The Auburn Tigers will travel to College Station on Saturday to take on No. 9 Texas A&M in hopes of their first conference win of the season.
Auburn, coming off a 24-17 loss to Oklahoma a week ago, is looking to avoid its second straight loss and an 0-2 start in conference play. Meanwhile, the Aggies are fresh off a bye week, which came after they took down then-No. 8 Notre Dame, 41-40, for their first road nonconference win versus a top-10 opponent since 1979.
The Aggies hold the all-time series advantage, 8-7, but will be looking to avenge themselves after Auburn walked away with a 43-41 win in a quadruple overtime thriller last season, ultimately crushing the Aggies’ hopes of making the College Football Playoff.
Here are the biggest things to look for in Saturday’s matchup:
Flush it and move on
Last week’s loss to Oklahoma was dramatic and mistake-filled, to say the least.
Yes, Auburn took the brunt end of a relatively poorly officiated game, which the Southeastern Conference made a public statement about one missed call on a hideout play that resulted in a Sooners’ touchdown.
But Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze will be the first to admit it: Auburn didn’t make the plays necessary to go on the road and win against an opponent of that caliber. After all, the Tigers held a lead in the fourth quarter.
But it’s a new week and another opportunity for Auburn to boost its résumé with a top-10 win on the road. Almost everyone who objectively looked at the Tigers’ schedule before the season believed that Auburn needed to get out of its first three-game stretch against SEC opponents with at least one win in order to keep the high hopes rolling for the remainder of the season.
It didn’t get the job done last week, and with a top-5 opponent in Georgia on the horizon two weeks from now, Auburn must rebound to keep its goals of potentially making a playoff run intact.
Clean up the miscues, no costly penalties
Auburn has yet again struggled on special teams this season, and it was, in large part, a detriment to the Tigers’ success a week ago.
Obviously, there were some missed throws from quarterback Jackson Arnold and a handful of other plays that, had they gone the Tigers' way, would have made a difference in the game.
But the No. 1 thing that has to be at the forefront of Freeze’s mind heading into this one is cleaning up unnecessary penalties.
Auburn was penalized 13 times for a total of 85 yards a week ago. According to ESPN analyst Greg McElroy, Auburn has committed 15 penalties on offense, which is 110th in the nation. It has also given up 11 first downs on defense/special teams due to penalties, and is averaging 8.5 penalties per game, which puts it at 123rd in the nation. The Tigers have given up a total of 276 yards in penalties, good for 118th in the country.
If Auburn wants to roll into its bye week with a win under its belt, it must clean up this facet of its game.
A&M’s dynamic duo out wide
The tandem of Mario Craver and KC Concepcion has been nothing short of stellar for the Aggies through three games this season.
They have combined for 33 receptions for 670 yards and seven touchdowns through the air. Both possess above-average skills in eating up yards after the catch, and 28 of their 33 combined receptions have resulted in a first down or touchdown – Concepcion’s 13 receptions have all gone for that mark.
Craver leads the SEC with 443 yards on 20 receptions and has posted three straight 100-plus yard outings. He also leads the nation with 147.7 receiving yards per game.
Delivering the ball to them is quarterback Marcel Reed, who Auburn fans are familiar with. Reed ranks No. 4 nationally in total offense and has thrown for 869 yards and nine touchdowns with just one interception.
Auburn’s defense, which may be without cornerback Jay Crawford for the second consecutive week, will have its hands full in its aspirations to contain the Aggies’ potent passing attack.
Get back to pounding the ball
Auburn’s offense had no trouble on the ground through its first three games, as it entered last week's matchup against Oklahoma with the third-best rushing attack in the SEC with 242 yards per game on the ground.
The Tigers never got the run game going against a feisty Oklahoma front, and, as a result, Arnold dropped back to pass a whopping 48 times – and was sacked on nine of those attempts.
Texas A&M doesn’t quite have the same run-stop prowess that Oklahoma possessed, and comes into Saturday’s matchup ranked No. 72 nationally in run defense, with 139 yards per game given up on the ground. It also allowed UTSA to surpass the 200-yard mark in Week 1.
For Auburn, getting back to its comfort of having the run game firing on all cylinders is paramount in this game, which will allow the offense to operate at its full potential – something that didn't happen a week ago.
The Tigers will kick off against the Aggies at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN on Saturday.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
