don't fuck this up."

"I've never fucked anything up,” August snarled, clenching his teeth, his jaw grinding.

"See, that's exactly why they want you,” Kyle answered with a triumphant smile.

****

"Lu!" Adam Mayfield knocked impatiently on the bathroom door. "Get ready. We're going to be late." He glanced at his Rolex with an annoyed sigh before he straightened his tuxedo jacket and adjusted his bow tie for the umpteenth time. "God damn, this meeting is important." He banged his fist against the door again and rolled his eyes when he heard her muffled voice behind the bathroom walls. "Just a minute, Adam."

Although he was really a little angry that it took her so long to get ready, they weren't actually late, in fact there was more than enough time to meet up with his clients at The London Opera. He had just said that to make her hurry up. Lu had the tendency to dawdle around, she got easily distracted and it was his responsibility to help her with that bad habit and usually it worked well.

Compared to the woman she was when they had met at a party more than five years ago, she had improved her behavior a lot, thanks to his efforts and his strict education. She had been common as muck when they started dating, an ordinary working class girl, smart but not a bit sophisticated, pretty but with no sense of fashion or taste, ambitious but without any connections. He had changed that, he had moulded her into the beautiful, stylish, refined and cultured woman she was now. She was his work, his success, his pride...she was his.

When the door of the bathroom that was adjacent to the master bedroom finally swung open, the welcoming sight of his fiancee interrupted his thoughts and picked up his spirits immediately.

"Wow, this was worth the wait." He eyed her up and down with a smirk and leaned in for a kiss but she stopped him with her hands pressed against his narrow chest.

"No, you're gonna ruin my make-up, darling." Lu smiled at him and spinned around to present him her dress. The black, belted Burberry gown was elegant and classy. High-necked on the front but with a low back that showed off lots of her perfect, lightly tanned skin. Chaste and sexy at the same time, just the way Adam liked it.

"That dress is stunning, baby. You look wonderful." He grabbed her by her waist and pulled her close to leave a sensual kiss on her slim neck while his hands wandered to her ass where they rested for a moment before they squeezed her firm cheeks. "I really hope you're not wearing any panties."

Lu freed herself from his embrace with a frown and stepped in front of the large wall mirror opposite of their king-size bed to check her reflection one last time, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Of course I'm wearing panties. We're going to the opera with your VIP clients." She walked to her dressing table and took the diamond-encrusted, leaf-shaped brooch Adam had given her for their five years anniversary on New Year's Eve. "Would you help me with this?"

Adam took the piece of jewelry from her slim hand and pinned it carefully on her dress, right above her heart. He kissed her tenderly but his expression was stern when he spoke. "Strip it off."

Lu's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"You heard me. Get rid of your thong. I know you're wearing one of these slutty, tiny g-strings to make sure your look is flawless and your underwear doesn't show under your dress." His face hardened slightly, yet his voice remained soft and smooth.

"But…"

"Don't test me, Lu,” he said slowly, still smiling but screwing up his beautiful grey eyes. "I want you naked underneath that dress in case I want to have a little fun with you tonight. I mean, we both know Rigoletto is gonna be boring as fuck, we may need a little distraction." He gave her a lewd smirk and with a tiny frown and a raise of his brows he motioned her to be obedient. "You don't want anything to get in my way, do you? Not even a little piece of lace, right?"

"Of course not, Adam," she answered softly with a smile she had to force onto her lips. Lu reached under her dress with shaking hands and pulled down her panties till they hit the floor so she could step out of them carefully, making sure they wouldn't get tangled up in her stiletto heels.

"Good girl," Adam said with a wolfish grin and with a sly smile he added, "you know what, baby? I think I'm going to have a little fun with you just now. My clients can wait."

Lu didn't even try to argue with him, knowing exactly that she was in a no-win situation. She closed her eyes and turned around, lifting up her dress, when she heard him unzip his fly.

****

While Adam Mayfield was fucking his fiancee in front of a mirror in one of the most exclusive penthouses in London, August Walker was having a bad coffee, sitting at a table in the plain and pretty ugly meeting room of their FBI department at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington DC, listening to the explanations of Kyle and the lead of 'Operation Brutus', Christine Carpenter. He didn't like her much but he respected her competence and her leadership qualities and most of all he trusted her with giving him the perfect fake identity for the job in London.

