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Tom Luginbill suggests strong finish for Auburn amid offensive struggles
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
Tom Luginbill can foresee Auburn reaching bowl eligibility now that new head coach Hugh Freeze has notched his first SEC win at the program.
Auburn is coming off a 27-13 victory vs. visiting Mississippi State, its first SEC win in 5 tries during Freeze’s first season at the helm. Quarterback Payton Thorne went 20-for-26 for 230 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. Running back Jarquez Hunter finished with 144 yards on the ground.
The ESPN analyst was impressed with the newfound balance offensively for Auburn.
“…I could legitimately see Auburn finishing 7-5 and when you consider that offense in it’s entirety through the entire season, that would be one of the better coaching jobs in the league” said @espn’s @TomLuginbill @AuburnFootball @CoachHughFreeze pic.twitter.com/wkJi29UnFM
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) October 30, 2023
“He was very efficient. There were able to run the ball at the running back position too. I think that’s another thing that’s been lacking,” Luginbill said. “They’ve gotten the bulk of their runs from quarterback runs because they really haven’t had any semblance of order in the passing game. This time they were able to be complementary to 1 another.”
Luginbill mentions the realistic possibility that Auburn can crack 7 wins because of a remaining slate that includes matchups vs. Vanderbilt, Arkansas and New Mexico State prior to playing vs. Alabama in the regular season finale.
“Outside of Alabama remaining on their schedule, I could legitimately see Auburn finishing 7-5 and when you consider that offense in it’s entirety through the entire season, that would be one of the better coaching jobs in the league,” Luginbill said. “…It’s pretty remarkable.”
Auburn at Vanderbilt is set for a 4 p.m. EST kickoff on Saturday (SEC Network).
