Florida football: Know your enemy – Auburn Tigers

Florida football kicks off the meat of its schedule by welcoming Auburn to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 PM ET (CBS).

Seven straight wins over Auburn during the Spurrier years has been followed up by four losses in Florida football’s last five games against the Tigers.

Last 5 Meetings

2011 – Auburn 17-6
2007 – Auburn 20-17
2006 – Auburn 27-17
2002 – Florida 30-23
2001 – Auburn 23-20

Opponent Season Summary

The Tigers have streaked out to a 5-0 start on the season and the ridiculous annual discussion over head coach Gus Malzahn’s job security has suddenly gone silent.

Auburn has climbed nine spots in the polls from preseason No. 16 to No. 7 heading into Saturday’s showdown in The Swamp.

Game #1 – W 27-21 vs Oregon (at Arlington, TX)

Oregon controlled much of the game, but Auburn stormed back from a 15-point deficit to steal the win on a 26-yard touchdown pass from QB Bo Nix to WR Seth Williams with 0:09 remaining in the game.

The legend of Bo Nix is born.

Game #2 – W 24-6 vs Tulane

The defense completely held an explosive Tulane offense to 223 total yards on the day.

Game #3 – W 55-16 vs Kent State

The Tigers routed the Golden Flashes for an easy homecoming victory. Auburn posted 633 total yards of offense, including 467 rushing yards.

Three players rushed for over 100 yards in this game: RB JaTarvious Whitlow, RB Shaun Shivers,  and QB Joey Gatewood.

Game #4 – W 28-20 at Texas A&M

Texas A&M desperately wanted to take the next step in this game. The Tigers had other plans.

Auburn held A&M to 56 rush yards as the Tigers raced out to a 21-3 lead before holding to a 28-20 victory in Kyle Field.

Game #5 – W 56-23 vs Mississippi State

Nix passed for 335 yards and two touchdowns and RB JaTarvious Whitlow added three first-half touchdowns on the ground en route to a 56-23 win over Mississippi State.

Auburn jumped out to a 49-9 lead in the third quarter in a tune-up game that demonstrated their ability to dominant.

Head Coach

Gus Malzahn, the man on the annual hot-seat, is in his seventh season at Auburn. During his time on The Plains, the Tigers have experienced the highest highs and enough low moments to doubt the quality job that Malzahn and his staff have done at a school that lives in Alabama’s shadow.

Florida is the last SEC school that Malzahn will face and, according to the AU Communications Department, should the Tigers win on Saturday, they would be the only SEC school other than Alabama to have wins against the other 13 members of the conference since 2013 (included in case you were interested in super specific achievements that demonstrate Auburn’s equality with Alabama).

Here’s a little background on Coach Malzahn…

…and the explanation to that background:

Offensive Outlook

Key players:

• QB Bo Nix (FR)
• RB JaTarvious “Boobee” Whitlow (RS-SO)
• WR Seth Williams (SO)
• LG Marquel Harrell (SR)
• RG Mike Horton (SR)
• RT Jack Driscoll (SR)

The key to this game for the Gators will be shutting down the Auburn rushing attack..

According to the AU Sports Communications Department, the Tigers have produced a 100-yard rusher in 53 of 85 games under head coach Gus Malzahn.

Auburn’s record with a 100-yard rusher in those games is 42-11.

Stop the run. Win the game.

Quarterback

QB Bo Nix was the first Auburn true freshman to start the season at quarterback since good ole Travis Tidwell did the same in 1946. To further illustrate the rarefied air in which Nix stands, no SEC school has started a true freshman at quarterback since eventual Ole Miss transfer QB Brent Schaeffer earning the starting nod for Tennessee back in 2004.

Nix’s steady play has been a key to the Tigers’ early success. In last week’s game against Mississippi State, Nix threw for a career-high 335 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the team in rushing with 56 yards and a rushing touchdown.

