| Montgomery Advertiser
Gus Malzahn shows Auburn’s game in Arkansas
“Our message was, we are going to get a little better each week. That’s really what’s on our mind.”
Video courtesy of Auburn Athletics
AUBURN – It has been a long time since Auburn football lost to South Carolina. Almost 87 years, to be exact.
The Gamecocks won the Tigers in Birmingham on December 2, 1933. Since then, the Tigers have won eight consecutive encounters, including once in 2011 and twice in 2010, when they won the regular season 35-27 match and the SEC Championship Game 56-17 rematch on its way to a national championship.
The stakes are a little different this season than they were 10 years ago. Neither No. 14 Auburn (2-1) nor disqualified South Carolina (1-2) are considered favorites to represent their division in Atlanta. Your only connection may be Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp, who will face Gus Malzahn and the Tigers for the first time since he served as a defensive coordinator in 2015.
But that doesn’t make Saturday less important to Auburn, especially coming from a tight win over Arkansas – every game is important in a conference-only season.
Here’s a storyline to watch, key match and big question, plus a preview for Saturday’s game (11am CT, ESPN):
Plot to watch
Auburn’s health. Tigers are not part of the growing number of SEC teams that have been affected by positive COVID-19 tests, but the list of major player injuries appears to be growing by the week.
Among those left behind against Arkansas: running back Shaun Shivers, wide receiver Eli Stove, striker Austin Troxell, defensive tip Big Kat Bryant, linebacker KJ Britt and cornerback Jaylin Simpson. Security Jordyn Peters also had to leave the game shortly after his punt was blocked.
Malzahn said on Thursday that everyone except Britt (who will lose several weeks after undergoing thumb surgery) was able to get some level of practice this week. Stove will play on Saturday, and it is hoped that Shivers can too. The rest were scheduled to at least travel to Columbia, but there may be some playing time decisions based on warming up before the game.
Key matchup
South Carolina receiver Shi Smith vs. Auburn pass defense: Smith was quietly one of the most productive wide receivers at the SEC, picking up 26 passes from quarterback Collin Hill for 271 yards. He had double-digit receptions and a touchdown in each of the first two Gamecocks games, against Tennessee and Florida.
And the Tigers have been struggling to contain the opposing wide receivers. They are allowing 8.3 yards per reception (eighth in the SEC) on 65.6% of completions (ninth). Kearis Jackson of Georgia picked up nine passes for 147 yards two weeks ago, and Arkansas’ De’Vion Warren hit five receptions or 95 yards and two points last week.
Malzahn said the most important thing that Auburn needs to do is make the opponent’s quarterback more uncomfortable, but the stops also need to be made on the secondary.
“We just have to go out and do our job,” said safety Smoke Monday. “I feel that we are getting closer and closer each week. So, I feel like we’re going to eventually go out and play our best game. “
Big question
Can Bo Nix perform well on the road? Auburn’s sophomore defender has been quite efficient at home this season, completing 60% of his passes for 7.6 yards per attempt and four touchdowns. He fought in his road game, however, completing 52.5% of his shots for 4.4 yards per attempt and an interception.
Part of this can certainly be attributed to the fact that the street game was against Georgia’s elite defense, but that was also a trend during Nix’s freshman season – his efficiency rating at Jordan-Hare Stadium was 21 points higher taller than anywhere else.
South Carolina has the third best pass defense in the SEC in terms of yards per game, allowing an average of 234. But efficient performance is possible – Florida’s Kyle Trask completed 72.4% of his shots for 268 yards and four touchdowns.
Prediction
Auburn did some good things in the victory over Arkansas, most notably establishing his hasty attack. But he also struggled with the same inconsistency that plagued him during the start of the season, especially in defense. The good is good enough to keep that winning streak of decades against Gamecocks alive, but inconsistency makes it far from a sure bet. The Tigers are making some more strides this week, but they are not running away on the road with them. Auburn 27, South Carolina 17
Josh Vitale is the Auburn beat writer for Montgomery Advertiser. You can follow him on Twitter at @JoshVitale. To contact him by email, click here.