Auburn Football: Tigers search for motivation in Music City Bowl vs. Purdue
After a disappointing 2018 season, Auburn Football looks to finish the season on a high note against Purdue in the Music City Bowl.
Motivation figures to be a big factor in Nashville as two teams enter on divergent paths.
Auburn entered the season ranked in the preseason top 10, with expectations of competing with Alabama in the SEC West, capturing the conference crown, and making a push for the program’s first playoff berth.
The season started positively with the Tigers winning a top-10 showdown over Washington in Atlanta, but the chinks in the armor were evident in the season opener. A lack of a discernible running game, poor offensive line play, and regression from highly touted junior quarterback Jarrett Stidham, led Auburn to stumble to a 7-5 finish that included an ugly loss to Tennessee along with unsurprising blowout defeats to rivals Georgia and Alabama on the road.
With such high aspirations, you have to wonder what Auburn’s motivation will be in the Music City Bowl. The month of December was spent with questions surrounding Gus Malzahn’s future on the Plains, and he’ll be looking to use the bowl game as a potential springboard for a bounce back season in 2019. Malzahn has struggled with the weight of expectations, but he is at his best when no one sees him coming.
Motivation won’t be a factor for Purdue as the Boilermakers are tickled just to be in a bowl game, still riding the high of head coach Jeff Brohm’s decision to spurn his alma mater at Louisville to stay in West Lafayette with the Boilermakers.
Despite the second straight 6-6 season, Brohm seems to have things moving forward at Purdue. The Boilermakers battled inconsistency all season long, but bounced back from a surprising 0-3 start to rally and gain bowl eligibility.
Along the way, Purdue blasted Ohio State by 29 points at Ross-Ade, giving Brohm a signature win.
Freshman Rondale Moore was a revelation, becoming one of the nation’s premier all-purpose players in his first season.
As good as Moore was, the season turned when Brohm decided to make the switch from talented, yet turnover-prone quarterback Elijah Sindelar to steady senior David Blough. Blough was one of the Big Ten’s most efficient passers, and helped the Boilermakers rally for a strong finish that led them to Nashville.
Will Auburn’s spiral continue, or will Gus Malzahn circle the wagons and help the Tigers finish 2018 on a high note en route to a make-or-break season next year?
Here’s how you can watch the Music City Bowl between Auburn and Purdue:
Date: Friday, December 28
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
Location: Nashville, TN
Venue: Nissan Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV
Keys to Victory
Auburn must contain freshman Rondale Moore in order to keep this game from turning into a shootout. Moore effects the game in a variety of ways, leading the nation in receiving yards among freshmen, and ranking 4th in the nation in all-purpose yards per game. Moore is an excellent receiver, but Brohm finds creative ways to get the ball in his hands to prevent blanket coverages from taking him out of the game. Moore will see a few carries, he might take a few direct snaps, and he’ll be a factor in the return game. If the Tigers can limit his effectiveness, then they may be able to keep this game in a more manageable scoring range.
For Purdue, they must hold up in the trenches and prevent Auburn’s stout defensive line from dominating up front. If they can give Blough time to throw, he has the weapons to make Auburn’s leaky secondary pay. Purdue gave up 27 sacks in their 12 regular season games, and this might be the best defensive line they’ve faced all season long. Led by a potential Top 10 pick at defensive tackle in Derrick Brown, Auburn’s defensive line could be too much for Purdue to handle. With Nick Coe likely out, this could be a coming-out party for sophomore Big Kat Bryant.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com
Point Spread: Auburn -4
Over/Under: 55
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Prediction
Auburn has the better team, but motivation is always key in non-playoff postseason matchups, and it’s just hard to find the motivation for the Tigers, who can’t be excited to be here. Purdue, on the other hand, should come out energized by Brohm’s decision to stay, and if they can keep Auburn’s defense out of the backfield, then they should be able to hit some big plays down the field. Look for Blough to have a big performance in his final game, and for Rondale Moore to once again show out on the big stage.
Final Score: Purdue 38, Auburn 34