Auburn Football – Page 2 – Syndication Server

ESPN predicts the winner of Auburn vs. ULM

Will Auburn handle business on Saturday against ULM?

The Auburn Tigers return to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday for the first time since Sept. 28 when they host ULM to close out the nonconference schedule.

Auburn (3-6, 1-5 SEC) dropped its most recent game to Vanderbilt on Nov. 2, 17-7, erasing the momentum built from its first SEC win on Oct. 26 at Kentucky. The Tigers look to take momentum back on Saturday against ULM (5-4, 3-3 Sun Belt) as they enter the most important stretch of the season.

Will Auburn handle business? ESPN’s matchup predictor favors Auburn in a major way by giving the Tigers a 96.2% chance to beat ULM on Saturday.

Auburn needs to win its final three games to qualify for a bowl game and a win over the visiting Warhawks will push them in the right direction. ULM is in a rough patch, dropping three straight contests by an average margin of 18.3 points after beginning the season with a 5-1 record.

Auburn will look to win the game by stopping ULM’s run game. The Warhawks rank No. 8 in the Sun Belt in rushing by averaging 172.1 yards per game. However, ULM’s run blocking is no match for [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag], [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag], and the rest of the Auburn defense. The Warhawks’ average grade in run blocking is 60.9 according to Pro Football Focus and has not graded above 69.1 in the category. On the contrary, Auburn averages 76.6 in run defense and has graded above 80 four times this season.

Auburn football hosts ULM on Saturday for an 11:45 a.m. CT kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on SEC Network.

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Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs. UL Monroe

Will a deeper dive into the tale of the tape show the Warhawks have a bigger opportunity to shock the world than experts believe?

The Auburn Tigers (3-6) will attempt to start begin the final month of the regular season on a high note when they host UL Monroe (5-4) at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.

Auburn is coming off one of it’s worst losses of the season against Vanderbilt. The loss not only dropped the Tigers back to three games under the .500 mark, but forced Auburn into needing to win its final three games in order to qualify for a bowl game. Louisiana Monroe on the other hand is one game away from postseason contention. The Warhawks last won 6 games in 2018, and have only appeared in one bowl game in school history, the Independence Bowl, over a decade ago in 2012.

Auburn’s season may not be going the way anyone within the program hoped, but the Tigers talent still has them tabbed as 24.5-point favorites to capture win number four this week according to BetMGM. ESPN FPI agrees with the sports books assessment of this matchup, as the Power Index gives Auburn a 92.6% chance to take home a victory.

Will a deeper dive into the tale of the tape show the Warhawks have a bigger opportunity to shock the world than experts believe? As always, we’ll start by analyzing the quarterbacks.

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne has struggled throughout his time on the Plains, but is playing relatively good football in the second half of 2024. Over the last five contests, the senior has thrown for 225 yards per game, 6 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions. While the personal numbers have been fine, Auburn’s offense has only eclipsed 20 points twice in those five games.

The senior hasn’t been bad, but Thorne has not been good enough to help carry an Auburn offense to points on the scoreboard, or more importantly. wins. On the season, Thorne has thrown for 1,825 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions.

On the other side, UL Monroe sophomore Aiden Armenta has been serviceable, but not exceptional, since taking over the starting signal caller job from General Booty. The Albuquerque, NM native has thrown for 898 yards in five starts and parts of three other games this season, accumulating 8 total touchdowns and 8 interceptions. While neither quarterback’s stats exactly “jump off the page”, Thorne clearly has the edge.

The offensive skill player gap is ever more lopsided. The Warhawks do have a stud freshman running back in Ahmad Hardy, who has rushed for exactly 2 more yards (915) than Auburn star Jarquez Hunter (913) has rushed for this season, but the similarities between the skill players stop beyond that. Auburn’s top pass catching quartet of KeAndre Lambert-Smith (657 yards), Malcolm Simmons (349 yards), Cam Coleman (292 yards), and Rivaldo Fairweather (267 yards) have all out produced UL Monroe’s top pass catcher Davon Wells (232 yards) this season.

If you add in the fact Auburn’s starting offensive line is simply bigger and brings more big game experience than UL Monroe’s front five, and the Tigers have a massive edge in just about every category heading into this matchup on Saturday.

