Texas A&M Football: Can the Aggies keep Auburn reeling?
By Dana Becker
Texas A&M football hits the road to take on a reeling Auburn Tigers team. Will the Aggies rebound or keep sliding in the ever-tough SEC?
It’s difficult to get a good read on what to expect this Saturday when Texas A&M pays Auburn a visit in a key SEC showdown.
The Aggies are coming off a tough-to-swallow 28-13 loss to Mississippi State, and will be playing their third consecutive road game – a run that does include a bye week in it. Prior to the setback to the Bulldogs, Texas A&M had posted wins over South Carolina, Kentucky and Arkansas.
Meanwhile, the Tigers are coming off a bye of their own after handling Mississippi to snap a two-game losing streak. Auburn appeared to be settling in nicely before losses to Mississippi State and Tennessee in consecutive weeks.
Both teams are looking up at Alabama and LSU in the SEC West race, with those two squads also meeting this weekend. While it will be tough for either to catch the Crimson Tide or the Tigers, a loss this Saturday will really hurt when it comes to the conference pecking order for bowl game bids to one of these two.
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Texas A&M vs. Auburn contest:
Date: Saturday, Nov. 3
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Auburn, Ala.
Venue: Jordan-Hare Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN | Fubo TV
Keys to Victory
Both Texas A&M and Auburn are very similar in what they can do and what they can stop on offense and defense. The Aggies average almost 30 points per game and are allowing 21.5, with the Tigers scoring 28 and giving up 16.5.
Texas A&M averages 276 yards passing and 186 rushing, with Auburn countering at 217 and 172. On defense, the Aggies are allowing just 86.5 rushing yards per game, which gives us our key to victory.
If the Tigers have a healthy JaTarvious Whitlow, they should be able to really test the Texas A&M front-seven. Whitlow, a freshman, rebounded from three tough outings to run for 170 yards against Ole Miss.
On the year, Whitlow has 626 yards rushing, but just four touchdowns, including zero trips to the end zone since September 22. For Auburn to win, that number needs to change.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of OddsShark
Point Spread: Auburn -5
Over/Under: N/A
NFL Mock Draft: Projected first round after Week 9. dark. Next
Prediction
The Tigers need to get the ground game going in order to free up Jarrett Stidham with the passing attack. If they can do that, they might have a chance in this one. Otherwise, Kellen Mond and the Aggies should have no trouble finding the end zone.
Final Score: Texas A&M 30, Auburn 27