Tag: Diego Pavia

SEC quarterback rankings ahead of 2024 spring football

Where does Jackson Arnold rank among SEC quarterbacks heading into spring ball?

As the SEC expands to 16 teams in 2024, the conference is stacked at the quarterback position. From former five-star prospects to 2024 Heisman contenders to intriguing transfer additions, there will be some fantastic quarterback play on display this fall in the SEC.

Seven of the last nine Heisman winners have come from Oklahoma and the SEC. Two of those seven were non-quarterbacks, DeVonta Smith and Derrick Henry.

Much of what will determine which teams emerge as SEC title and College Football Playoff contenders will be on the shoulders of the quarterbacks who will lead their team in 2024.

There are some quarterback competitions that need to take place, but here’s our pre-spring ball SEC quarterback rankings.

 

Auburn falls to No. 31 in ESPN FPI following loss to New Mexico State

Auburn’s terrible loss drops them six spots in this week’s FPI.

The Auburn Tigers are coming off one of the worst losses in program history on Saturday.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s squad got blown out at home against New Mexico State, whom they were hoping would be a nice warm-up game before the impending Iron Bowl.

Auburn’s offense was non-existent in the loss. The running game only tallied 69 yards on the ground, while [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and the passing attack weren’t able to surpass 200 yards once again.

The defense wasn’t great either, as New Mexico State quarterback [autotag]Diego Pavia [/autotag] eclipsed 230 total yards and 3 touchdowns.

The loss un-shockingly shot the Tigers down the rankings in ESPN’s Football Power Index.

The FPI ranks each college football team by a variety of factors; Strength of record, strength of schedule, offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency, and overall efficiency.

Here is where Auburn ranks in each category ahead of the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare.

Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs New Mexico State

The 6-4 Auburn Tigers have a great chance to win their senior day game on Saturday against the New Mexico State Aggies.

The 6-4 Auburn Tigers have won three games in a row heading into their season-day game against the 8-3 New Mexico State Aggies.

Auburn is coming off its best win of the season, dismantling Arkansas 48-10 in a game that was never close.

New Mexico State meanwhile has been great this season but may be without quarterback Diego Pavia on Saturday.

Pavia’s questionable tag and Auburn’s recent success have the Tigers as 23.5-point favorites according to BetMGM.

ESPN’s FPI agrees with the oddsmakers, as the model gives Auburn a 93.8% chance to send the seniors home happy with a win in their second-to-last game at Jordan-Hare.

Does the tale of the tape tell us this game could be closer than everyone expects?

As always, we’ll start with the most important players on the field, the quarterbacks.

Auburn quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] has become an extremely valuable member of [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s offense after a sub-par start to the season.

The junior has thrown for 8 touchdowns during Auburn’s three game win streak, throwing 2 interceptions and scoring another touchdown on the ground.

The Michigan State transfer finally has the keys to the offense, and he is peaking at the right time ahead of the Iron Bowl in Jordan-Hare and an eventual bowl game.

New Mexico State quarterback [autotag]Diego Pavia[/autotag] is one of the best small conference signal-callers in the nation.

Pavia has thrown for 2,257 yards this season. He is also the team’s leading rusher with 703 rushing yards.

The Aggies quarterback has scored 24 total touchdowns this year, making the gap between him and [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] closer than some might believe.

His status is uncertain for this game however, and his health problems as well as inexperience against good competition give Thorne the edge.

Auburn gets the edge on the offensive line and skill positions as well. Running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] is far and away the best player on the offensive side of the ball.

Hunter’s 853 scrimmage yards and 7 touchdowns lead all skill players in this game.

As for the big guys up front, the Tigers also have the clear edge, mostly due to the sheer size difference of the two units. The Aggies’ offensive line averages 307 pounds. Auburn’s big men average over 10 pounds more, at 317.4.

Auburn has the edge in every offensive category, although [autotag]Diego Pavia[/autotag] is a great player that Auburn will need to keep in check in he plays.

On the defensive side of the ball, the gap is more massive than my confusion the first time I walked into the Haley Center.

[autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag], [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag], and [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] lead an Auburn unit that ranks second in the SEC in defensive efficiency.

The Tigers give up just 21.3 points per game to opponents, which is 31st in the country.

New Mexico State’s defense has actually been better this season in OPPG, as the Aggies have given up just 20.3 points per game this year. Those number have come in a very below-average Conference USA however.

The Aggies allowed Liberty to score 33 points on them earlier in the season, showing they have struggled against above-average competition.

 

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