Auburn @ Texas A&M preview
Kyle Field
Last Meeting ( Oct 27, 2012 ) Texas A&M 63, Auburn 21
Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin sees a familiar team when he looks at this week's opponent, but the Auburn team his seventh-ranked Aggies will host Saturday doesn't look anything like the squad his team routed a year ago. "In some respects, it's a lot like where we were last year," Sumlin told reporters. "They've got a new coach, they've got new players, and they're playing with a lot of confidence." The new-look Tigers have flourished under first-year coach Gus Malzahn but are in search of a signature victory when they attempt to snap Texas A&M's three-game winning streak.
The Aggies aren't sneaking up on anyone this year, but they're still putting up big numbers with Johnny Manziel at the helm as the reigning Heisman Trophy winner has the offense clicking at 586.5 total yards per game. Auburn rolled up a school-record 712 total yards in a 62-3 tune-up win over Western Carolina last week, a welcome respite in the midst of three games against ranked opponents. "This is the second top-10 opponent on the road," Malzahn told reporters, referring to a 35-21 loss at LSU on Sept. 21. "We didn't handle ourselves very well the first time, at least the first quarter. We got in a bind and played uphill the rest of the game."
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Texas A&M -12.5.
ABOUT AUBURN (5-1, 2-1 SEC): The Tigers' return to relevance in the SEC West has hinged on a powerful run game that ranks seventh in the nation at 287 yards per game and totaled 511 yards on the ground last week. That outburst came without dual-threat quarterback Nick Marshall, who is expected to return from a knee injury and start Saturday. Auburn's defense has been adequate, if unspectacular, and has come up big late in close games to help the Tigers win three contests by eight points or fewer.
ABOUT TEXAS A&M (5-1, 2-1): Manziel and the Aggies continue to light up the scoreboard in Sumlin's up-tempo system, ranking third in the nation in total offense and fourth in scoring (47.8). The Aggies have scored 40 or more points in nine straight games - the longest active streak in the FBS - and they've topped 400 total yards in 18 straight contests. The defense leaves much to be desired, though, and has struggled against both the run and pass.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Manziel has recorded four games with at least 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards -- including last week against Mississippi -- the most in FBS history.
2. Texas A&M WR Mike Evans has caught at least two passes in every game of his career and has recorded a reception of 20 yards or more in 17 of 19 career contests.
3. Auburn has had a 100-yard rusher in five of its six games, including the last three.
PREDICTION: Texas A&M 42, Auburn 34