Auburn finally got back in the win column after dominating for three quarters against Kentucky. Now sitting at 3-5, the Tigers will need to virtually win out if they have any hope of making a bowl game, as they face the suprise team of the conference in the 5-3 Vanderbilt Commodores.
Now in his fourth season as head coach, Clark Lea has finally built a winning team in Nashville, sitting one win away from bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018. The Commodores aren't just a feel-good story. They are a team with a win over then No. 1 Alabama and a three-point loss to No. 5 Texas last week.
Players to watch
Auburn
Jarquez Hunter (RB)
Hunter is coming off his best game of the season against Kentucky where he went for 278 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. One of the top running backs in the country, Hunter is heating up at the right time as Auburn will look to lean on him to carry their offense.
Keandre Lambert-Smith (WR)
Transferring to Auburn from Penn State, Lambert-smith has been Auburn’s most dynamic weapon in the passing game, tallying 579 yards and seven touchdowns. Lambert-Smith is coming off a 53-yard and one touchdown performance against one of the top passing defenses in the county. This week he faces one of the worst passing defenses in the country, so Auburn should look to get him targets early and often in the game.
Eugene Asante (LB)
Asante is arguably Auburn's best and most experienced defender. He flies all over the field with speed and will have one of his toughest matchups of the season as the spy against a very mobile quarterback.
Vanderbilt
Diego Pavia (QB)
Pavia is no stranger to playing in Jordan-Hare Stadium, having beat Auburn last season as the starting quarterback of New Mexico State. Pavia has been dynamic this season as both a passer and runner, tallying 17 total touchdowns and only three turnovers. Pavia likes to get outside the pocket and scramble for first downs so Auburn will need to stay in its lanes and limit his scrambling ability.
Eli Stowers (TE)
Stowers is one of the top tight ends in the county this season with 496 yards and three touchdowns. He is a threat after the catch and can stretch the defense vertically, averaging nearly 14 yards per reception.
Bryan Longwell (LB)
Longwell is a tackling powerhouse, amassing 56 total tackles this season. He is a reliable tackler with the knack for disrupting the Auburn run game by consistently making stops at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Keys to Victory
Vanderbilt
Unlike in years past, the Commodores do not possess a huge talent deficit against every team they face this year. That has allowed them to play a balanced style of offense, where they do not turn the ball over and keep themselves out of third-and-long situations. The key to winning this game for Vanderbilt will be to sustain long drives like they did against Alabama, where they can take the fans out of the game and force Auburn to throw the ball consistently.
Auburn
Auburn has been one of the best offenses in the country in yards per play and yards per game, however, they are one of the worst teams in the county at handing the ball to the other team. Auburn has been effective at running the ball no matter the opponent and they need to lean on that ability in this game, where they should have an advantage on the line of scrimmage.
If the Tigers can maintain a consistent offensive schedule and remain in third-and-short or medium situations, they may be able to avoid the turnover issues that have plagued them.
Auburn will face Vanderbilt on Saturday, Nov. 2. Kick off is scheduled for 11:45 p.m. CST and will be televised on SEC Network.
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Luke McClure is a senior from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in sports production. He joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @lukemcclure0