A 5-0 start will help build a quarterback’s reputation early, but let’s take a look at Nix’s numbers in each game:

• Oregon
  • 13-31 passing for 177 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT / 42 yards rushing on 7 carries
• Tulane
  • 19-37 passing for 207 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT / 16 yards rushing on 2 carries
• Kent State
  • 12-16 passing for 161 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT / 21 yards rushing on 7 carries, 1 TD
• Texas A&M
  • 12-20 passing for 100 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT / 38 yards rushing on 12 carries
• Mississippi State
  • 16-21 passing for 335 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT / 56 yards rushing on 7 carries, 1 TD

I’ve been impressed with Nix, but these numbers are good, not overwhelming.

Nix shining bright in big moments has covered some warts. Auburn’s stout defense has allowed Malzahn to use Nix as a game manager.

We’ve yet to see how the freshman responds in a hostile road environment when the Tigers are down.

We’ve yet to see how the freshman holds up against the best defensive line he’s faced in his young career.

We’ve yet to see how the freshman has to carry his team when the defense has an off-day.

He seems capable, but I would think he would have had to prove more before Auburn would be considered a three-point favorite heading into The Swamp. I guess not…

I’m not trying to make a case that Bo Nix is overrated. He’s unproven. Point to Oregon and Texas A&M all you want, but those very well may be wins against 8-4 teams that are being treated like wins against 10-2 teams.

Nice start, Bo, but as far as I’m concerned, everything leading up to Saturday has just been the preseason. Florida will test the young quarterback early and often. I expect this defense to give Nix fits and to create at least a couple of turnovers.

6’6″, 232 LBS QB Joey Gatewood from St. Johns, Florida, (Bartram Trail) backs up Nix and will be a serious run-threat when he enters the game.

Running Back

RB JaTarvious “Boobee” Whitlow is off to a fast start this season.  Whitlow rushed for 110 yards against Oregon, 96 yards against Tulane, 135 yards against Kent State, and scored three touchdowns on just 10 carries against Mississippi State for 55 yards.

Whitlow has posted six rushing touchdowns this season.

RB Kam Martin (SR) and RB Shaun Shivers (SO) each have about 30 carries on the season (Whitlow has over 90), but those numbers may be a bit inflated due to Auburn’s early-season dominance.

Expect a healthy dose of Whitlow and Nix for the most part with a lesser mix of Martin, Shivers, and a few rushes from wide receivers.

Wide-Receiver/Tight End

WR Seth Williams (SO) had hauled in a career-high eight catches for 161 yards last week against Mississippi State. No Auburn receiver has had more yards in a single game since Sammie Coates in 2014.

All SEC Football

Williams came up big on Auburn’s final drive against Oregon. On top of bringing in the 26-yard game-winning touchdown reception, he caught two other passes for a total of three receptions for 44 yards.

WR Eli Stove (RS-JR) has 73 career receptions for 683 yards for two scores. Stove also has 47 career rushing attempts for 502 yards and four career touchdowns.

WR Anthony Schwartz’s 57-yard touchdown run at Texas A&M is one of Auburn’s top highlights of the season. The sophomore from Pembroke Pines, Florida, added another rushing touchdown last week against the Bulldogs. Eight of his nine touches have resulted in a touchdown or a first down this season.

6’5″, 228 LBS WR Sal Cannella (SR) may create some mismatches in the red zone and WR Will Hastings (SR) ranks third on the team with 9 receptions for 149 yards and one touchdown reception on the season.

Auburn lists TE/HB/FB together on the depth chart. Their top two options are FB Spencer Nigh (SR) and H-Back Jay Jay Wilson. Nigh has made one catch on the season, but Wilson has six catches for 43 yards.

Offensive Line

Auburn’s offensive line boasted 99 combined career starts from its starting lineup at the start of the season.

LT Prince Tega Wanogho (6’7″, 305, SR)

• A backup offensive lineman for 2018
• Originally from Lagos, Nigeria

LG Marquel Harrell (6’3″, 309, SR)

• Earned a starting spot in 2017 and started every game in 2018

C Kaleb Kim (6’4″, 300, SR)

• Started eight games at center for the Tigers in 2018

RG Mike Horton (6’4″, 325, SR)

• A starter since 2017 and started every game in 2018

RT Jack Driscoll (6’5″, 296, SR)

• Started every game in 2018
• A grad transfer from UMass

This is easily the best offensive line the Gators have faced in 2018, however, Florida’s strong defensive line should provide a challenged to this seasoned group.

