Aggies try to keep pace in playoff race
Mond at his best: For Texas A&M to keep its playoff hopes alive, it needs to impress the committee with an assertive win. Kellen Mond has been frustratingly inconsistent during his time in College Station, and, as with most quarterbacks, his performance reflects the final score. He’s coming off of arguably his worst performance of the season, completing 11 of 34 pass attempts for 105 yards in a 20-7 win against LSU. Texas A&M’s talent on defense and at running back were enough to mask Mond’s shortcomings against an overmatched LSU team, but that won’t be the case against Auburn. Mond will need to make an impression.
Guard the perimeter: Auburn will present the biggest challenge for Texas A&M’s pass defense since a Week 2 showdown against Alabama in which both Jaylen Waddle and John Metchie III exceeded 100 yards. Auburn’s Seth Williams is a 50-50 ball machine and Anthony Schwartz is one of the fastest athletes alive, regardless of sport, and he can take the top off of any defense.
Keys for Auburn
Set up big plays: Given Texas A&M’s likely focus on Williams and Schwartz, Auburn will have to take time to set up big shots down the field. Enter freshman Tank Bigsby, who had 11 carries in last week’s loss to Alabama after suffering a lower-body injury the week prior against Tennessee. Auburn likes to use Bigsby early and often, but Texas A&M has a top-five defensive front in the nation, so rushing yards will be hard to come by. The Tigers should try to establish the run, regardless of results or Bigsby’s status, and turn this into play-action shots later.
Run defense recovery: Auburn’s run defense is reeling after allowing 365 total rushing yards in its last two games against Tennessee and Alabama. Saturday they face Isaiah Spiller, who ranks third in the conference with 784 rushing yards.
Score prediction
Texas A&M 27, Auburn 13: Texas A&M doesn’t have the firepower that Alabama does, but its defense is much better. The Aggies have a little more motivation, as well, with a College Football Playoff berth still on the table.