Auburn Football 2011: A Utah State Game Preview of the Defending BCS Champions

It is time to preview the first game of the 2011 football season for the Auburn Tigers. The moment fans have patiently waited for has finally arrived. Fans can expect an incredibly entertaining season watching one of the most talented teams to ever take the field at Auburn playing what is likely one of the most difficult schedules in the nation.

The Utah State Aggies are no cupcake team. They beat BYU last season and came very close to pulling off upsets against Nevada and Oklahoma. The 2011 version of Utah State is much the same team with another year of experience along with some key players returning from injury rehabilitation.

The Aggies will be starting a new quarterback in 2011 and they seem to be well stocked at that position on the roster. Their offensive line averages 296 pounds and both of their tackles are well over 6’3”. The defensive line averages 261 pounds and is based on a three-down linemen set.

Utah State is obviously an offensively-oriented team. They do like to run the ball, but will lean heavily on the pass when facing teams with more dominant lines. They were not terribly productive on offense or defense, but were very balanced.

The Aggies are a very experienced team sporting a roster loaded with upperclassmen. They have a history of starting the season strong against impressive competition and fading as the season moves along.

The most impressive part of this Aggie team appears to be the offensive line. This group allowed less sacks in 2010 than South Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee on the season. They were able to open up holes and allow their running backs to rack up 250-yards rushing against Boise State and they also protected their quarterback well enough to allow him to rack up 399-yards passing against Nevada.

What to Expect

Looking back at the Utah State schedule, it does not appear the Aggies have faced an opponent with team speed similar to Auburn’s since September of 2008 when they played Oregon. Auburn will enjoy a decided advantage in size, speed and athleticism along both lines.

This will be a game for the Auburn offensive line to perfect synchronization and figure out rotations to reduce fatigue. It will also give them a chance to gain some experience against a 3-4 defensive set as they must face several this season.

Auburn fans need to pay particular attention to the Auburn defensive line in this game. They will be facing an offensive line on par with many in the SEC. It will be a great measuring stick to see how the Tiger defensive line will perform this season.

A great statistical measure for the 2011 Auburn Tigers will be quarterback hurries, sacks and tackles for loss in this game. This Utah State offensive line is tall, lean and athletic. They are exactly the type of line that will give Auburn’s brand of defensive line play the most trouble this season.

If the Auburn offense does not put up some relatively spectacular numbers, it is time to be concerned. Auburn has a decided advantage in speed, size and ability at almost every position on this side of the ball. The Utah State defense is relatively undersized and athletic. They should be a great unit to test Auburn’s quarterback play.

This should be a fun kickoff Saturday for Auburn fans to gauge the 2011 version of the Plains Tigers. They are facing a team that is scrappy enough to test their inexperienced, young team.

Prediction

If the Auburn offense does not produce in excess of 500-yards offense in this game, it could be a sign of difficult times ahead in the first half of the season.

If the Auburn defense allows more than 350 total yards of offense, it could be an indicator of tough times ahead as well.

The final score prediction is not important in this game. The way in which that final score is reached will tell the tale. This is not a game that Auburn should be in jeopardy of losing. How much difficulty the Tigers have in executing their game plan is a much more accurate indicator of where this team begins the season.