AUBURN — Auburn will take to the road once more to end a three-game road skid as the Tigers will travel to Lexington, Ky., to take on the Wildcats.
The Tigers are still searching for their first conference win of the season after starting 0-4 in SEC play. With four straight conference losses, Auburn has lost its first four SEC games in back-to-back years for the first time in program history.
Here are the biggest things to look for in Saturday's game:
Will Alex McPherson return?
Auburn’s kicking game has left a lot to be desired this season under true freshman walk-on kicker Towns McGough. After winning A-Day MVP in the spring and showing off the impressive range, McGough has struggled to handle kicking duties for the Tigers this season.
McGough is 5-for-10 on field goals and has left a lot of points on the board for a struggling Auburn offense. Head coach Hugh Freeze said that McGough is in a “kicking slump” right now and that incumbent starter Alex McPherson could probably have kicked last week if needed.
Returning to the team in the fall after missing a majority of the summer battling illness, McPherson has been listed as “probable” on Auburn’s injury report for a few weeks, and it seems likely that he will return to kick field goals within 35 yards on Saturday.
Some shuffle along the offensive line
It’s not ideal to have a continuous shuffle along the offensive line heading into the eighth game of the season, but that’s what Auburn has done leading up to Saturday’s game.
Earlier in the season, there was some shuffling at the left tackle spot between redshirt freshman Tyler Johnson and senior transfer Percy Lewis, but Lewis has taken most of the starting snaps the last few games. However, Lewis has struggled in pass protection, allowing a sack on the opening drive of the last two games and setting the Tigers up in a poor position to create any offensive momentum early on.
Freeze mentioned this week that there would be some shuffle among the front five. From left to right, the group is expected to look like: Dillon Wade, Bradyn Joiner, Connor Lew, Jeremiah Wright and Izavion Miller.
Will Auburn see two quarterbacks?
Brock Vandagriff has been the solidified starter for the Wildcats throughout the year, but backup Gavin Wimsatt has entered games and poses as a running threat. He is currently third on the team in rushing.
Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops was asked this week about a possible quarterback change and did not rule that out. He said he would look at all options to give the team the best chance at moving the ball.
Dane Key
Auburn’s defense did a nice job a week ago limiting an explosive Missouri passing attack and one of the best wide receivers in the league in Luther Burden, and while the numbers don’t jump off the page, Kentucky’s Dane Key can pose a problem this week as one of the better receivers in the league.
Key is arguably the most explosive playmaker the Tigers will see on the perimeter this year and has tallied up 500 yards and two touchdowns on the season. The Tigers will need to continue playing strong coverage on the backend of their defense to limit Key on Saturday.
Which Kentucky will Auburn get?
Five weeks ago, Kentucky was in a dogfight with the number one team in the nation and had Georgia fighting until the end to secure a one-point victory in Lexington. Two weeks later, the Wildcats went on the road to Vaught Hemingway Stadium and took down No. 6 Ole Miss on their home turf.
But, they have followed up with losses to Vanderbilt at home and Florida at home in recent weeks and have not looked like the team it was in week three of the season.
Kentucky’s 3-4 record doesn’t wow you by any means, but it has the potential to upset any team in the country, meaning Auburn must be on its A-game yet again on Saturday.
Kickoff is set for 6:45 CT and will be aired on SECN.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email logan.fowler@1819News.com.
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