The Auburn Tigers host 9-1 Southern Conference champion Mercer Saturday, looking to move one win closer to bowl eligibility. The Bears, led by head coach Mike Jacobs, clinched their second straight conference title and FCS playoff spot already. This past weekend, Mercer obliterated conference opponent Chattanooga 63-17.
Jacobs has the Bears firing on all cylinders and leads one of the top offenses in the nation. Auburn’s defense remains one of the nation’s elite, but it looks to recover after giving up over 500 yards and 45 points to Vanderbilt.
Can Auburn Handle The Top FCS Offense?
Knight, Arnold To Split Reps
Due to quarterback Ashton Daniels having played in three games, interim head coach D.J. Durkin made the decision to sit him out vs. Mercer. The move preserves a season of eligibility for Daniels, who will play his fourth game vs Alabama next week. It also gives Auburn a chance to see what they have in their backup quarterbacks, one of whom is of particular interest to Tiger fans.
While a starter hasn’t been announced, Durkin told reporters that Jackson Arnold would split reps with freshman Deuce Knight on Saturday. Knight, a four-star recruit out of George County HS (MS), was one of Hugh Freeze’s largest recruiting successes in his tenure. He’s the complete package, with a big arm, a 6-4 frame, and rare speed at the position. As he acclimates to processing against a college defense, expect to see his track and field background show up on scrambles.
“He was in my office, and his face lit up. He’s ready to conquer the world,” Durkin said, adding, “Deuce has a lot of great football ahead of him; he hasn’t had that opportunity, but he’s gonna get that opportunity. You can just tell the differences. We practiced last night, and you can see the difference in him right there.”
For Jackson Arnold, Saturday is an opportunity to show growth in Derrick Nix’s offense. Cleaning up mistakes like holding onto the ball too long, failing to make reads, and running as a first instinct can help him solidify his backup spot. With the season coming to a close and the portal opening soon, a game of improved tape can’t hurt either.
Mercer’s Offense Is Dangerous
There’s little doubt that the Auburn defense can and should handle Mercer based on the physicality of the SEC alone. With that being said, Durkin and the Tigers should be careful not to overlook the Bears with the Iron Bowl looming.
At the helm is freshman quarterback Braden Atkinson, who has burst onto the scene in his first season. Through ten games, Atkinson has thrown for 3238 yards, 33 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. His physical profile doesn’t jump off the charts, standing at 6’1” with just solid arm strength. His fit in the offense, however, couldn’t be better. He’s pinpoint accurate and processes defenses far quicker than most freshmen. Offensive coordinator Anthony Soto runs a pro-style offense that specializes in getting the ball out of Atkinson’s hands as quickly as possible. It has worked all season, and Mercer’s passing offense ranks second in FCS with almost 350 yards a game.
Another strength of Mercer and Atkinson is spreading touches amongst their receivers. While Aditya Dabbs leads the Bears with 782 yards, Adonis McDaniel and Brayden Smith have over 600 yards as well. Not far behind them is Kendall Harris with 462 yards.
Keeping Atkinson upright is a stout offensive line that has allowed the second fewest sacks in FCS (3). While the offense is pass-heavy, Bears running back CJ Miller gives them a change of pace when needed. A strong and physical 230-pound back, Miller wears down defensive lines. So far, he has produced 810 yards on 6 yards a carry and scored 13 touchdowns this season.
The game kicks off at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at Jordan-Hare and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
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