THE HABOTN EXAMINER: Samford @ Auburn

Todd Van Emst/Auburn U.

SAMFORD at AUBURN

When: Noon today
Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn
Line: No line (Samford is an FCS program)
On the air: TV – PPV. Radio — WLWI-FM 92.3, WMSP-AM 740

FOUR DOWN TERRITORY

1. Ted Roof’s future at Auburn appears limited. The Tigers’ defense endured another miserable Saturday last week, this time at the hands of surging Georgia. It was a mess from start to finish — the home team going 4-for-4 on third down during the first drive and running the ball almost exclusively after halftime as a show of mercy. That doesn’t work well at Auburn. I’ve pointed out many times that Gene Chizik is the team’s top defensive official, but that doesn’t mean Roof will escape from this quagmire unscathed. Someone must be held accountable — and it’s much cheaper to part ways with Roof than Chizik.

2. Auburn’s lines are not looking good. Georgia’s rushing attack cracked the 300-yard barrier last week. Georgia’s pass rushers finished the day with five sacks. You know what that means? Auburn simply isn’t getting things handled along the line of scrimmage, which is akin to suicide in the Southeastern Conference. There’s simply no way to hide that problem. And there’s no quick fix. Auburn doesn’t have anyone waiting in the wings to save it from continued distress. There’s a temptation to blame it on youth, but remember that both offensive tackles are seniors. Three of the Tigers’ four starters along the defensive line are veterans now. Each has more than 10 starts to their credit.

3. How will Auburn cope without T’Sharvan Bell? The truth is that Bell hadn’t been playing all that well after a strong opening month, but he still was a reliable element within the Tigers’ shaky secondary. Now the cornerback out for the season with a knee injury. He’ll be replaced by any number of youngsters this weekend, but Bell’s leadership probably can’t be replicated. He demanded excellence from his fellow defensive backs. Auburn hasn’t been excellent this season, but Bell was doing everything he could to elicit improvement.

4. Pat Sullivan is a man’s man. Auburn will fete Sullivan, now Samford’s coach, before the game today. It’s a classy move for a classy guy. He won the 1971 Heisman Trophy, of course, but Sullivan’s outstanding college career didn’t become his calling card. He was a successful assistant at Auburn and later became head coach at TCU. Not all famous athletes are nice people. Sullivan is nice man who always has represented Auburn in the best way possible. He deserves the accolades.

KEY MATCHUP

Samford OC Rhett Lashlee vs. Auburn DC Ted Roof
Is this game going to be close? Probably not. That doesn’t mean the strategic give-and-take between Lashlee, who spent the 2009 and 2019 season as Gus Malzahn’s graduate assistant, will be anything but fun. Lashlee learned offensive strategy from Malzahn and has implemented a similar system for the Bulldogs, who are averaging 397 yards per game. He also knows the inner workings of the Tigers’ defense. Samford doesn’t have many SEC-caliber athletes, which means Lashlee’s task will be tough. Still, it should be interesting.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Jermaine Whitehead
CB, 5-11, 183, Fr.
LAST WEEK’S STATS: 1 tackle, 1 pass break-up
Auburn probably will annihilate Samford, which means many of the team’s younger players will be given a chance to demonstrate their improvement this season. Whitehead has more on the line. He has been the most impressive freshman defensive back this season and will be asked to play a bigger role against Alabama at nickelback. T’Sharvan Bell is out for the season. Someone, likely Whitehead, must assume control of that position. Today will be a trial run for the Iron Bowl.

BY THE NUMBERS

0 — Samford wins in this series (Bulldogs are winless in 26 games)

1 — Auburn losses to non-conference opponents under Gene Chizik (Clemson, 2011)

13 — Consecutive home wins for Auburn, which is its longest streak since 1993

14 — Consecutive wins for Auburn when leading at halftime

15 — Consecutive home wins for Auburn against non-conference teams

16 — Consecutive games won when Auburn intercepts at least one pass

27 — Tackles by Eltoro Freeman during the past three game, which leads the team.

103.7 — Mike Dyer’s rushing average this season, which ranks second among SEC backs

PREDICTION

It’s a good thing for Pat Sullivan, the 1971 Heisman Trophy winner, to be coaching at Auburn this weekend. It brings a certain level of intrigue that generally doesn’t exist for homecoming games. He’ll be honored before the game — an unusual moment for a visiting coach — but likely won’t endure many happy moments after kickoff. Though Auburn hasn’t played well in recent games against LSU and Georgia, the Tigers’ challenge this weekend isn’t nearly as taxing. Sure, Birmingham’s Bulldogs are a fine team in football’s second tier. Still, Auburn is much bigger, stronger and quite salty after the bludgeoning in Athens last weekend. There will be a lot of pride on the line against Alabama next weekend. This weekend? It’s more about getting ready for the Iron Bowl and paying tribute to a great former quarterback.

Auburn 52, Samford 10

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE FORUMS