As the Tigers head into Kroger Field on Saturday afternoon to take on the Kentucky Wildcats, our sports staff answered a few questions on what to expect from Auburn as it tries to avoid its first loss at Commonwealth Stadium since 1966.
Is this a must win game for Auburn?
Patrick Bingham, Sports Editor: "Yes. No one is getting fired and the world isn't going to end if Auburn loses to at Kentucky on Saturday, but the hope of a bowl game is lost and this disastrous year two season for Freeze and his staff continues."
Grace Heim, Assistant Sports Editor: "I don't know if I would call this a must win, but Auburn is desperate to leave October with a win. With an improved Vanderbilt looming, a loss against Kentucky could deepen morale concerns and put more pressure on the team in November, so a win here would go a long way."
Logan Fowler, Sports Reporter: "I do think this game game is a must win for Auburn and for Hugh Freeze himself. A loss on Saturday would mean five straight conference losses, and with a schedule that is not getting any easier for the Tigers, Saturday's game against Kentucky may be their best chance at an SEC win. "
Gunner Norene, Sports Writer: "I believe this is a must-win game for Auburn because of the implications it can have on the outlook of this season. If the Tigers pull it off in Lexington, they will have three wins headings into a pair of extremely winnable games against Vanderbilt and ULM. If Hugh Freeze and company lose, Auburn will fall to 2-6 on the season, and suddenly, Vanderbilt becomes that much tougher of a matchup. A chance to have five wins before the Texas A&M game is much different than three or four, which is why Auburn needs to salvage its first Power Four win in almost a year."
Do you expect anyone to have a standout game on Saturday?
Patrick Bingham, Sports Editor: "Keldric Faulk has been a star all season and I expect him to be in the backfield a good amount against the Wildcats on Saturday evening."
Grace Heim, Assistant Sports Editor: "Kentucky's defense is going to do everything it can to make Payton Thorne use his arm, so I am expecting KeAndre Lambert-Smith to finish the contest with a substantial amount of catches and yardage."
Logan Fowler, Sports Reporter: "The reliable answer is Jarquez Hunter. Hunter saw an increase in carries last week against Missouri, though the numbers were did not directly reflect it. If Hunter gets another 15 to 20 carries, he could break the century mark on Saturday for just the second time this season. "
Gunner Norene, Sports Writer: "If I had to choose anyone to have a standout game on Saturday, I think I would choose freshman wide receiver Malcolm Simmons. He has proven multiple times this season that he is capable of making big plays with his elusiveness and intimidating speed, and it always seems like something good is going to happen when the ball is in his hands. Especially with Kentucky’s stout rushing defense, I think Freeze should give him a more prominent role in shorter passing plays that compliments the downfield threats of Cam Coleman and Keandre Lambert-Smith. "
If this is a close game heading into the final minutes and Auburn leads, will they pull out with a win?
Patrick Bingham, Sports Editor: "Auburn hasn't proved — in several different examples — that it can win close games this season. I'd be surprised if that starts on the road in Lexington, KY."
Grace Heim, Assistant Sports Editor: "The best indicator of the future is the fast, and we are all beating a dead horse, but Auburn has yet to show it can play clean, smart football and execute in crucial moments. If this one is close towards the end — which it very likely will be — I'm not so confident in the Tigers' ability to pull away late."
Logan Fowler, Sports Reporter: "History shows that it will not. I've been consistent in saying that a bad football team is going to find a way to lose a game and thats what Auburn has done in every loss this season, despite Georgia. "
Gunner Norene, Sports Writer: "Based on what this football team has shown in previous weeks, I have no reason to believe that Auburn will flip the script in these close games. It seems as if Auburn finds a different way to lose almost every week, and I think that trend will continue unless the Tigers have a comfortable enough lead towards the end."
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