The Auburn Tigers failed in their attempt to defend their 2013 SEC championship, dropping five games along the way including an overtime loss to Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. Here’s the five areas where the Tigers need to improve the most to make another run at an SEC title in 2015.

1. Defending the run: The Tigers boasted the No. 10 run defense in the SEC in 2014, allowing more than 168 yards per game on the ground. Considering how explosive and fast-paced the Auburn offense has been during the Gus Malzahn era, the defense cannot afford to let opponents sustain long, methodical drives that keep the ball away from the Tigers. Adding Will Muschamp as the defensive coordinator is a huge step in the right direction, but the front seven must tighten up in 2015 for Auburn to get back on track.

2. Pass rush: Another area the front seven could stand to improve next season is its pass rush, which amassed just 21 sacks in 13 games this season. The Tigers ranked 11th in the SEC in that category, and the lack of pressure translated into the SEC’s third-worst pass defense in 2014. The loss of Carl Lawson before the season was devastating, but Auburn must use this offseason to seek out other answers to its pass-rushing dilemma if it hopes to return to prominence in 2015.

3. Limiting penalties: Penalties can hold back even the most talented teams, and that’s exactly what happened to Auburn in 2014. The Tigers committed the second-most penalties in the SEC this season and amassed more penalty yardage than any other team in the conference, leveling the playing field even against blatantly inferior opponents. The Tigers continue to accumulate talent in masses, but if they can’t play disciplined football going forward it will all be for naught.

4. Punting: Auburn was fortunate to punt the third-fewest times of any team in the SEC in 2014, but it also boasted the conference’s third-worst punt average at barely 40 yards per boot. With a defense that struggled all season the lack of a booming let in the kicking game cost the Tigers time and time again in the field position battle. Punter is an under-appreciated position, but until Muschamp rounds the defense into form the Tigers will need more from their punting game to limit the number of short fields their defense must defend.

5. Kickoff returns: Another important element to the field position battle is the return game, and Auburn struggled mightily on kickoff returns in 2014. The Tigers boasted the SEC’s fourth-worst kickoff return average, resulting in a number of long fields for its offense throughout the season. Quan Bray kept the punt return game afloat, but the lack of a dynamic kickoff return unit — when paired with a defense prone to allowing points in bunches — resulted in added hurdles for one of the SEC’s most explosive offenses.