1. Two-dimensional Auburn offense
Although the Tigers’ offense may have already peaked at the beginning of the season, it is still one of the more potent offenses in the SEC. Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham is in his senior season and one of the best quarterbacks going into the NFL draft this upcoming spring. Wide receivers A.J. Smith and Damarkus Lodge have also been standouts for the Rebels, and have played well this season. With the addition of running back JaTarvious Whitlow, when this offense gets going in the air and on the ground, it’s very difficult to stop.
2. Better showing from the Aggie defense
The Mississippi State game was a disaster for A&M’s defense. The Aggies gave up 143 yards on the ground, the most this season. Most of these yards were given to the quarterback and will likely not cause a problem on Saturday. Auburn’s rushing attack will be predominately from the running back, who is known to power through defenders and fight for the extra yard. This is nothing new to the Aggie defensive front, and with Whitlow questionable for the game, A&M may be in a favorable situation.
3. Improvements from the receiving corps
One of the main struggles offensively last week was from the receivers. There were quite a few dropped passes that cost A&M field position and potential scoring drives. To add insult to injury, A&M’s rushing offense failed to get anywhere due to Mississippi State’s dominant defensive front. However, this game could be very different because Auburn has struggled to cover pass-dominated teams. Against Tennessee and Ole Miss, the Tigers allowed 328 and 324 yards in the air, respectively.
4. A nail-biter in Auburn
Both of these teams have high-powered offenses that have struggled on multiple occasions on defense. Auburn has been a disappointing team this year despite their season-opener against Washington, and when they can’t get going on offense, their defense follows suit. A&M has not been disappointing, but has had problems on offense in more than one game this season. With both teams being one of the better opponents that they’ve seen this season, this game may come down to the final moments.
5. Another battle on the line of scrimmage
It was another struggle on the offensive line for the Aggies. In the rushing aspect, A&M was not able to create many holes for running backs Trayveon Williams and Jashaun Corbin due to a great defensive line from Mississippi State. A&M quarterback Kellen Mond will need more time in the pocket to create plays for this offense if the Aggies have a chance of winning this game. Although Auburn may not be as good up front, this game will come down to how well A&M’s offensive line performs.