Auburn halts SEC action to take on Samford

Auburn, AL (SportsNetwork.com) – The 16th-ranked Auburn Tigers will take a much-needed break from SEC competition on Saturday night when they welcome the Samford Bulldogs to Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Samford is in the midst of a strong season in the FCS’ Southern Conference, as it has gone 7-3 overall and has closed out league play at 5-2. The Bulldogs are winners of four straight, most recently edging out the Citadel on the road last Saturday, 20-17.

Auburn was right in the thick of the SEC Western Division race earlier in the month. After a 35-31 road win over Ole Miss, it was 7-1 overall and the No. 3 team in the nation, but its title hopes have been dashed following back-to- back losses. The Tigers fell flat in a road matchup with Georgia last weekend with a 34-7 defeat.

“Anytime you get beat convincingly, as a coach, you have to try and solve the issues that you think you need to moving forward,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “We got it handed to us (at Georgia). That’s uncharacteristic of this team and we have to bounce back.”

The Tigers have never lost to Samford, going 26-0-1 in a series that dates back to 1903. Auburn most recently downing Samford in 2011, 34-16.

Samford’s offense was held to under 34 points for the first time in four games its last time out. It was simply a blip on the radar, however, as the unit averages 34.8 ppg and 415.4 ypg.

Michael Eubank is having a stellar season under center, as he’s completing just shy of 65 percent of his throws for 2,011 yards, 11 touchdowns and just six interceptions while bringing an added dynamic with his rushing ability (235 yards, five TDs).

Denzel Williams is the Bulldogs’ workhorse tailback, having turned 176 carries into 877 yards while displaying an outstanding nose for the end zone with 16 touchdowns. He’s also a valuable asset as a receiver, ranking second on the team with 23 catches.

Eubank has developed a great report with Karel Hamilton, who’s hauled in 50 passes for 810 yards and six touchdowns. No one else has more than 231 receiving yards.

The Bulldogs boast a defense strong enough to support an impressive scoring attack, as they yield only 18.6 ppg and 305.4 ypg.

Justin Cooper is the defensive leader with 87 tackles, 5.5 TFL, two forced fumbles and an interception. Josh Kimberlin (three INTs) and Michael Pierce (two INTs, forced fumble) are both active in the turnover battle.

Generating offense typically isn’t a problem for Auburn, which ranks among the SEC’s best in both points (35.5) and yards (485.4) per game, but it had by far its worst performance of the year against Georgia last week in totaling less than 300 yards.

“We didn’t get it done offensively, which I think is obvious,” Malzahn said after the loss. “If we got first downs, we had holding penalties that brought them back. At the start of the third quarter, we had two drops back-to- back…(Georgia has) a good defense but at the same time we have high expectations that we can get it done.”

Putting aside Nick Marshall’s forgettable showing last week (11-of-23, 112 yards, INT), he has played very well this season. He’s most dangerous as a rusher, tallying 739 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he’s also a competent passer with 1,688 yards and 14 scores paired with only five picks.

Cameron Artis-Payne has emerged as one of the nation’s best tailbacks, as he ranks seventh in the FBS in carries (228) and 12th in yards (1,276) and has scored 10 touchdowns. He was the lone bright spot last week with 86 yards and a score.

The Tigers really felt the absence of D’haquille Williams (38 receptions, 609 yards, five TDs), who missed the Georgia game with a knee injury and is questionable for this contest. In the event he can’t suit up, Marshall will need to rely on Quan Bray (26 receptions, 278 yards, three TDs) and Sammie Coates (23 receptions, 447 yards, two TDs) as the top options.

After a strong start to the season, the Auburn defense (25.1 ppg, 388.9 ypg) has taken several steps backward of late by allowing 31 points or more in five straight.

Cassanova McKinzy (73 tackles, 9.5 TFL, INT) and Johnathan Ford (71 tackles, two INTs) are neck-and-neck for the team’s tackle lead. Other defensive standouts include Kris Frost (57 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, three FF), Jonathan Jones (five INTs), Jermaine Whitehead (three INTs) and Montravius Adams (6.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, INT).

Categorized in: NCAA Football