Fielding errors and pitching contributed to Auburn’s 5-1 loss to No. 12 Kentucky on Sunday, as the Wildcats avoided a sweep in Auburn. “Our defense did not give us an opportunity to win the game," Dean said.
“Can we handle the moment as a team?” Pearl said. “That's why we're going down there to see. We have not experienced anything quite like it yet.”
“[The Mississippi State defense does] a lot of different things, especially different from last year,” Nix said. “They were a little bit simpler last year, and you knew what you could expect. We had a good game plan for them going in last year. This year obviously, it’s a lot different with a new coaching staff.”
The Auburn defense couldn’t do much to stop the Texas A&M offense on Saturday, allowing 509 yards of total offense, including 313 on the ground. “We couldn’t stop the run and we couldn’t get off the field,” Malzahn said.
“This senior class is a bunch of special people first of all,” Malzahn said. “They’ve been around here for a long time, and they’re part of our family. It means a lot to try and send those guys out with a victory."
“We ended on a roll, and we’re ready to get back on it," Manning said. After a 21-day hiatus, the Auburn offense is looking to pick up where it left off.
After a quiet Week 7, several former Tigers showed out and put up strong performances for their respective teams in Week 8 of the NFL season.
Week 6 of the NFL season saw several former Auburn Tigers take the field for their NFL teams, including one record-setting performance by Cam Newton.
"When you look at it, the statsheet, you know—as far as the statsheet, we played pretty good football, but the three turnovers, obviously, were big," said Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. "They led to 21 points."
Auburn travels to Columbia, South Carolina, this Saturday to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. Here are some players to watch and keys to victory for both Auburn and South Carolina.
