As we will do throughout this football season, HawgBeat went behind enemy lines to gain insight on the Auburn Tigers from AuburnSports writer Bryan Matthews.
Led by head coach Hugh Freeeze, the Tigers finished the 2023 season with a 6-7 (3-5 SEC) overall record that included wins over California, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Arkansas.
Last week, Auburn defeated New Mexico, 45-19, but the final score wasn't indicative of how the matchup played out. With new starting redshirt freshman quarterback Hank Brown at the helm, the Tigers only led 17-13 at halftime. Brown — who was excellent in the second half — finished his day 17-of-25 in the pocket for 235 yards and four touchdowns.
Senior running back Jarquez Hunter racked up 152 yards rushing with a touchdown on 20 carries, and wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith led the way in the passing attack with two catches for 72 yards.
Defensively, the Tigers failed to generate a sack and only recorded one tackle for loss, but the Auburn secondary picked off New Mexico twice and broke up five passes.
Here is what Matthews had to say about Saturday's matchup, which is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama...