On the defensive side, things aren’t very close either. The Warhawks defense has given up just under 5 touchdowns per contest in four road games this season, while Auburn’s defense, which has seemingly improved every week, has yet to allow more than 19 points to a non-conference opponent this season. DJ Durkin’s unit has given up just 16 points per game over the last three contests against SEC competition, giving the unit the clear edge over UL Monroe’s resistance, which has struggled mightily in the Sun Belt.

After taking a look at the tale of the tape, it’s clear Auburn has the edge in every major category ahead of this matchup. The only plausible reason the Tigers aren’t favored by even more probably lies in the fact Auburn has been prone to beating itself many times in the Hugh Freeze era.

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Auburn flips 2025 CB Shamar Arnoux from USC

The Carrollton, Georgia native had been committed to join the Trojans in Los Angeles since early summer.

Four-star cornerback [autotag]Shamar Arnoux[/autotag] flipped his commitment from USC to Auburn on Thursday. The Carrollton, Georgia native had been committed to joining the Trojans in Los Angeles since early summer.

A consensus top 40 cornerback in the 2025 class, the 6-2, 175-pound defensive back is the ideal replacement for the recently flipped [autotag]Dante Core[/autotag], who [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] lost to Ole Miss earlier this week. Although Arnoux had been committed to USC since June, Hugh Freeze and his staff continued trying to flip him throughout the late summer and fall.

He was recently on campus for Auburn’s home loss to Vanderbilt, and although the Tigers lost, he may have seen some of the optimistic signs on the defensive side of the ball that fellow four-star recruit Jared Smith saw. Arnoux’s commitment to the Tigers brings Auburn’s number of cornerbacks set to join the team next season up to four.

Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class now sits at 28 players heading into National Signing Day next month. With the possibility of more commitments and flips, Hugh Freeze has the chance to further improve on a class currently ranked in the top-five according to 247Sports. It would not be surprising if the majority of the 2025 class sees ample playing time as soon as next season on the Plains.

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Three-star WR Erick Smith commits to Auburn

Smith joins his brother Derrick by committing to Auburn.

Auburn football executed the flip of four-star wide receiver [autotag]Derrick Smith[/autotag] from Alabama in July and has now completed the “Smith sweep.”

Wednesday, Auburn added three-star wide receiver [autotag]Erick Smith[/autotag], twin brother of Derrick, to its 2025 haul. Erick Smith is Auburn’s third wide receiver commit of the cycle, joining brother Derrick and three-star [autotag]Sam Turner[/autotag] of Decatur, Georgia.

Following his announcement, Smith told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente that the idea of continuing his playing career alongside his brother played a role in his commitment. It also helps that he feels at home on the Plains.

“Because every time I come up here, it felt like home,” Smith said in an interview with Auburn Undercover. “Coach Marcus (Davis), he’s similar to my high school coach. They don’t sugarcoat anything and always show family-like and like a father figure. I don’t want a coach that shows different sides of themselves, I want them to show their true colors and he does exactly that.”

The Smith brothers have played a key role in Southside-Selma’s success on the field in 2024. The 9-2 Panthers defeated Hillcrest-Evergreen last Friday, 36-35, to advance in the AHSAA playoffs and will face Montgomery Academy on Friday.

According to 247Sports, Erick Smith is the No. 78 recruit from Alabama and is Auburn’s 27th commitment to its 2025 class.

Where does Auburn stand in USA TODAY Sports re-rank ahead of ULM game?

Did Auburn rise in Paul Myerberg’s weekly ranking following its bye week?

Auburn may not have played during week 11, but its’ decline in the USA TODAY Sports re-rank continues.

Auburn is ranked No. 91 in Paul Myerberg’s weekly ranking, a two-spot slip from last week’s installment. Its fall is due mostly to the rise of programs such as UCLA and Kansas, which jumped more than 10 spots following wins over Iowa and Iowa State, respectively.

Colorado and Georgia Tech join UCLA and Kansas by advancing 10-plus positions in this week’s ranking. Colorado earned an impressive road win last Saturday by taking down Texas Tech, 41-27. Georgia Tech knocked Miami off the unbeaten shelf last Saturday by upsetting the Hurricanes, 28-23. The win over Texas Tech pushes them into the top-25 at No. 24 while Georgia Tech bumps up to No. 30.

Auburn’s next opponent, ULM, is ranked one spot below Auburn at No. 92. Last week, the Warhawks fell to Texas State at home, 38-17, for their third-straight loss. The Tigers will look to gain ground in the re-rank this Saturday when it hosts ULM at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. CT and will be broadcast on SEC Network.

