Two 1-7 teams will clash this weekend under the lights of Jordan-Hare Stadium to a crowd that may be few and far between.
Auburn vs. New Mexico State would not be a marquee matchup if it was a good year for the Tigers, but this year it has dropped even farther.
It is Auburn's homecoming, and the Tigers always want to get a win against an opponent that should usually be outmatched.
But in this particular year, it is unclear how much better Auburn is than its homecoming opponent.
Auburn ranks 122nd overall in points scored in the FBS rankings with only 16.4 a game.
New Mexico State is only slightly better at 21 points a game.
The Tigers average slightly less than 30 points a game allowed on defense, but the Aggies are letting teams rack up 33.5 points a game.
The big story for Auburn this weekend is not how poorly the team has performed thus far, but the opportunity the freshman quarterback Jonathan Wallace will receive.
Wallace will make his first collegiate start Nov. 3 against New Mexico State.
The freshman has seen some playing time this year, but it has been in a limited and mainly wildcat offensive style.
Because of this, he has normally run out of the backfield to give Auburn a change of pace to quarterbacks Kiehl Frazier and Clint Moseley's traditional pocket-passing style.
Wallace has only thrown the ball 10 times this season, but he has completed seven of those passes for a 70 percent completion rate.
He will need to keep that excellent completion rate up if the Tigers are going to have a chance to defeat New Mexico State's defense.
Wallace has run the ball 27 times for 106 yards this season.
Though both teams have only won one game this year, the sentiment is that Auburn should win this game for a number of reasons.
First, Auburn is at home. Whatever the team's record may be, an SEC stadium home field advantage can never be counted out.
Second, Auburn has an excellent record in homecoming games. The all time record is 72-8-5 in the Tigers' homecoming games.
Third, The Tigers' backs are against the wall. It's an old cliche, but it's true. Auburn's backs have been against the wall since the team lost to Mississippi State, but New Mexico State should always be an easy win.
If Auburn does not win this game, consider the heat coming from head coach Gene Chizik's seat to be blistering.
There has been talk during the latter part of the season wondering if Chizik will lose his job, and a loss to New Mexico State would likely result in a massive outcry from the Auburn faithful.
The problem for Chizik is that even if his Tigers win Saturday, he's still on the hot seat, and the only thing that can take him off it will be a victory against Alabama.
The game is set to kick off at 11:30 a.m. at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
