Vanderbilt officially dropped from its AP Poll No. 25 spot on Sunday after a 24-27 loss to then-No. 5 Texas. The Commodores put forth a valiant effort against the Longhorns — outscoring them 14-6 in the second half — but a few untimely plays kept them behind the eight ball for the majority of the game. The offense appeared stagnant at points as Texas tallied 123 more yards than Vanderbilt. Similarly, the Commodores converted on just 3-of-12 first downs and lost the time of possession battle — something that head coach Clark Lea harped on all week. Still, Vanderbilt hung in there against a top-five team and put on a show in front of a sold-out crowd at FirstBank stadium.
Now, the Commodores sit at 5-3 and will need to rebound in SEC play on the road against Auburn. It will be a tough environment on the Plains at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but Lea and Co. are confident they can topple yet another SEC foe. Current Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia beat the Tigers with New Mexico State as massive underdogs last season, so who’s to say the magic man himself can’t do it again? Nevertheless, a few key matchups will need to go the Commodores’ way on Saturday for them to earn bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018. Let’s take a look.
Vanderbilt’s defensive front vs. Jarquez Hunter
One of the most dangerous players in football is someone with momentum, and Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter has plenty. He is coming off a career game last week when he blasted through the Kentucky Wildcats for 278 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, pushing him to 11th in the nation in rushing yards. His 7.19 yards per carry ranks seventh-best in the country, and it’s evident that Hunter is the biggest threat on this Auburn offense, especially with a struggling Payton Thorne at quarterback.
Although Vanderbilt does have a top-30 rushing defense in the nation, holding teams to 114.8 yards per game on 3.82 yards a carry, it has shown weakness in moments against quality backs. Most recently, Texas running backs Quintrevion Wisner and Jaydon Blue combined for 126 yards, taking advantage of Vanderbilt’s inability to penetrate and make open-field tackles. Missouri’s Nate Noel, who ran for 199 yards on the Commodores back in Week Four, also comes to mind. With Auburn presenting way less of a threat in the air than Texas and Missouri, Lea should be prepared to crank up the pressure from Vanderbilt’s front and attack Hunter early. If Hunter falters, the window for a Vanderbilt win opens much wider.
Tim Beck’s play calling vs. Auburn’s defensive schemes
In a recent press conference, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze stated how he felt about Vanderbilt’s offense. He likened the Commodores to the Navy Midshipmen, noting the uncomfortable nature of playing against ball-hogging, clock-draining teams. Auburn’s matchup with Vanderbilt, will be a case of strength on strength. Although they are 3-5, the Tigers’ defense has been a standout, ranking fairly high in categories such as rushing yards allowed (25th), red zone defense (7th) and scoring defense (26th). Auburn’s defense has consistently turned games into slugfests, only once giving up more than 25 points this season when Georgia scored 31.
Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Tim Beck needs to continue his creative brilliance to crack Auburn’s defense open. By now, Beck’s spread-option scheme won’t be a surprise, and teams are going to prepare themselves to face the Commodores’ downhill rushing attack. A handful of plays are going to decide the outcome of this game, and Beck needs to pull out his bag of tricks to get by a tough matchup on the road.
Vanderbilt’s offensive line vs. Auburn’s defensive line
This game will be won or lost on the line of scrimmage. Vanderbilt’s offensive front has impressed this season, giving up just 11 sacks for 93 yards through eight games, both of which rank in the top half of the SEC. The unit gave up zero sacks against Texas and Alabama and has arguably been Vanderbilt’s most improved position group this season thanks to the efforts of offensive line coach Chris Klenakis. The offensive line’s importance cannot be overstated, as Beck’s run-heavy offense relies on the offensive line to create space for rushing plays. Left tackle Gunnar Hansen won Week Six SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week after he and the rest of the line dominated Alabama. The unit is an experienced one — as not a single starter is younger than a senior — and has used its veteran leadership to thwart opposing defenses.
Auburn’s defensive line has held its own in the SEC but is far from the top of the conference. The Tigers have given up 897 rushing yards this season, which ranks toward the middle of the pack in the SEC. They’ve been burnt by aggressive rushing teams in the past — they gave up a season-high 183 rushing yards to Arkansas back on Sept. 21.
Keldrick Faulk, who has racked up 32 total tackles, nine of which were for a loss, leads Auburn’s defensive line. This could be a favorable matchup for Vanderbilt, as it relies on its rush-heavy offense to win the time of possession battle and wear down opposing defenses.
Vanderbilt kicks off against Auburn at 11:45 a.m. CDT on Saturday, Nov. 2, in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
