It is not often that a match-up between a couple of 3-6 teams can create a lot of excitement and buzz, but that is the case this Saturday night when Auburn hosts Texas A&M. Neither team is having the season they envisioned, and both will be fighting to keep their bowl hopes alive. Auburn has an interim head coach in Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, and on the other side, Jimbo Fisher has been hit with major criticism for not living up to expectations. The game will be sold out at Jordan-Hare Stadium with the home crowd ready to see one of their own Williams lead the team out on the field.
Auburn hosts Texas A&M
Cadillac Brings the Energy
The Auburn family needed hope last week after the firing of head coach Bryan Harsin. Since the 41-12 home loss to Penn State in the third game of the season, there has not been much momentum around the team. That changed last week against Mississippi State. Yes, Auburn did lose the game 39-33 in overtime, but the team showed something they hadn’t under Harsin’s leadership. They showed a fight and no quit attitude. Those are things Williams promised when he took over as the interim head coach. After being down 24-6 at halftime, they battled back to take a late 33-30 lead before the Bulldogs forced overtime.
Rushing Yards Galore
Both Auburn and Texas A&M are teams that want to run the football. Another thing these two have in common is their inability to stop their opponents on the ground. They are the bottom two rush defenses in the Southeastern Conference. Auburn gives up an average of 192.2 yards and Texas A&M gives up 215.1. In the last two games for the Aggies, they have surrendered yardage totals of 390 (Ole Miss) and 291 (Florida).
In the A&M backfield rests one of the most electric players in the SEC in running Devon Achane. He is third in the conference with 887 yards and has reached the endzone six times. In the last two games against Ole Miss and Florida, Achane has totaled 260 yards and two touchdowns. He is also a threat as a receiver with 36 catches on the season.
For Auburn, it is more of a dynamic due and not just one individual. Tank Bigsby leads the way with 676 yards with eight touchdowns and an average of 5.5 yards per carry. It has not always been easy for Bigsby to get his yards this season, but when in the open field he is a defender’s nightmare. In the last three games he has busted loose for runs of 41 twice and one of 50 yards. When Tank needs a breather, Auburn looks to Jarquez Hunter who is just as explosive and has scored six times on the season. Hunter has scored two touchdowns in the last two games.
Robby Ashford is the X-factor
How Auburn uses quarterback Robby Ashford could make all the difference between winning and losing the game. New Auburn offensive coordinator Will Friend used Ashford in different ways than had been seen when Eric Kiesau was calling the plays. Ashford has made plays all season with his running ability, but that was mostly due to scrambles on pass plays. Against Mississippi State, he was used more in design runs and the read option. It opened things up more for Bigsby and Hunter who gained 108 yards and scored twice.
He will need to be better in the passing game so the Aggies will not be able to just key on the Tigers’ rushing attack. Ashford still needs more development as a pocket passer but has shown to be at his best on rollout plays when he can run or throw. While Texas A&M is the worst rush defense in the SEC, they are the best in the conference against the pass. Teams average 173.6 yards in the air when playing the Aggies.
Derrick Hall and Company
Auburn ranks fifth in the SEC at getting to the quarterback with 21 sacks through nine games. Leading the way is superstar edge rusher Derick Hall. He is tied for third in the conference with 6.5 sacks and got to Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers twice and forced a fumble. The Aggies cannot just gameplan for Hall though, because defensive end Colby Wooden can create havoc as well. Wooden is second on the team with five sacks. The junior had one sack on Rogers and recovered a fumble.
The group will try to disrupt the timing of talented freshman quarterback Connor Wiegman. The young signal-caller made his first start two games ago against Ole Miss and showed great things. Wiegman was 28 of 44 for 338 yards and four touchdowns. He missed last week’s game against Florida due to being one of several Aggies with the flu. Texas A&M has given up 19 sacks on the season, and Auburn will look to add to that total.
Who Wins When Auburn hosts Texas A&M?
These are two 3-6 teams that seem to be going in opposite directions despite both entering the game with long-losing streaks. Both teams have lost their last five. The difference for Auburn is the enthusiasm and hope that Cadillac has brought to the team as interim head coach. The sold-out Auburn crowd will inject the Tigers with energy and that will be too much for the Aggies to handle. The Auburn defensive front will cause Weigman issues, and the run game will control things on offense.
Auburn wins the game 34-20.
