Missouri and Auburn face off Saturday on The Plains in the SEC opener for both teams.

And while it might not be a game that garners much in the way of national headlines, it’s a big game for each program.

At Auburn, Bryan Harsin has come under fire in his 2nd season, while Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz is trying to get his program moving in the right direction in his 3rd year.

And Drinkwitz has one of the SEC’s top freshman at his disposal this season, former 5-star recruit Luther Burden III.

The 5-11, 215-pounder wideout has 10 receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown and has added 40 yards and an additional score on the ground so far this season

During the weekly SEC coaches teleconference Wednesday, Drinkwitz said he has been pleased with Burden and his development, as well as the direction in which his offense is trending.

“Luther’s doing a good job,” Drinkwitz said. “Every day is a new day for Luther. … Again, there’s a heck of a learning curve for a true freshman. … As far as the quarterback play, Brady (Cook is) done some really good things and he’s done some things he’s got to learn to do better. Everybody around him needs to play better, too. … It’s easy to point at the quarterback, but everyone has to improve. I have to improve.”

Drinkwitz also said Wednesday that he has been impressed with what he’s seen on film from Auburn.

“They have really good schemes,” Drinkwitz said. “Obviously they have designed quarterback runs for their quarterbacks. … If there’s a breakdown in communication, if there’s a misfit gap, there’s a big play. They have elite running backs and talented players.”

The matchup of the Tigers is set for noon (ET) on Saturday. The game will be televised by ESPN and Auburn is currently a 7-point favorite.