"So, what do you have for me, Chris?" August looked at her with a smile, but his eyes gave away that he'd rather be somewhere else.

"Well, let me just explain the background first, okay?"

She pressed a button on her laptop and the handsome face of a young man appeared on the screen behind her.

"This", she nodded at the picture, "is Adam Arthur Clive Mayfield, 27 years old, only son of Alfred Mayfair and his late wife Erica, heir of the immense family fortune and the private bank Mayfield & Holmes, that was established by his ancestors more than 200 years ago. He is one of the most eligible bachelors in the United Kingdom, and one of the richest, too. His father officially still runs the family business but he isn't in the best state of health, so in fact Mayfield junior is the one who's at the helm. Unlike his father he's not a man of integrity, he's been on the radar of the British authorities for years. From dealing drugs and other minor crimes in his college years to insider trading, investor fraud, misappropriation and money laundering nowadays. He is a big fish, has connections all over the world, drug rings, gun runners, human traffickers, you name it."

"And the Brits are not able to catch him without my help?" August couldn't help but smirk cockily.

"Don't be so full of yourself, Walker. The problem is, he is a damn genius. IQ score beyond 150, very clever, very cautious, a strategic mastermind, always ahead of the authorities. They tried to infiltrate his business a few times but they failed miserably, so now they want to concentrate on his private life."

"And this is gonna be my part?"

"Exactly," Kyle said, getting up to join Christine in front of the screen. "He has a few bodyguards he always hires from an American agency. They are known for their discretion and loyalty and the bodyguards they place with their clients are the best of the best. Unfortunately one of his bodyguards died in an accident a week ago and now he needs a new one. Luckily, we have the owner of the agency by the balls for several major crimes. He cooperates or he will end up behind bars for the rest of his life."

"To cut a long story short, he will place you with Mayfield and you can become part of his daily life. Your job consists of monitoring and collecting information and data. I will give you an exact briefing later," Christine finished Kyle's explanations.

"So I will just be his lapdog?"

"Not his," Kyle grinned, "hers."

The picture on the screen changed, now showing a young, blonde woman. The second he saw her, he judged her.

He could tell what she was like, just by her looks, by the way she jutted her chin in the picture, by her perfectly manicured fingers, by her flawless make up and the expensive clothes. He knew women like her, a walking stereotype, the blond, beautiful Trophy Wife Barbie that's always by Millionaire Ken's side. Pretty on the outside, boring on the inside. Lame bimbos that only lived for showing off their designer clothes and it-bags, tripping around in high heels that cost more than he earned in a month, finding self-fulfilment in stupid things like designing overpriced furniture, running a yoga studio or doing charity stuff. Useless, needless but still blueprints for millions of girls who would literally give the shirt off their backs to catch themselves a rockstar, a famous actor, a hyped football player or just a rich heir.

"This is Mayfield's fiancee," Kyle said, pointing at the photo, "you're gonna be her personal bodyguard."

"How am I supposed to monitor him, when I have to be on her heels all the time?"

"You're gonna live with them, there will be lots of opportunities. Just make her trust you, we need her to open up, get her to talk. They've been together for years, she should know what he's involved in," Chris explained and she made it sound easy when in fact it wasn't only hard to gain a stranger's trust, in this case it was even dangerous.

"Alright. Tell me about her."

"Her name is Lucretia Johnson, 24 years old," Kyle started reading the memo.

"Lucretia?" August let out an amused snort.

"Yeah," Kyle grinned, "her mother seems to have a preference for strange names, her younger sister's called Petronilla."

"What the fuck?" August laughed out loud. "Is she some kind of Latin professor or something?"

"Well, first of all she's dead," Christine took over with a serious look on her face, she was notorious for her lack of humour, "and secondly, no, she was not a professor. She was an alcoholic and a complete mess. An irresponsible, uncaring mother who spent too much time fucking around and too little time taking care of her daughters. Petronilla was taken away from her when she was 15 and was handed over to youth welfare. Lucretia was 18 at the time and lived on the campus of the Chelsea College of Art and Design."

