Auburn WRs Davis and Slayton hitting strides, just in time for No. 1 Georgia
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Wide receiver Ryan Davis has seven catches for the Auburn Tigers in their 42-27 victory at Texas A&M on Saturday; teammate Darius Slayton had only two.
Therefore, it would be logical to assume Davis had more yards than Slayton. But that’s not how the Auburn offense works.
Slayton’s two catches were a 53-yard touchdown and a 46-yard grab which set the Tigers up inside the Aggies’ 5-yard line, setting up a touchdown. So Slayton’s line read: Two catches, 99 yards, one touchdown.
Davis, meanwhile, is Auburn’s possession receiver. His seven catches against the Aggies went for 80 yards and a touchdown in his role as quarterback Jarrett Stidham’s most reliable target. Davis doesn’t usually put up flashy numbers like Slayton but he still plays a very important role for the Tigers.
The Batman-and-Robin dynamic doesn’t work for Davis and Slayton, though, as both players are the hero and not the sidekick. Slayton makes the plays that show up on SportsCenter, but Davis is tied for the SEC lead (with Mississippi’s A.J. Brown) with 48 receptions.
Both players are hitting their stride at the right time, as a tough test looms this Saturday against the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs, the No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff rankings. Auburn could be back in the mix for a CFP berth with a victory. A loss could eliminate the Tigers from SEC West contention.
Fortunately for Auburn offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, a couple of games give clues on how to attack the Georgia offense, and they play into Slayton’s and Davis’ strengths.
The offense that has had the most success against Georgia this year was the Missouri Tigers. And, in what should be good news for Slayton, Mizzou QB Drew Lock did so by throwing a couple of deep touchdowns to WR Emanuel Hall, each of which went for 63 yards in the Tigers’ 53-28 loss.
Georgia had its season high in points (53) against Missouri on Oct. 14, but allowed its season high in points (28) as well. Auburn scored 51 on Mizzou, one off its season high.
By getting Slayton in one-on-one coverage against a cornerback and having Stidham throw it deep, Lindsey can put Auburn in a position to create some big plays against the Bulldogs’ secondary.
The other Georgia game Lindsey might want to take a long look at is Saturday’s against South Carolina — specifically, how the Gamecocks used tight end Hayden Hurst. Auburn doesn’t throw much to its tight ends, but Hurst is used more as a slot receiver anyway, so the film should be a blueprint for how to deploy Davis this weekend.
The Gamecocks moved Hurst around and got him the ball seven times for 93 yards. If QB Jake Bentley hadn’t tossed two interceptions, and if the Gamecocks had gotten more from their running game, the score could have been a lot closer in Athens.
South Carolina likes to isolate Hurst on linebackers because he’s often taller than them. If the Tigers can get Davis isolated on Georgia’s linebackers, he’s faster than them so he should find some space.
Auburn’s running game has been excellent this year, but so has Georgia’s run defense. Therefore, Auburn’s passing attack will have to have its best performance of the year to win. If the Tigers are going to pull off the upset on Saturday, Stidham, Slayton and Davis are going to have to have big games.
Fortunately for Auburn, that trio has been finding its rhythm lately.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
