After the defeat of No. 9 Washington on opening weekend, the Tigers theoretically have an easier opponent this week with FCS foe Alabama State.
The home opener should be a good tune-up game to fix the little things that were evident in Week 1 before No. 11 LSU comes to town.
Here are a few Auburn players to watch and keys to this Week 2 matchup:
Players to watch:
Javaris Davis and Jamel Dean:
After suffering an arm injury in the team’s win against Washington, Javaris Davis was cleared for practice, but Gus Malzahn failed the specify if Davis would see the field on Saturday against Alabama State.
The same goes for Jamel Dean, after he injured a finger on his right hand and was forced to wear a cast against Washington. Malzahn also said he was cleared for practice but would not confirm if he would see the field on Saturday.
If the two do step on the field, it will be interesting to see how long Malzahn keeps them out there or if getting them healthy for a probable top-10 match up against LSU.
JaTarvious “Boobee” Whitlow
After an 8-carry, 28-yard outing in his first college football game, “Boobee” Whitlow made a name for himself after a coming up big on a crucial third down from the 10. He met Washington’s "enforcer," JoJo McIntosh, at the goal-line and bullied his way into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.
Whitlow’s late-game performance has been the talk of the week leading up to Alabama State. The eight carries against Washington is not a likely trend for the amount the Whitlow will touch the ball this season; look out for him to add more carries against a weaker defensive front in Alabama State.
Arryn Siposs and Aidan Marshall
The ongoing punting battle between Arryn Siposs and Aidan Marshall will carry on into Week 2 against Alabama State after Malzahn said they are both "in the mix."
Marshall started against Washington but was pulled after an abysmal 30-yard punt. Siposs came in for relief and averaged 43.5 yards on two punts.
Expect to see both of the punters in action on Saturday, and see if Alabama State can stop Auburn’s offense enough for Malzahn to make a decision on who will be the No. 1 guy.
Keys to victory:
· Auburn is the clear favorite in this game and the main thing the Tigers need to do is stay healthy. With a huge game coming up against No. 11 LSU, it is crucial the Tigers put this one away early and avoid another Mercer or JSU and risk potential injuries.
· Let the freshman wide receivers get some work. The highly touted freshman group did get some playing time but the only one with a sizeable impact was Seth Williams. The Tigers should see what these freshmen are made of and cut them loose on Saturday.
· Finish drives. Auburn struggled to put the ball in the end zone against Washington, except on the first and last drive of the game. In order for the Tigers to build some confidence going into LSU, it is key for the offense to score seven instead of three.
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