Two Keys for Auburn Football in Season-Opening Matchup Against Baylor

The Auburn Tigers may be 6.5-point favorites for their opening matchup against Baylor this Saturday, but that by no means dictates that this will be anything resembling an easy matchup for the Tigers. Baylor boasts a strong rushing offense, plenty of depth and experience throughout their roster and a few explosive threats that could cause some trouble for the Tigers.

So, what does Auburn need to do to open their season with a win? Of course, there are a thousand ways to win a football game, but there are two major things–one on offense and one on defense–the Tigers can do to help their chances at a win in Atlanta this weekend.

Byrum Brown Needs to Rush Effectively, Not Immediately

Auburn Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown (17) celebrates a run during Auburn Tigers A-Day spring game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

With dual-threat quarterbacks like Auburn’s Byrum Brown, a tendency can arise to immediately get north to south whenever pressure starts building in the pocket. Of course, Brown has illustrated a strong ability to rush the football when designed–he’s actually Auburn’s leading rusher by 2025 stats–but being able to distinguish between pressure and sack threat could be the difference in his play.

The point is not to keep Brown from rushing; in fact, I’d be quite happy if he was Auburn’s leading rusher in this game. However, when Brown drops back to pass and pressure starts to build, he will need to be able to show some pocket maneuverability if he wants to show Tiger fans an effective passing attack and keep the Tigers’ offense from appearing one-dimensional.

Force DJ Lagway Into Uncomfortable Situations

Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway transferred from Florida to the Bears this offseason. He is a former five-star recruit. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

DJ Lagway has struggled immensely under pressure throughout his two years in college football thus far with Florida, and there are two things Auburn’s defense can do to make sure his day is as difficult as possible. First, Auburn will need to stifle Dawson Pendergrass and the rest of Baylor’s rushing attack, forcing Lagway to handle the ball more and keeping the Bears operating in the air, where Lagway has struggled with interceptions throughout his career.

Additionally, the Tigers’ new-look pass rush, featuring names like Cody Sigler and Da’Shawn Womack, would certainly benefit from keeping the pressure very high on Lagway in the pocket, forcing the quarterback to make quick, uncomfortable decisions in the heat of the moment.

The Tigers are set to kick off their season-opening matchup with the Bears this Saturday, Sept. 5, at 2:30 p.m. The game will be played in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and will be broadcast on ABC.

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