Coming off a 38-24 win over Baylor to open the season, the Auburn Tigers are looking to welcome the Auburn faithful back to Jordan-Hare Stadium in a welcoming way on Saturday for kickoff on The Plains against Ball State.
Auburn athletics will honor the late and legendary coach Pat Dye on Saturday with more than 250 letterwinners from teams coached by Dye from 1981-92 reuniting on The Plains.
The Tigers hold the series advantage over Ball State, 3-0, with all three meetings having been played at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn has outscored the Cardinals 147-33 in the three previous meetings, most recently a 54-30 win in 2009.
Ball State is coming off a 31-0 loss to Purdue last week.
Here are the biggest things to look for on Saturday:
Secondary’s response
Yes, Auburn will face a lesser opponent in its home opener on Saturday, but nonetheless, it’s an opportunity for the Tigers’ secondary to shore up some miscues from Week 1.
The Tigers are coming off a dismal showing in which Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson shredded them for 419 passing yards. Ball State, meanwhile, managed just 87 yards through the air in its loss to Purdue, ranking 130th nationally. Quarterback Kiael Kelly poses more of a threat with his legs, leading the Cardinals with 63 rushing yards on 22 carries last week.
Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin’s priority will most likely be shutting down the ground game and forcing Ball State into a one-dimensional offense. That would give Auburn’s secondary plenty of chances to show progress in Week 2.
The Tigers will be without starting safety Champ Anthony, who broke his thumb against Baylor, leaving opportunities for young guys like Eric Winters and AnQuon Fegans to step in and showcase their talents. And, perhaps even elevate the Tigers' play on the back end.
Will Auburn air it out more against Ball State?
Going into last week’s season opener against Baylor, all the talk was about how dangerous the Tigers’ passing game would be. But Auburn simply didn’t need to throw the ball or take any risks doing so against the Bears.
Auburn rushed for 307 yards last week and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. Its performance on the ground was the best in the SEC and the 10th best in the country.
However, while Auburn could probably handle its business on the ground again on Saturday, the day will come when Jackson Arnold and the Tigers’ offense will face a loaded box and be forced to air it out. And Saturday is a perfect opportunity to do so.
Auburn will likely keep its offensive game plan vanilla, but even the basics should allow the Tigers’ talented crop of receivers and Arnold to shine. Ball State’s defense relinquished 340 yards through the air in its loss last week, which ranks 130th in the nation.
Head coach Hugh Freeze could open things up a bit and aim to show glimpses of what the Tigers' offense can be when it’s firing on all cylinders.
Opportunities for some young guys
No one is overlooking Ball State inside the Tigers’ locker room, but if Auburn handles business in the early goings – as it’s expected to do, being a 43.5 point favorite – there will be lots of opportunities to get some young and inexperienced guys in on the action.
Of course, all eyes will be pointed toward the quarterback position with Deuce Knight and Ashton Daniels continuously splitting second-team reps throughout camp. Freeze noted on Thursday that if they are to go to another quarterback later in the game, Knight would trot out first.
Omar Mabson II, who was praised throughout camp as an impressive newcomer, could potentially get some run in the absence of starting running back Damari Alston, who banged up his shoulder last week.
The Tigers will most certainly rotate a handful of offensive linemen while also throwing some young receivers out in the mix, if the opportunity presents itself.
But on the defensive side of the ball, Auburn has a convoy of freshmen who are chomping at the bit to get in on some action. The Tigers played six true freshmen against Baylor last week – nothing new for Durkin, as Auburn led the country in defensive snaps taken by true freshmen last season.
Freeze mentioned defensive lineman Darrion Smith as someone who impressed last week and wished he had played more. Malik Autry, Jourdin Crawford and Jared Smith – all highly-touted recruits coming in the 2025 class – could see more action up front. Linebackers Elijah Melendez and Bryce Deas – who was a special teams warrior against Baylor – along with Winters and Fegans in the secondary, will most likely be the first ones called on if the Tigers go up big on Saturday.
Kickoff for Saturday is slated for 6:30 p.m. and will air on ESPNU.
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