No. 19 Missouri Set To Host Auburn

The Auburn Tigers (2-4) will travel to Columbia to battle the No. 19 Missouri Tigers (5-1) this Saturday at noon ET.

Fumbling Tigers Falter To Losing Record

Auburn has not had the best of times this season, to put it lightly.

The blue-and-orange Tigers are coming off three straight losses in which the team looked discombobulated. Botched plays and miscommunications have led to frustrating games that otherwise looked fairly winnable.

In a flashpoint moment against Georgia, senior quarterback Payton Thorne held onto the ball on a crucial 4th-and-1 play, leading to a turnover on downs. In the press conference afterward, coach Hugh Freeze said Thorne had checked out of the play, calling his own number.

"He absolutely didn't go with what we had called…we've got to coach better to where that's really not an option in that moment in time." – Hugh Freeze on Payton Thorne's decision to keep the ball on 4th and 1. https://t.co/QBJTwOTaFS pic.twitter.com/1VM9tOJK95

— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) October 6, 2024

Auburn desperately needed this bye week to regroup. It’s not going to be easy, but there are some silver linings to be found.

Auburn’s offense has found success moving the ball, especially through the air— the team is averaging 7.35 yards per attempt, ranking 7th in the nation, and clocks in at 33rd in total offense. Additionally, the defense has been solid, consistently keeping the Tigers in games against top-level opponents.

On the contrary, turnovers have plagued Auburn all season long. The team recorded 15 turnovers in its first five games for a staggering -11 turnover margin — worst in the country. The team was able to keep it clean against Georgia, but it’s a worrying trend.

Bounce-Back Missouri

Meanwhile, Missouri’s undefeated streak was ended after getting curb-stomped by the Texas A&M Aggies in a 41-10 loss. The black-and-gold Tigers followed the loss with with a commanding win against UMass, but it was also a win that was fully expected.

Even after the blowout loss to TAMU, Missouri still ranks 12th in the nation in total defense after holding the Minutemen to just three points the whole game. While Head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced Tuesday that outside linebacker Khalil Jacobs and defensive end Joe Moore III are out for the remainder of the season, Missouri has enough talent on its roster to make up for these shortcomings. One young player that has made a mark is freshman linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez, who lead the team with nine tackles against UMass.

Here's #Mizzou football coach Eli Drinkwitz on the season-ending injuries to DE Joe Moore and LB Khalil Jacobs ⤵️

DL Chris McClellan says the Tigers have some young guys that he expects to step up. pic.twitter.com/Hk6nHsiwYQ

— Nathalie Jones (@NathalieABC17) October 15, 2024

Meanwhile, senior running back Marcus Carroll stepped up and shined for Missouri in lieu of Nate Noel‘s injury against UMass. He finished with 91 yards and three touchdowns.

However, some uncertainty still remains surrounding the Missouri offense. Quarterback Brady Cook‘s performance against TAMU was a disaster, only made worse by Missouri’s offensive line seemingly collapsing. Cook was sacked six times while completing only 13 of his 31 passes.

Key Takeaways

Missouri welcomes Auburn into town looking for real vindication— especially after Freeze seemingly implied that Missouri has a “lesser roster.”

Hugh Freeze comments on the good coaching jobs done with “those lesser rosters.” He includes coaches at Missouri, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. pic.twitter.com/Dw8ftv6QSQ

— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) October 14, 2024

While Missouri is the projected favorite, Drinkwitz has put emphasis on never underestimating an opponent. Auburn has struggled, but one can argue that the team isn’t as bad as its record suggests.

Both teams will go into the game with a chip on their respective shoulders, and it should be a close clash between the two Tiger squads.