Going into their second-week matchup against the San Jose State Spartans, the Auburn Tigers are 1-0 and strong favorites. Let’s take a look at the upcoming game between Auburn and the Spartans.
Auburn’s Offense
After defeating Mercer 42-16, the Auburn Tigers are coming into this game. As they continued to advance up and down the field, the Tigers were in full offensive stride. Despite this, they did favor the run because their offensive line appeared to be strong. Portland State was limited to 17 points by the Spartans’ defense. In that game, San Jose State forced three turnovers while allowing 135 yards on the ground and 270 yards through the air. I anticipate the Tigers’ rushing attack to be just as successful as Auburn’s was last week. Due to their success in the ground game, I don’t believe Auburn will play a significant role in the passing game. If they do, I think it will be to reopen the quarterback competition and give Finley and Ashford more playing time before the Penn State game.
Particularly given that Portland State outgained the Spartans in every statistical category, I assume Auburn will have no trouble scoring on offense. Tank Bigsby is coming off a 147-yard game in which Auburn’s rushing attack thrived. I anticipate the offensive line and the running back pair to perform similarly. Without their defense from the previous week, San Jose State cannot win. Three of the turnovers they caused ultimately helped them in winning the game. If Auburn can cut down on their turnovers, they should be able to cover the spread as a 23-point favorite.
Auburn’s Defense
The San Jose State Spartans enter this game after defeating Portland State. The Spartans won this game 21-17 despite it being closer than they would have liked. When they were on offense, they effectively moved the ball through the air. The Tigers’ pass rush wasn’t executed to its full potential last week, but I predict that it will be this week. Portland State had 7 sacks from the Spartans, which is a glorious sight for the Auburn defensive line to see. The secondary must take the lead and deliver results. The front seven were excellent against the run. Now it’s time to see what level we are at in the secondary.
This week is the time for Auburn to unleash the pass rush. Portland State spent almost the entire game sitting in the Spartan backfield, which made it difficult for San Jose State to control the tempo and game. Cordeiro’s mobility played a role in this, but the D also stepped up and prevented much from being on the ground. Against the run, the Auburn defense will be unbreakable. I think the Tigers’ defense is gonna control this game with the help of the rushing game from the Auburn offense.
Auburn vs San Jose State Prediction
The game is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT from Jordan-Hare Stadium and will be televised on ESPNU with Brian Custer, Dustin Fox, and Lauren Sisler on the call.
I think Auburn dominates the time of possession in this game. They’ll control the run game the entire time and dictate how the game unfolds. Tank Bigsby will lead Auburn’s ground game in rushing with over 250 yards, in my opinion. Although Auburn doesn’t make many passes in this game, they limit their turnovers. QB Chevan Cordeiro will be the offensive focal point throughout San Jose State’s offense. If the Tigers manage to stop him, I doubt San Jose State will score an offensive touchdown.
My prediction is that Auburn will control the tempo and defeat the Spartans 45-10 in the end.
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