Auburn football schedule: Is Auburn playing today?

Is Auburn playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule and the games to come.

Will the Auburn Tigers be on the field today in Week 11 of the College football schedule?

Following a 17-7 loss to Vanderbilt last Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn is on a bye week and will return to the field on Saturday, Nov. 16.

The Tigers will enter the final stretch of the season with their backs against the wall, needing to win each of their final three games to qualify for a bowl game. Their quest for postseason play begins next Saturday at home against ULM for the final nonconference game of the season.

After jumping out to a 5-1 record, the Warhawks have dropped its last two games. In their most recent game, ULM running back Ahmad Hardy rushed for 212 yards and a score, but it was not enough to carry the Warhawks to a win, falling 28-23 to Marshall on the road.

Before making the trek to Auburn, the Warhawks will host Texas State on Saturday, hoping to get back to its winning ways. According to ESPN’s matchup predictor, Auburn has a 91.9% chance to beat ULM next Saturday.

Auburn football 2024 schedule

Aug. 30: Auburn 73 Alabama A&M 7
Sept. 7: California 21 Auburn 14
Sept. 14: Auburn 45 New Mexico 19
Sept. 21: Arkansas 24 Auburn 14
Sept. 28: Oklahoma 27 Auburn 21
Oct. 5: Georgia 31 Auburn 13
Oct. 19: Missouri 21 Auburn 17
Oct. 26: Auburn 24 Kentucky 10
Nov. 2: Vanderbilt 17 Auburn 7
Nov. 16: vs. ULM (11:45 a.m. CT, SEC Network)
Nov. 23: vs. Texas A&M (TBA)
Nov. 30: at Alabama (TBA)
Record: 3-6, 1-5 SEC

ESPN forecasts the remainder of Auburn football’s season

What is the likelihood of Auburn winning its final three games?

Auburn football will be heavily motivated when it returns to action on Nov. 16.

The Tigers, who enter this weekend with a 3-6 record, will need to win all three of its final games to earn bowl eligibility. Can they get the job done? ESPN analytics has taken a crack at forecasting the results of Auburn’s final stretch of games.

According to ESPN’s football power index, Auburn has a 3.9% chance to win every game over the next three weeks, which ranks No. 10 among SEC programs. Auburn, however, has a higher “win-out” percentage than LSU, Oklahoma, Florida, and Vanderbilt.

Breaking it down further, ESPN forecasts Auburn to win its next game over the ULM Warhawks, but fails to give the Tigers an advantage over its final two SEC foes, No. 16 Texas A&M and No. 11 Alabama.

Auburn has been given a 91.9% chance to beat ULM on Nov. 16 at Jordan-Hare Stadium to close out its nonconference slate. After starting 5-1, the Warhawks have dropped two straight games to South Alabama and Marshall and are projected to lose Saturday’s game to Texas State.

After facing ULM, Auburn will meet No. 16 Texas A&M at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Aggies have a 61.7% chance to beat Auburn on Nov. 23 according to ESPN but the game could be a much closer affair. Texas A&M recently lost a 44-20 game to South Carolina on the road. With the game being at Jordan-Hare, Auburn has a chance to upset the Aggies and gain momentum heading into the Iron Bowl.

Finally, Auburn has a less-than-ten percent chance to upset No. 11 Alabama at Nick Saban Field on Nov. 30. ESPN gives Alabama a 90.4% chance to beat Auburn in the Iron Bowl, which would extend its streak to seven straight wins over the Tigers on their home field. Alabama has the SEC’s best chance of winning out according to the FPI with 39.6% and is favored in its final four games, which include games at No. 13 LSU and Oklahoma.

If ESPN’s predictions come true, Auburn will finish the season with a losing record for the fourth straight season at 4-8. Of course, these projections are merely for entertainment purposes and in no way solidify the results of the next three games.

However, if the necessary win total does not bounce Auburn’s way, the Tigers should take a step forward in 2025 thanks to its No. 5 recruiting class.

Auburn slides in USA TODAY Sports re-rank ahead of bye week

Three wins to close out the season will boost Auburn’s morale, and its stock within Paul Myerberg’s weekly ranking.

The Auburn Tigers are working on themselves this week to ensure they are as healthy as possible for the final three-game stretch of the season.

Three wins would grant the Tigers bowl eligibility and boost its stock within Paul Myerberg’s weekly re-rank.

