GAME BREAKDOWN
KEY MATCHUP: Auburn’s run defense will get a challenge from Texas A&M RB Trayveon Williams. Williams is battling Kentucky’s Benny Snell for the SEC rushing league and is currently second in the league with 824 yards to Snell’s 935. LB Deshaun Davis leads Auburn’s defense, which is limiting opponents to just 125.5 yards a game on the ground. With 226 tackles, he is the 15th Auburn player since 2000 to record over 200 career tackles.
DRAFT SLANT
–DE Nick Coe is considered a top prospect for his pass-rushing abilities and showed why in Auburn’s last outing. He was in on 3.5 sacks in the win over Ole Miss, giving him 5.5 for the season, a team high. He also leads in tackles for loss with 11, recording at least an assist for a loss in every game this season. “Nick Coe is really coming on,” Gus Malzahn said after the game. “He made a really good play on the scramble on our sideline because if he hadn’t made that play, the guy would’ve gotten that first down. Nick’s playing at a high level. We really put pressure on the guy with four guys. That was the plan — to put pressure on with four guys — and we did that. That was a huge key in the game.” Coe plays the “buck” position in Auburn’s scheme, a hybrid defensive end/linebacker.
ROSTER REPORT:
–WR Anthony Schwartz didn’t waste time making an impact for the Tigers in his first collegiate season. The freshman speedster has averaged 21.8 yards on 12 receptions with a pair of touchdowns and rushed 13 times for an average of 10.6 per carry with three scores.
–RB Jatarvious Whitlow is considered “day-to-deal” in dealing with shoulder and leg issues. He did not practice the week of the open date.
–RT Jack Driscoll is dealing with a knee issue and is listed as “day-to-day.”
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