Auburn, AL (EETV)- Auburn's bye week may be what the Tigers needed as they come off a crushing defeat to the now seventh-ranked Florida Gators. With a 5-1 record, they sit at twelve in the AP poll after being ranked as high as seven going into the matchup with Florida.
The Tigers have suprised many people this season with their results as they had one of the toughest schedules in the country. Their wins have included Oregon, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Tulane, and Kent State.
All eyes have been on the offense as freshman quarterback Bo Nix won the job in his first season with the team. Nix showed his poise early in the season as he hit Seth Williams in the final seconds of the game to defeat Oregon. Ever since that play, the freshman has been under the spotlight.
The offense boasted a strong wide reciever corp with names such as Seth Williams, Anthony Schwartz, and Eli Stove which gave Nix options in the passing game. Suprisingly recievers such as Stove and Schwartz are in the top 4 for rushing yards this season.
Auburn's rushing game also had plenty to offer as sophmore JaTarvious Whitlow would become the main running back for the Tigers. Whitlow would share carries with Cam Martin and Shaun Shivers who both added the speed to the running game.
After the loss to Florida, Gus Malzhan annouced that Whitlow will be out for 4-6 weeks as he suffered a knee injury. Now the running back corp will have to step up in his absence.
On the other side of the ball, the Auburn defense has become one of the most elite defenses in college football. Led by Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson, the Auburn defensive line has disrupted offenses that they have faced.
The defense showed their guts early in the season as they were pushed to their limit by the Oregon offense. In the fourth quarter, the defense made a huge stop on fourth and one which would eventually help the offense score the winning touchdown.
Two games later, the Tiger defense would make a statement in College Station as they kept Texas A&M out of the end zone until the fourth quarter.
On Saturday the defense had another big preformance as Florida turned the ball over four times. Despite the struggles on offense, the Tigers defense did their part to keep them in the game.
As the Tigers look ahead to the rest of the season, they will face two more road trips to Arkansas and fifth-ranked LSU before they come home for a four game home stretch with notable games against third-ranked Georgia and number one Alabama.
Auburn will face Arkansas on October 19th with kickoff set for 11:00 AM on SEC Network.