"So she's an artist, huh?" August knew the ridicule in his voice wasn't very professional but he just couldn't help it.

"Maybe, at least she has a master degree in curating and owns a little gallery in Covent Garden. Well, actually Mayfield owns it, she just runs it."

"So, to sum it up, she's made it from the daughter of a drunkard to the fiancee of one of the richest heirs in the kingdom. She's fucked her way to the top. I guess that's all I need to know about her."

"Don't be so sure, August. She seems to be smart," Kyle threw in, "I think there's more to her than the pretty face. It's just a gut feeling but I guess you'll find out soon enough."

August took a deep breath, rolling his eyes at Kyle. "Sure. She's the saint that sleeps with the devil."

"That's not what I said, mate. But whatever she is, you'll have to deal with it."

"What's my cover, Christine?" August wanted to know.

"Well, your alias was born in 1981, just like you, but on the fifth of May. Born and raised in Portland, Maine. Only child, mother deceased, not on speaking terms with his father, a mechanic who still lives in Portland. You can find the details of your early life and your family tree in the memo," she waved the file above her head before she continued. "Careerwise...ex military, ex cop, had some problems following the rules and respecting the law. Single, no ex-wifes, no kids. We kept it plain and simple. They will not dig deep anyway. According to the agency boss, Mayfield expects his bodyguards to be disciplined, always on duty, quiet and discreet. There's three of you. Benjamin Garner is Mayfield's watchdog and his personal assistant, Edward Landow was Johnson's guard you're gonna replace, Andrew Brown is the back-up. You and Garner live with them, Brown lives nearby with his girlfriend. There's other staff of course, a housekeeper, a cook, cleaners. No chauffeur, no butler, no assistant, that's all part of your job."

"Great," August let out an annoyed snort, "so basically I'm gonna be her servant."

"Basically," Chris fixed her gaze on August, "you're not gonna leave her side unless you're told to. Just be professional, stay in the background, prick up your ears, listen closely and be careful. No obvious nosing around. Their penthouse is a high tech fortress, including video monitoring, so just…"

"I know how to work undercover," August cut in impatiently, "just gimme that fucking file and let me do my job."

Christine gave him a pissed look but she handed him the document with a shrug and without further comment. August grabbed it from her hands, staring at the data of his new life, his new name and the composite sketch of his new look. He would have to stop shaving.

*****

tbc

#henry cavill #cavillry #henry cavill fandom #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill fanfiction #august walker #august walker fanfiction #august walker x ofc #slow burn

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junker-town · 7 years

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I’m very high on 2017 Auburn’s chances. This is terrifying.

The Tigers always surprise everyone, whether in ways good or bad. Here’s why 2017 shows promise.

College football teams tend to end up defined by how they start and how they finish. The first impression lasts for longer into the autumn than it should, and the last impression lasts all offseason.

In 2014, for instance, it took about two months of incredible play for us to forget about Ohio State’s loss to Virginia Tech and take the Buckeyes seriously. But thanks to the way they finished, they were a unanimous preseason No. 1 heading into 2015.

In 2016, we spent the first two months wondering what was wrong with Clemson as the defending national runners-up flirted with losses before suffering one to Pitt. Then the Tigers relaxed and played nearly perfect football on their way to a title.

This gives us a pretty conflicting view of Auburn heading into 2017.

The Tigers began 2016 by nearly upsetting Clemson in the most confusing way possible. The Auburn defense was brilliant in holding the eventual champ to 19 points, but Malzahn played just about every player in uniform behind center at one point or another, gaining just 262 yards and revealing that he had no confidence in any quarterback. Two weeks later, they fell to 1-2 after averaging 4.5 yards per play against Texas A&M at home.

Auburn finished 2016 in similar fashion. They were held under 200 yards by Georgia (in a 13-7 loss) and Alabama (30-12) and took more medicine in a 35-19 Sugar Bowl loss to Oklahoma.

Starting 1-2 and finishing 1-3 is not the best way to make an impression.

But in between those two spells, Auburn was damn near perfect.