In the latest USA TODAY Sports re-rank, Myerberg placed Auburn at the No. 89 slot, a five-place decrease, following its loss to Vanderbilt last Saturday. The Tigers are one spot below Northwestern, who rose three spots to No. 89 after defeating Purdue in overtime last Saturday. Auburn is also one spot above USF, who climbed two spots after defeating FAU in blowout fashion.

The win over Auburn was enough to propel Vanderbilt six spaces to No. 30 in this week’s ranking. The Commodores are now one of 10 SEC programs in the top 30 of Myerberg’s ranking this week. Georgia leads the SEC by checking in at No. 3 this week, followed by Texas (No. 6), Tennessee (No. 8), Texas A&M (No. 13), LSU (No. 14), Alabama (No. 15), Ole Miss (No. 17), South Carolina (No. 24), and Missouri (No. 27).

Auburn’s next opponent, ULM, ranks ahead of Auburn at No. 83 this week. The Warhawks fell 11 spots after dropping a five-point road contest to Marshall last Saturday. Ahead of its trip to Auburn on Nov. 16, ULM will face Texas State at home on Saturday.

Auburn’s game vs. ULM will kick off at 11:45 a.m. CT next Saturday, Nov. 16, inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.

Will Hugh Freeze make a change at quarterback?

Auburn needs to win its final three games in order to qualify for a bowl game. Will a change be made?

Auburn football’s season and year two under head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is not going as many people thought it would, and if many questions were not already raised about this program, even more are coming up now.

The Tigers are currently 3-6 on the year and 1-5 in SEC play. As if that is not enough, Freeze is sitting at 9-13 in his Auburn tenure, similar to where Bryan Harsin was in his second season on the Plains.

One of the main questions that has surrounded the team, though, is the quarterback play on the field. While [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] has shown flashes of talent at moments this season, his play throughout his career with the Tigers has had many shaking their heads.

In two years, Thorne has recorded a 62% pass completion percentage, throwing 29 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He was benched in the team’s week two loss to Cal after throwing four interceptions for backup [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], before returning to the starting job against Oklahoma.

Despite this season being Thorne’s final one of eligibility, Freeze said his staff is considering a change at the position during Wednesday’s SEC coaches teleconference.

“Payton’s played pretty solid, but at the same time you start thinking big picture and well, that’s a tough that’s a tough quandary for you as a coach,” Freeze said. “When you start thinking big picture, as opposed to one of your players that really hasn’t done anything wrong, but we certainly aren’t winning. And so we’re debating all of that this week and we’ll continue into next week, debating that.”

Outside of Brown, [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] has been working with the scout team for most of the year but is also in the running to earn some playing time here at the end of the season.

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Auburn falls in SEC Power Poll following loss to Vanderbilt

The Tigers are getting comfortable at the bottom of Tuscaloosa News’ columnist Chase Goodbread’s weekly ranking.

Just a week after Auburn looked like it had finally found an identity as a football team, the Tigers put up another stinker with a 17-7 home loss at the hands of Vanderbilt.

The Tigers followed up a 300-plus yard rushing effort with just 88 rushing yards in the loss, scoring points in only one of four quarters against a middle-of-the-pack Commodores defense.

Columnist Chase Goodbread dropped the Tigers back down to the second to last spot in the conference following the showing, ahead of only measly Mississippi State. The columnist pokes fun at the aforementioned Freeze in his reasoning for dropping the Tigers, citing Auburn fans are almost as tired of his anemic offense as Freeze is “tired” of seeing Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] fell to (0-3) in his career against Pavia last Saturday. More importantly, the loss dropped Freeze’s team to (3-6) on the season, all but securing a second-straight losing campaign for the Tigers. Not much went right on Saturday, and Auburn’s ranking in the SEC Power Poll indicates just that.

On the other side of Goodbread’s rankings, Georgia (No. 1) held on to the top spot in the conference following another victory while Texas A&M (No. 4) dropped two spots. Texas (No. 2) and Tennessee (No. 3) both benefited from the Aggies free fall and Ole Miss (No. 5) entered the top 5 for the first time since early October.

Auburn isn’t likely to finish anywhere near the top of the Power Poll by season’s end. Still, it does have the opportunity to create some chaos atop the conference with games against Texas A&M (No. 4) and Alabama (No. 6) left on the schedule. However, the Tigers will need to take care of business against ULM this week before that.

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