No. 8 Auburn (3-0) rolls into College Station to take on No. 17 Texas A&M (2-1) this Saturday. SEC play begins and Auburn is looking to keep its road winning streak against the Aggies alive. Auburn is 3-0 when visiting Kyle Field and will look to even up the all-time series with a win this weekend.
The Aggies hold a 5-4 all-time series lead against the Tigers with Auburn winning the 2018 contest in a come-from behind 28-24 victory at Jordan-Hare.
Players to watch:
Bo Nix:
The freshman QB is statistically coming off his best performance of the season after an impressive showing against Kent State. Nix was 12-of-16 for 161 yards and a touchdown while on the ground rushing for a goal line touchdown.
Nix showed improvement in the game against Kent State, but SEC opponents are an even bigger challenge.
Auburn’s impact injured players:
Derrick Brown, Seth Williams and Prince Tega Wanogho all have been sidelined with injuries sustained in Auburn’s games against Kent State and Tulane. Auburn will need all three players back and at full strength against Texas A&M.
According to Gus Malzahn on Tuesday, all of them practiced “in some capacity this week”.
Jeremiah Dinson:
Dinson, the senior defensive back, has elevated his play this season. He currently is second in the SEC with 27 total tackles and leads the team in tackles. Against Kent, Dinson had eight total tackles, six of which were solo tackles.
Auburn will need Dinson to keep up his steady defensive production against A&M this Saturday.
Kellen Mond:
After a shaky performance against Clemson in week 2 where he went 24-for-42 with a touchdown and an interception; Mond got back on track against Lamar in week 3 throwing for 317 yards and a touchdown although with an interception as well.
He has been prone to throwing interceptions this season with an interception in each of the Aggies first three games against Texas State, Clemson and most recently Lamar. Mond not only is a capable passer but can run as well with a rushing touchdown in two of the three games this season.
Isaiah Spiller:
The true freshman running back has been thrust into a starting role after an injury to fellow running back Jashaun Corbin. Corbin suffered a season-ending hamstring injury against Clemson and now Spiller looks to be the lead back in Aggie land.
Against Lamar most recently, Spiller had 14 carries for 116 yards with two touchdowns. The 100+ yard effort was his second of the season. Spiller had 106 yards against Texas State in week 1.
Spiller will have his hands full against Auburn’s defense which is ranked 35 in the country allowing 100.7 rushing yards a game.
A&M’s defensive line:
Auburn’s offensive line will face their first SEC challenge of this week. The Tigers have done an impressive job of keeping QB Bo Nix upright this season only allowing three sacks through three games or an average of allowing one sack a game.
The Aggies defensive line will look to bump up Auburn’s sack average as the unit has five sacks in three games or an average of 1.67 sacks a game.
The defensive line is not only getting to the QB but have also been good against the run. The Aggies have allowed an average of 87.7 yards per game on the ground this season.
Keys to victory:
Texas A&M:
-Force Bo Nix to make mistakes.
The freshman QB is still learning game-by-game and has two interceptions on the season. Nix has also had a fumbled snap or two that were recovered by the Tigers. The crowd will be rocking at Kyle Field and the A&M defense forced Trevor Lawrence to beat them last week by selling out to stop the run.
- Limit the offensive turnovers.
The Auburn defense is a talented unit and Kellen Mond has struggled by throwing an interception in each game this season. If the Aggie offense can limit the turnovers and play well at home, they will only have to worry about the A&M defense stopping Nix and the Auburn offense.
Keys to victory:
Auburn:
- Stop A&M’s passing attack
Texas A&M has a depleted running back room because of injuries and transfers and Auburn should be looking to take full advantage of this situation. Kellen Mond is a talented quarterback but has struggled with turnovers early in the season. If Auburn can limit A&M’s passing attack and force the Aggies to use their inexperienced running backs, the defense should have an easier time containing A&M’s offense.
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