From a September 24 upset of LSU to a November 5 win over Vanderbilt, Auburn went 6-0. Quarterback Sean White caught fire, and the Tigers averaged 7 yards per play and 513 yards per game; their opponents averaged 4.8 and 334, respectively. They beat LSU in a slog and took down Ole Miss in a shootout. They played one of 2016’s best games, a 56-3 disintegration of Arkansas.

Auburn was the month of October’s best team in the country. But then White injured his shoulder against Ole Miss. He played well against the Rebels and Vandy, but he went 6-for-20 against Georgia and missed the final two games of the regular season. He returned against OU, threw 10 passes, and broke his forearm.

It’s as if losing your starting quarterback can jam a stick into your spokes.

After a three-act season, Auburn finished 8-5. That makes it seem similar to 2014 (8-5) and 2015 (7-6), two seasons that helped Malzahn onto the hot seat. But if you watched this team in between the first and last impressions, you saw a team capable of massive heights with a healthy quarterback.

Now, in theory, the Tigers have two healthy QBs. White is back after suffering four injuries in barely more than a calendar year. He’s the second-stringer to Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham.

Stidham had his own pre-injury supernova in Waco. As a true freshman in 2015, after Seth Russell went down, Stidham completed 51 of 81 passes for 934 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions against Kansas State, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. He got his passer rating up to 199.0 for the year (and showed some wheels against OSU), then suffered his own season-ending injury.

So now, Auburn heads in with two starter-caliber QBs, a trio of running backs that rivals any in the RB-heavy SEC, a senior-heavy offensive line, and a defense with enough returning pieces and a high enough ceiling to match last year’s surprising top-10 performance. And with the Tigers ranked just 13th in the preseason AP poll, I find myself considering them almost ... underrated. I didn’t know that was possible, but here we are.

There are questions. The receiving corps has an infinite ceiling but is mostly unproven. The defensive line, the anchor of last year’s defense, lost just enough to make you worry. Plus, there’s the matter of 2014 and 2015 — the Tigers started each season sixth in the country and finished 22nd and unranked, respectively.

This is a program that tends to be at its best when it’s sneaking up on you, and even if I think they’re slightly underrated, top-15 teams don’t sneak.

2016 in review

2016 Auburn statistical profile.

The Auburn defense had a few ups and downs but established a steady level overall. The offense was all over the map. As went White, so went Auburn.

First 4 games (2-2): Avg. points per game: 24.5 | Avg. yards per play: 5.5 | Avg. offensive percentile performance: 65% | White passer rating: 138.6

Next 5 games (5-0): Avg. points per game: 43.0 | Avg. yards per play: 7.4 | Avg. offensive percentile performance: 78% | White passer rating: 185.3

Last 4 games (1-3): Avg. points per game: 23.3 | Avg. yards per play: 5.1 | Avg. offensive percentile performance: 34% | White passer rating: 44.0

Granted, that “last four” sample is unfair, since he missed two games and parts of the other two. But with backup Jeremy Johnson ineffective and John Franklin III a run-first, run-second guy (he played in all 13 games but threw just 26 passes), the Auburn passing game was tied to White, for better or worse. Now it’s tied to Stidham.

Offense

Full advanced stats glossary.

It’s hard to glean much from full-season averages, knowing about the three-act process, but in the chart above, we see intent. This was a Malzahn offense: avoid negative plays, create third-and-manageable situations, and create big plays with the ground game. While the look of a Malzahn attack has changed depending on the talent at hand, that has been the underlying philosophy.

What made things a little bit different in 2016 was the way the passing game operated. And, of course, that changed multiple times during the year.

When White was clicking, completing 73 percent of his passes and averaging nearly 15 yards per completion, the Tigers couldn’t be stopped. But before Malzahn handed play-calling to now-former coordinator Rhett Lashlee (now with UConn), this was a mostly horizontal passing game. Late in the year, it was the same. It was also pretty easy to defend.

So the quest is easy to figure out: get vertical. And in Stidham, AU might have one of the most exciting vertical QBs in the country. He completed 57 percent of passes over 20 yards in 2015, and new coordinator Chip Lindsay was in charge of the most explosive offense in the country (first in IsoPPP) at Southern Miss in 2015.

