AUBURN — Auburn is getting ready for one of its biggest challenges thus far with a matchup against No. 19 Missouri on Saturday in Columbia.
Led by signal caller Brady Cook, Missouri presents one of the better passing attacks in the conference, and Cook has no shortage of options on the outside with preseason All-American Luther Burden heading the charge for the Tigers, along with dynamic playmaker Theo Wease.
And with an already thin Auburn secondary, it makes Saturday’s obstacle a lot more challenging.
“We've been tested, for sure, but I think this would be the biggest one thus far. You know, we're so young back there (in the secondary), and I do think we're getting better each week, Freeze said. “Luther Burden is arguably the best in the league. And he's not the only one they have, truthfully. They're all very, very talented. Then you add to it the play of (Brady) Cook and his maturity and consistency, and obviously, Eli and his staff do a really good job offensively. So, they're going to make you execute very, very well to be able to get off the field on defense. And our young guys will definitely be tested.”
Cook comes into the game completing 65% of his passes and has racked up 1,361 yards through the air while throwing only one interception. Wease leads Missouri in receiving with 407 yards on 31 catches, while Burden isn’t far behind with 398 yards on 31 catches.
Auburn linebacker Eugene Asante knows that it all starts with Cook, one of the better quarterbacks in the country, and that limiting him will alleviate the offensive firepower that Missouri presents.
“They have a complete offense, they have a really good offense, and Brady Cook is at the helm of that,” Asante said. “He’s certainly somebody that is super dynamic in getting the ball to his playmakers, and then on top of that, he has the capability of running. So, just being able to limit him in any way possible and having tight coverage on the back end. Then on third down, getting in situations where we can go pressure the quarterback and get him off the spot to limit him.
“And we understand what Luther Burton is. He's a top draft pick, and we understand what he brings to the game as a dynamic playmaker. So just challenging the corners all week, you know, understanding that you know this is an elite competition just going against him,” he added.
It’ll take a complete defensive performance from Auburn on Saturday, and with a team that leads the nation in defensive snaps played by freshmen, the Tigers will rely heavily on the veteran presence of Asante and guys alike to make plays on critical downs.
“Unfortunately, we still are giving up too many explosive plays and not playing extremely well in critical downs," Freeze said. “But I do see improvement, and I'm really happy with the job the staff’s doing and the way they go to work every day to get our young kids improved. But hopefully, after this open week, we’ll see more consistency in all three phases.”
Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT and will be aired on ESPN.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email logan.fowler@1819News.com.
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