Defensive Breakdown

Key players:

• DT Derrick Brown (SR)
• DE Marlon Davidson (SR)
• LB K.J. Britt (JR)
• S Jeremiah Dinson (SR)

Auburn’s tough defense will be a good test for a Gators offense that has shown signs of life in the last couple of games.

Outside of Auburn and Florida, only 11 other FBS teams have not allowed more than 23 points in a game this season: Baylor, Clemson, Georgia, Iowa, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, San Diego State, UAB, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Defensive Line

Florida fans have been treated to strong defensive line play to start the season, but Auburn also has one of the better defensive lines in the SEC.

DT Derrick Brown (6’5″, 318, SR) has made plenty of noise in 2019. A few weeks ago, he was named the SEC defensive lineman of the week, Reese’s Senior Bowl defensive player of the week, and Bednarik player of the week with career-high two sacks, three tackles-for-loss (TFL), a forced fumble and two pass-breakups (PBU) against Texas A&M.

DE Marlon Davidson (6’3″, 278 LBS, SR) has also racked up the SEC defensive line of the week award twice this season.

Davidson had six tackles, two TFL, and three QB hurries against Tulane and six tackles and 2.5 sacks vs Kent State.

The senior from Greenville, Alabama, has started 44 consecutive games and has posted 21 tackles, 4.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks on the season.

DT Tyrone Truesdell (JR) leads the team with 3.0 sacks.

BUCK Big Kat Bryant (JR) is a strong candidate for the best name in college football.

The Tigers’ defensive front might be their biggest advantage against a Florida offensive line that has struggled to make room for the running game.

Linebackers

This group of linebackers is not a strength for the Auburn defense.

With 25 tackles, 5.5 TFL, and 1.5 sacks, LB K.J. Britt (JR) should present the greatest challenge to the Florida offense.

Expect contributions from OLB Nick Coe (JR), LB Owen Pappoe (FR), LB Zakoby McClain (SO), and LB Chandler Wooten (JR).

Secondary

S Jeremiah Dinson (SR) was named the SEC defensive player of the week after the 13-tackle performance, two TFL, and a sack against Oregon in the opener.

Dinson has been productive in each game this season, has the defense’s only interception on the season, and currently ranks 11th in the SEC with 6.8 tackles per contest.

CB Noah Igbinoghene (JR) has 19 tackles on the season, good for fifth on the team.

CB Javaris Davis (SR) will start opposite of Igbinoghene.

Christian Tutt (SO) will start at the Star position.

Safety Daniel Thomas (SR) has been a steady presence in the secondary, racking up 25 tackles on the season (third-best on the team).

Backup safety Smoke Monday (SO) is also in the running for best name in college football.

Special Teams

Both the kicking and punting game are rock solid for the Tigers.

Auburn kickers have set an SEC record by converting 299 consecutive PAT attempts. This is the longest active streak in the FBS and it dates back to the 2013 Tennessee game. The NCAA record is 302 consecutive PAT teams, so no pressure K Anders Carlson (SO).

Carlson was 15-25 on field goals last season and was nearly automatic from inside 40 yards. This season, he is 23-23 on PAT and 5-6 on field goals with a long of 45 yards.

P Arryn Siposs (JR) from Melbourne, Australia, ranks 34th nationally this season with a 44.0 yards per kick average. His career-best was a 60-yarder vs. Arkansas.

In 2018:

• Auburn ranked fifth nationally in net punting (41.91).
• DE Marlon Davidson blocked three field-goal attempts and DB Jordyn Peters blocked three punts.
• Auburn tied for the best in the nation among FBS teams with seven blocked kicks/punts.

The Tigers have not had a kick or blocked punt in 135 games dating back to 2009.

Star Christian Tutt is a threat in the return game, averaging 15.38 yards on 13 punt returns this season.