Vanderbilt to Visit Auburn in Week of SEC Matchups

Vanderbilt (5-3) will visit Auburn (3-5) this weekend as the Commodores face the Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium at 12:45 p.m. Saturday.

Success for Vanderbilt

The Commodores enter this weekend’s matchup searching for their sixth win of the season.

Vanderbilt found success early in the season with an overtime win against Virginia Tech and 55-0 beating of Alcorn State in the first two weeks. However, the team lost its next two games by a total margin of seven points (36-32 to Georgia State and 30-27 to Missouri), evening their record at 2-2.

In the weeks that followed, Vanderbilt went on a 3-0 run.

The Commodores stunned two SEC powerhouses, Alabama and Kentucky, in back-to-back weeks before beating Ball State 24-14 on their way to 5-2.

Coming Off a Loss

Vanderbilt nearly pulled off this magic trick of emerging victorious as underdogs against tough SEC opponents again in their game against Texas last Saturday.

Despite entering their battle with Texas as 17.5-point underdogs, Vanderbilt kept the game close and trailed only 21-10 at the half.

While Vanderbilt kept the game in reach, a Bert Auburn field goal in the final two minutes put the Longhorns ahead by 10. This was enough for a final drive passing touchdown thrown by Diego Pavia to still warrant a Commadores loss, 27-24.

Pavia to Stowers for 6️⃣ pic.twitter.com/PVqCHze3kz

— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) October 26, 2024

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea explained that Auburn has an explosive offense with a strong run game that will require the Commodores to bring their best on Saturday.

Lea also stresses to the team that they need to stay true to their identity and stick to their own strategy regardless of what kind of opponent they face.

Auburn’s Struggles

The Tigers started their season strong with a 73-3 domination of Alabama A&M before dropping their second game to California 21-14, a game Auburn was projected to win by double digits.

After a bounce back 45-19 victory over New Mexico in week 3, Auburn went 0-4 against four straight SEC opponents (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Missouri) to bring its record to 2-5 through seven weeks.

Aside from their 31-13 loss to Georgia, every one of the Tigers’ losses has come by 10 points or less. Moreover, the Tigers 24-14 loss to Arkansas is their only other loss by double digit points this season as Auburn has showcased the ability keep games close.

Turning it Around

Auburn’s only win against an SEC opponent came last weekend in their visit to Kentucky. The Tigers held Kentucky to just 224 yards in the 24-10 win (only 70 of which were rushing) while producing 498 of their own that included 326 rushing yards.

https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1850392995146662088

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze highlighted his excitement with being able to play in front of fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium after having to travel for every game in October. Freeze hopes Auburn’s first SEC win against Kentucky will give them the momentum they need to keep pace with Vanderbilt and continue to improve week by week.

Additionally, Freeze noted that his Tigers will be tested by a “very very very good Vanderbilt team” and the effective coaching of Lea.

Saturday

Auburn’s game against Vanderbilt marks the Tigers’ sixth straight SEC opponent as they enter the weekend 14th in the SEC and 1-4 in conference play. The Tigers will look to carry their momentum from last weekend’s win into their game against the Commodores.

Vanderbilt, resting at 10th in the SEC and 2-2 in conference play, will look to bounce back from its loss to Texas and spark a new winning streak against Auburn this weekend.