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No. 3 Auburn plays host to Kevin Sumlin and Texas A&M Saturday inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Let’s take a look inside the numbers of Auburn’s matchup this week.
The Good
643: The number of rushing yards Auburn has totaled in its last two outings combined. The Tigers have returned to form on the ground in the last two games, and now face a Texas A&M rush defense that ranks No. 12 in the SEC. Look for Nick Marshall, Cameron Artis-Payne and company to have a big day.
32:11: The Tigers’ time of possession in the win at Ole Miss last week. Auburn won the time of possession against the Rebels, something it rarely does. It seems as if Gus Malzahn is beginning to use the run to set up the pass, and the Tigers are nearly unstoppable when the offense operates that way. Auburn should put up points this weekend, but don’t be surprised if it controls the clock, as well.
2: The Tigers were plus-one in turnover margin last week in Oxford, with the biggest takeaway coming late in the fourth quarter as Ole Miss’ Laquon Treadwell was battling for the end zone. The Aggies are minus-eight in turnover margin, tied for last in the league. Look for Auburn to force some turnovers this weekend.
The Bad:
2: The number of road games against top 20 teams Auburn has left. Since the loss at Mississippi State, the Tigers are 2-0 in the stretch run. With dates at No. 20 Georgia and No. 5 Alabama still to come, Auburn needs this game. A&M is an inferior opponent, but make no mistake, the Aggies have the talent to come in and upset the Tigers. If you’re Auburn, stay the course and get the win.
13: Auburn played perhaps its most undisciplined game of the season last week, committing 13 penalties. Most of them were late-play fouls including late hits, holdings and pass interferences. No team is good enough to give that much free yardage to the opponent.
1: Texas A&M leads the SEC in passing yards, passing completions and passing touchdowns. Auburn finally generated a pass rush last week against a patchwork Ole Miss offensive line. A&M features a few draft picks on its offensive front, and should present a tougher challenge. Kenny Hill, however, is serving the second game of a two-game suspension, though offensive coordinator Jake Spavital has said the job is freshman Kyle Allen’s to lose. Will Auburn be able to rough Allen up?
After living in Birmingham, Ala., Jordan left the ground zero of SEC Nation to head south to Florida to tell the unique stories of the renowned tradition of SEC football. In his free time, his mission is to find the best locales around.
