The 2023 Music City Bowl will feature a match-up of the SEC versus the Big Ten in Nashville, Tennessee. The Auburn Tigers ended the regular season at 6-6 and have lost the last two games. For Maryland, they are a 7-5 looking for win number eight. These are two programs that have not played football since 1983 when Auburn won 35-23.
Auburn had three running backs go over 100 yards in the game with Tommy Agee (219), Lionel James (115), and Bo Jackson (105). Maryland, they were led by quarterback Boomer Esiason who went 23 for 37 with 355 yards and three touchdowns. That was a late-season game between two top-10 teams. This matchup may not have players of that status but there are plenty of great athletes to get excited about. Kickoff for the game is set at 2 p.m. Eastern and will be broadcast by ABC. Auburn leads the series all-time two games to one.
Auburn Tigers
Hugh Freeze Bowl Success
Hugh Freeze is used to coaching his teams to bowl appearances. While at Liberty and Ole Miss, he reached the postseason in a year at both programs. That was a goal for this Auburn team to get the program moving in the right direction. It was not easy for the Tigers, with a very up-and-down season. They opened the season at 3-0, lost four consecutives, won three in a row, and then dropped the final two games of the season. On the field, the Freeze-led teams won bowls in his first seasons at Liberty and Ole Miss. Could the 2023 Music City Bowl be another bowl victory?
Auburn Offense
With Freeze becoming the head coach a lot expected big things from the offense. It was a struggle for much of the first half of the season. A lot of that was a result of an unsettled quarterback situation with Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford. When Thorne became the unquestioned starter, the offense began to show more consistency. The strength was the running game averaging 198.4 yards per game. Jarquez Hunter led the way with 865 yards and seven touchdowns. Thorne is the second-leading rusher with 520 yards and three touchdowns. That is with his 1,671 yards passing and 15 touchdowns.
Auburn may need to lean more on the run game with the exits of many receivers on the team. Since the end of the season Ja’varrius Johnson, Malcolm Johnson, Omari Kelly, and Jyaire Shorter have left the program. Tight end Rivaldo Fairweather returns as the team’s leading receiver. The 2023 Music City Bowl could be a great opportunity for Camden Brown, Caleb Burton, and Shane Hooks to show their capabilities.
Auburn Secondary Questions
The defense was the strength of the Tigers in 2023. The unit ranked fourth in the SEC allowing 21.9 points per game. Overall, the team was ranked ninth in the conference giving up 361.1 yards per game, ranked fourth against the pass. Coming into the season, the secondary was looked at as the team’s strength. They will be without starting cornerbacks D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett. Both opted out after declaring for the NFL Draft. Keionte Scott is returning to the team and is making the switch from nickel to corner. Despite also declaring for the NFL Draft, safeties Jaylin Simpson and Zion Puckett will play in the 2023 Music City Bowl. Simpson led the team with four interceptions.
Maryland Terrapins
Mike Locksley at Maryland
The Maryland Terrapins finished fourth in the Big Ten East with a 4-5 conference record and 7-5 overall. Head coach Mike Locksley has been with the Terrapins for five years and holds a record of 28-33. After winning just five games in his first two seasons, he has guided Maryland to three straight bowl appearances. He is not a stranger to the Auburn Tigers with him being on the Alabama staff from 2016-18.
Missing a Quarterback
The offense was one of the best in the Big Ten. The Terrapins ranked second in total offense at 393.8 yards per game, and first in passing at 284.8. Maryland was also fourth, averaging 29.6 points per game. They will though be without starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa who opted out of the game to prepare for the NFL Draft. Tagovailoa led the conference with 3,377 yards and 25 touchdowns. He is the Big Ten’s all-time passing yards leader with 11,265 yards, and seventh with 76 touchdowns. Replacing him against Auburn could be Billy Edwards Jr. The sophomore only has ten attempts on the season and completed four.
They will have receivers Jeshaun Jones and Tai Felton on the field to help the inexperienced quarterback. Jones led the team with 747 yards and caught four touchdown passes. Felton was first in touchdowns with six and had 723 yards on the season. Maryland would need to try the run game with sophomore Roman Hemby. He rushed for 663 yards and four touchdowns this season. In the last game of the regular season, Hemby had 113 yards in a 42-24 win over Rutgers.
Struggling Defense
While the offense was a strength, the defense was the weakness of the team. The Terrapins ranked eighth in the Big Ten in yards (336.9), passing (207.3), and points allowed (23.3). They were a bit better against the run allowing 129.6 yards per game. However, the defense is good at getting to the quarterback, and they did so 31 times. Linebacker Kellan Wyatt led the team with four and a half sacks and lineman Quashon Fuller had three. They will be without one of the best defensive backs in the Big Ten with Tarheeb Still opting out of the game. He led the team with five interceptions.
Who Wins the 2023 Music City Bowl?
The loss of Tagovailoa for Maryland is a big one. It took away what this game could have been. Auburn has its concerns at wide receiver, and perhaps the Terrapin receivers can take advantage of James and Pritchett not being in the lineup. Auburn has the run game to control the game and an experienced quarterback. The Tigers should have the advantage of the crowd being so close to home.
The Auburn Tigers win the 2023 Music City Bowl 27-10.
