Week one of the college football season is officially underway following a full slate of Thursday games.
Saturday, Auburn will get their chance to debut their 2024 season by hosting the Alabama A&M Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium. ESPN is giving Auburn a 99% chance to win. Sure, it is easy to say that an SEC team should handle an FCS foe on paper, but how will the Tigers get it done?
Earlier this week, we shared the five reasons why Auburn could be on upset alert this weekend. Now, it is time to shed light on the five ways that Auburn could earn a victory. Here are five reasons why Auburn begins the season 1-0 with a win over Alabama A&M.
The game is at Jordan-Hare. At night.
Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers
Auburn may not win every game played at its home venue, but they are always in contention for victory. Last season, Auburn lost three SEC games at home by a margin of just 17 points. Jordan-Hare Stadium is intimidating, and fans will make the game difficult for Alabama A&M.
The Cam Coleman show is ready to premier
Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser
The debut of true freshman Cam Coleman is Saturday, and we can expect him to put on a show. Last season, Alabama A&M ranked No. 8 in the SWAC in pass yards allowed per game (204.4), which bodes well for an Auburn team that desperately needs to improve its passing numbers.
The Bulldogs struggle to move football against Auburn’s front seven
Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics
Alabama A&M was one of the best teams at running the football in the SWAC last season. However, Auburn’s defensive linemen and linebackers bring a healthy mix of speed and size to the table. Transfers Philip Blidi and Isaiah Raikes will provide plenty of size on the front while Jalen McLeod, Keldric Faulk, and Eugene Asante can match the speed of Bulldog runners at the line of scrimmage. Expect Auburn’s defensive line and linebackers for the Auburn defense to carry the load on Saturday.
Auburn will not fumble the football
Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser
Like running the football, Alabama A&M was stellar at recovering fumbles in 2023. The Bulldogs led the SWAC by scooping up 15 fumbles last season. As for Auburn, the Tigers only fumbled seven times in 13 games. It’s a small detail, but it is another advantage Auburn can take away from the Bulldogs.
Experience will be key
Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser
Auburn will have plenty of new faces gracing the field at Jordan-Hare on Saturday, but don’t let that fool you. Auburn adds experienced transfers at several positions including offensive line, wide receiver, defensive line, and defensive back. Expect those new additions to produce solid debuts and lead the Tigers to a victory.
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66d1ea09b79f497bb77c0b6fdeda1d5c&url=https%3A%2F%2Fauburnwire.usatoday.com%2Flists%2Fauburn-football-five-reasons-win-alabama-bulldogs-sec%2F&c=5871173341147360723&mkt=en-us
Author :
Publish date : 2024-08-30 03:27:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