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Jarrett Stidham

Stidham also has a trio of small-sample all-stars at his disposal. Four-star sophomores Darius Slayton, Kyle Davis, and Nate Craig-Myers combined to only catch 31 passes last year, but they averaged 19.7 yards per catch with a 53 percent success rate. Slayton caught a 46-yarder from Stidham in the spring game, and Craig-Myers caught a 50-yarder. It’s a lot to ask sophomores, but these three have the recruiting profile to back it up and have proven everything they’ve been asked to prove so far.

With a vertical threat, Auburn has basically everything else it needs.

Ryan Davis, Eli Stove, and Will Hastings are solid possession guys (they combined for a 71 percent catch rate).

The running back corps comes in all shapes and sizes: big (235-pound junior Kamryn Pettway), medium (212-pound junior Kerryon Johnson), and small (182-pound sophomore Kam Martin). It’s got competition, too, with 225-pound redshirt freshman Malik Miller and four-star freshman Devan Barrett looking for snaps.

The line returns three seniors who have combined for 60 career starts (including all-conference guard Braden Smith) and adds Florida State transfer Wilson Bell (who started 18 games for the Noles) and Jacksonville State transfer Casey Dunn, a two-time FCS All-American. There are eight four and five-star freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and sophomores waiting their turn.

Pettway deserves way more than a bullet point. As important as the vertical passing game is, when Auburn was clicking in October, Pettway was playing like an All-American. Against MSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt, he rushed 121 times for 770 yards (6.4 per carry) and six touchdowns.

Of course, the tires on this semi truck blew out a couple of times; Pettway missed three contests with injury and finished averaging just 3.3 yards per carry against Alabama and Oklahoma.

Johnson had his moments, but they mostly came in blowouts — he averaged 6.3 yards per carry against Arkansas State, ULM, and Alabama A&M and 4.2 against everybody else. Martin did most of his damage against G5 teams as well. Only Pettway really proved he could maul a good defense.

If Pettway’s healthy, with Stidham next to him in the backfield, Slayton/Davis/Craig-Myers roaming deep, and a nasty, experienced line in front of him ... goodness, this offense could be terrifying. Having White, Johnson, etc., on the second string is a heck of a luxury, too.

Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Kamryn Pettway

Defense

Every situation is different. Every new job is an opportunity for success or failure. This is my seventh year of writing these previews, and I’ve been wrong plenty of times when it comes to new hires.

Still, like everyone else, I was confident in my unimpressed reaction to Malzahn’s hire of Kevin Steele in 2016.

In his last two years as a coordinator, Steele's units have crumpled. In 2011 at Clemson, his Tiger defense plummeted from sixth in Def. S&P+ to 65th; in 2015 at LSU, the Tigers fell from ninth to 27th.

This ignores mountains of context, obviously. Still, it's hard to be inspired by Malzahn's latest coordinator change. He replaced Ellis Johnson with former Florida head coach Will Muschamp last fall, then took Steele from LSU when Muschamp took the South Carolina head coaching job. (LSU didn't appear to put up a ton of fight.)

Then Steele killed it.

Def. S&P+: from 29th in 2015 to ninth in 2016

Success Rate: from 97th to 33rd

Rushing S&P+: from 49th to 14th

Standard Downs S&P+: from 30th to 10th

Points per scoring opportunity: from 28th to second

Auburn regressed a bit on passing downs, but if you had to choose one, you’d prefer to be good on standard downs — even the worst passing-downs defense is better than all but the best standard-downs defenses.

Improvement up front was vital; looking to 2017, then, that creates a blurry picture.

On one hand, blue-chip sophomore end Marlon Davidson returns, as do junior Jeff Holland and a potentially dynamic foursome of tackles in juniors Dontavious Russell and Andrew Williams and sophomores Derrick Brown and Byron Cowart.

On the other hand, end Carl Lawson (13.5 TFLs) and tackles Montravious Adams, Devaroe Lawrence, and Maurice Swain Jr. (combined: 13 TFLs) are all gone.

The upside here is obvious, but depth has taken a serious hit. There is only one senior on the line (end Paul James III), and a poorly placed injury or two could create a two-deep loaded with freshmen and sophomores. Even when you recruit well, inexperience means a hard cap.

Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Deshaun Davis

If the line holds, though — and you never know in advance how much iffy depth will hurt you — the back seven could be dynamite. Junior Deshaun Davis (seven non-sack TFLs) is one of the best run-stuffing linebackers in a conference full of them, and three other LBs (Tre’ Williams, Darrell Williams, Motavious Atkinson) all made plays at times.

The secondary does have to replace nickel back Johnathan Ford and corner Joshua Holsey (combined: 6.5 TFLs, 20 passes defensed), and that’s a little scary, considering the pass defense wasn’t nearly as disruptive as the run defense. But the experience levels are high enough to be optimistic. Senior safeties Tray Matthews and Stephen Roberts are back, as are junior cornerback Carlton Davis (two TFLs, 10 passes defensed) and sophomore Javaris Davis, who basically posted a nickel back’s stat line from the corner position last year (six TFLs, nine passes defensed).

Throw in another veteran (senior safety Nick Ruffin), a pair of exciting sophomore safeties (Daniel Thomas, Jeremiah Dinson), and a high-profile transfer (former Ohio State corner Jamel Dean), and you’ve got reason for excitement. I just listed a lot more safeties than corners, but if Dean sticks on the first string and allows Javaris Davis to thrive at nickel, this secondary has what it needs.

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Javaris Davis

Special Teams

Despite drastic inconsistency in kick returns, special teams were a massive net plus for Auburn.

Daniel Carlson was asked to kick too many field goals (32 in all!) but made 28 of them, plus all of his PATs. He was also third in the country with a 79 percent touchback rate on kickoffs. He was second in kickoff efficiency and third in FG efficiency. And despite it feeling like he’s been on the Plains since about 2003, he still has another year of eligibility remaining. And his little brother Anders is on board to succeed him when he finally leaves after 2017.

There are questions at punter and in the return game, but Carlson’s presence alone should guarantee a top-30 Special Teams S&P+ ranking.

2017 outlook

2017 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 2-Sep Georgia Southern 98 31.4 97% 9-Sep at Clemson 6 -4.8 39% 16-Sep Mercer NR 42.1 99% 23-Sep at Missouri 53 13.6 78% 30-Sep Mississippi State 30 13.8 79% 7-Oct Ole Miss 26 11.6 75% 14-Oct at LSU 4 -5.8 37% 21-Oct at Arkansas 32 8.9 70% 4-Nov at Texas A&M 19 4.1 59% 11-Nov Georgia 20 9.1 70% 18-Nov UL-Monroe 121 37.8 99% 25-Nov Alabama 1 -11.6 25%

Projected S&P+ Rk 9 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 18 / 12 Projected wins 8.3 Five-Year S&P+ Rk 13.9 (14) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 9 / 7 2016 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* 3 / 10.6 2016 TO Luck/Game -2.9 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 66% (72%, 60%) 2016 Second-order wins (difference) 7.9 (0.1)

Auburn has the anti-social tendency of defying whatever expectations you set, good or bad. That alone makes me nervous about how good I’m feeling about this team.

I know I’m putting a lot of expectation on sophomore receivers, and the defensive line depth appears tenuous. But few backfields have the upside of a Stidham-Pettway combination, I like the offensive line a lot, and the backbone of this defense — Russell, Andrew Williams, Davis, Tre’ Williams, Matthews, Roberts — is outstanding. Malzahn has recruited at a top-10 level and just added a blue-chip quarterback. There is so much to like here.

The schedule will tamp down expectations a bit. AU plays at Clemson in September, at LSU (as the first of a three-game road stretch) in October, and finishes with an Alabama that is probably as good as ever. Despite a top-10 S&P+ projection, the Tigers are only projected to win about eight games. Such is life when you live in the SEC West and schedule the defending national champ in non-con play.

I’m curious what the reaction will be if the Tigers finish with eight or nine wins while playing top-10-caliber ball. At some point, Malzahn needs to make another 2013-level run — or, more realistically for 2017, at least get back to 10 wins — but with high points higher than those of 2016, Malzahn should be able to create buzz. And with so few senior difference-makers outside of the offensive line, the Tigers could be in line to make that crazy run a year from now.

Team preview stats

All power conference preview data to date.

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