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A spirit that is not afraid

Players to watch, keys to victory for Auburn vs. No. 20 Texas A&M

<p>Nick Coe (91) rushes the passer during Auburn Football vs. LSU on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 in Auburn, Ala.&nbsp;</p>

Nick Coe (91) rushes the passer during Auburn Football vs. LSU on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 in Auburn, Ala. 

With bowl eligibility on the line, Auburn returns to Jordan-Hare Stadium to take on Texas A&M. Neither team has won its home matchup in the previous six meetings as both coaches hope to get their respective teams back on track.

Auburn returns from a bye week following a win over Ole Miss in Oxford, while the Aggies continue their road trip after a loss to Mississippi State. Here are some players to watch and keys to victory for each team in advance of Saturday.

Players to watch

Kellen Mond (TAMU)

The Tigers had Mond’s number in last season’s matchup with him struggling to get anything going running or through the air. Mond was yanked from the game in the second quarter after he threw 11 times for only 16 yards. 

Under new leadership, Mond has put up solid numbers thus far but has shown tendencies to fall back into his inconsistent ways. In arguably his three biggest matchups this season, he has completed under 53 percent of his passes combined. Against an Auburn defensive line that is constantly getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, it will be interesting to see if Mond can stay poised in the pocket and deliver accurate passes.

Kingsley Keke (TAMU)

Keke has been a menace in opposing backfields this season. He has made his impact know whether it comes against the run or getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The senior defensive lineman has totaled 17 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in his career with seven tackles for loss and five sacks coming from this season alone.

Daylon Mack (TAMU)

Mack has been an unexpected star this season, stepping into the starting role after Micheal Clemons after he went down with a foot injury. At 6-foot-1, 335 pounds, Mack has been a hole-clogging, immovable object all season. 

The matchup between him and Nick Brahms will be one of the major indicators of who comes out on top Saturday. 

Boobee Whitlow (Auburn)

Whitlow has placed himself as the No. 1 running back on the roster, but injuries have kept him from reaching his full potential. The redshirt freshman is averaging 6.26 yards per rush this season but is getting less than 13 carries a game. 

With the extra week of rest, it is hoped that Whitlow will be able to go against Texas A&M as he will play a vital part if Auburn is able to get the win.

Nick Coe (Auburn)

Coe has statistically been one of the SEC’s best defensive lineman this year. He currently ranks second in tackles for loss and fifth in sacks. Against Ole Miss, Coe dominated and sacked a mobile Jordan Ta’amu three times. 

After some time to rest, Coe is poised to have another outstanding game against Mond. 

Keys to victory

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Auburn

- As simple as it sounds, Auburn has to run the football effectively. Texas A&M has the best run defense in the SEC, while Auburn has No. 11 ranked rushing offense in the conference. If Whitlow can go Saturday, then he will need to be able to execute like he did against Ole Miss. 

- Staying with the offense, Auburn needs to take advantage of the Aggies poor pass defense. Texas A&M is allowing a conference-high 8.5 yards per attempt through the air and also has given up 15 touchdown tosses. Stidham and a much more talented receiving unit have the tools to blow the top off the A&M secondary, the question is will they be able to execute.

Texas A&M

- Like mentioned in Auburn’s section, Auburn’s running game could be the aspect that could make or break the Aggies. But if the A&M can shut down Auburn’s tailbacks and force the pressure on Stidham then the Aggies should have no problem shutting down the Tiger offense.

- Texas A&M needs to force Auburn to make mistakes. Auburn has a minus-6 turnover margin in its three losses this season, while posting a plus-6 in wins. If A&M can force Auburn into making a mistake or two, then the road to victory appears to much easier. 

Stats to know

89.25: The amount of rushing yards A&M is allowing per game. 

114: Texas A&M’s national pass defense rank.

18: The amount of times Auburn has fumbled the football this season, while only losing eight. 

26.09: The percentage of touchdowns allowed by Auburn’s defense in the red zone.  


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