Auburn vs. Virginia: 7 Best Matchups of the 2011 Chick-Fil-a Bowl

With only two days until the 2011 Chick-Fil-A Bowl, the Auburn Tigers and Virginia Cavaliers are making final preparations before the New Year’s Eve bowl. The Tigers are battling the replacement of one coordinator and the known departure of another with both the offensive and defensive units having a wealth of inconsistencies in 2011.

The Virginia Cavaliers are entering their second season under head coach Mike London and have shown a wealth of consistency on defense and in the rushing game. The Cavaliers will be looking to push for a big victory in this year's bowl and earn Coach London another signature win in season two.

Looking at the pending matchup, here are seven keys to the game that will sway the Tigers or Cavaliers into the winners circle. 

Bill Lazor vs. Gene Chizik

There have been a wealth of rumors swirling around the Tigers program since the departure of Ted Roof trying to speculate who will fill the role of defensive coordinator for the Tigers in 2011. As of now, Gene Chizik is filling in as the defensive coordinator as the Tigers march closer to their bowl game.

Chizik has not been in a coordinator role in over five seasons. Chizik brings a unique focus and passion to the defense, which should translate into passionate play this Saturday.

Bill Lazor is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Virginia Cavaliers. How Lazor prepares his rushing attack to face off against the aggressive style of defense that Chizik employs will be fun to watch.

The Cavaliers have a moderately experienced quarterback in Michael Rocco, but the rushing attack is the bread and butter of the offense. How Chizik can prepare the Tigers for the rushing attack and motion sets employed by Lazor will be the key to this coaching showdown and marking Chizik’s return to the coordinator as either success or failure. Trying to kick off the coordinator rust while ensuring all other head coaching duties are fulfilled is a tall task for Chizik, and shifting into the role as suddenly as he did adds to the difficulty.

Edge: Virginia

Auburn Rushing Defense vs. Virginia Rushing Offense

Auburn has traditionally been strong against the run defensively, but this season, the Tigers took some large strides backwards in the rushing defense category. The Tigers have not been very good at shedding blocks or finding the right gaps against good rushing opponents this season.

The Cavaliers will look to dominate the ground game with Perry Jones, Kevin Parks and Clifton Richardson. All three backs have contributed to the Cavaliers success this season, combining for 1,877 rushing yards.

The Cavaliers will look to control the line of scrimmage and use their motion sets to find the Tigers out of position. If the Tigers defense took to Chizik’s instruction well and they played disciplined football, the Tigers could have the edge in this matchup. Unfortunately, they have shown little to no progression all season.

Edge: Virginia

Clint Moseley vs. Michael Rocco

The Tigers enter the Chick-Fil-A Bowl with a lot of questions that surround the quarterback position. The Tigers began the season with Barrett Trotter at the helm, but by the end of the season, the Tigers were starting sophomore Clint Moseley.

Moseley was anything but extremely consistent, which is why a lot of chatter has gotten behind Kiehl Frazier to take over the starting role. Frazier has been rumored to be having a great bowl practice session, but a start is not likely. Moseley will be the starter for the Tigers.

Moseley has struggled to find rhythm and consistency, as the pass blocking has been abysmal at times and he has seemed unable to find second and third options open downfield. Moseley needs to have a big game for the Tigers if Auburn wants to defeat the Cavaliers.

Michael Rocco is finishing his first starting season with the Cavaliers and has led Virginia to its best season since 2007. Rocco has passed for 11 touchdowns, but has also thrown 11 interceptions. Auburn has been very spotty with its defensive backfield coverage, so Rocco could have a very good day against the Tigers.

Rocco averages 196.6 yards a game through the air and averages 7.3 yards a completion. The Tigers will have to focus on Kris Burd and Tim Smith on the outside and hope that Rocco doesn’t find them open too often. If Rocco gains success through the air early, it could be a long day for the Tigers.

Edge: Virginia

Robert Randolph vs. Cody Parkey

Robert Randolph is entering his final game as a Virginia Cavalier in which the final score could be determined by a winning kick. Randolph has been a part of winning kicks before, as earlier this season, he helped seal a come-from-behind victory for the Cavaliers against Indiana.

Randolph carries a 68.2 percent field goal accuracy and is 100 percent on his extra points this season. He will need to be extremely accurate this Saturday, as a field goal will likely be the separator.

Cody Parkey is entering his second season with the Auburn Tigers and his first as the starter. This season, Parkey has been a huge weapon on kickoffs for the Tigers, and he has made 73.3 percent of his kicks. He has missed one extra point this season, giving him a 97.3 percent accuracy on point after attempts.

Parkey has a strong leg and has proven to be very reliable for the Tigers. He holds well under pressure and could likely hold the Tigers' ability to win or lose this game in his kick accuracy on Saturday.

Both kickers are strong and accurate, but Parkey’s dual role of kickoff specialist and place kicker give him and the Tigers the edge here.

Edge: Auburn

Steven Clark vs. Dominique Terrell

Steven Clark has been one of the best weapons for the Auburn defense this season. His ability to pin opponents inside the 20-yard line has been one of the reasons the Tigers have been successful this season.

Clark was a Ray Guy Award finalist, mainly for his ridiculous hang time and inside the 20 punts. Clark will face off against freshman return man Dominique Terrell, hoping to keep him pinned up and unable to find space for a return.

The Tigers have had great coverage on punt team, but the majority of that great coverage comes from the hang time that Clark is able to lay on his punts. If the Tigers can control the field position, they stand a great chance at winning this game. Clark will be crucial to the Tigers success, but one big return from Terrell could be the game changer that the Cavaliers need on Saturday.

Edge: Auburn

Auburn Faithful vs. Virginia Faithful

Both the Auburn Tigers and the Virginia Cavaliers will be looking to provide a great show this coming Saturday for their respective fanbases, but how many fans will follow their teams is still up in the air.

Virginia has not made it to postseason play very consistently, so the assumption would be that the Cavaliers would bring a wealth of orange and blue followers to the Georgia Dome.

The Auburn Tigers have one of the most consistent and loyal followings of any team in college football. Last season, the Tigers fans virtually over ran the stands and overwhelmed Oregonians when the Tigers traveled to Arizona for the national title game.

Auburn is not a far drive from Atlanta, and it will typically be a much easier trip for the Tigers fans to make. The Tigers and Cavaliers will likely both travel well, but Auburn is most likely to have the most screaming voices in the dome come Saturday.

Edge: Auburn

Jim Reid vs. Gus Malzahn

This matchup is likely to be the most interesting of the seven showdowns covered. Malzahn has already made the decision to take his coaching talents to Arkansas State, but has decided to call his final game for the Auburn Tigers.

Malzahn has always been viewed as a game-changing type coordinator whose innovative offensive schemes were impossible to consistently stop. This season, he has been far from unstoppable. Expect Malzahn to utilize every piece of his offense this week in an attempt to finish his Auburn career on the highest of notes.

Jim Reid has the tall task of stopping the Auburn offense and the mind of Malzahn this coming Saturday. Reid has been a part of one of the most impressive defensive transitions in college football during his time under coach London at Virginia.

The Cavaliers have used their simple but effective defensive schemes to upset the likes of Georgia Tech, Miami (Fl) and Florida State this season. Reid will likely have a little trouble adjusting initially, but the Cavaliers will be ready for this game.

Reid and Malzahn will both have their units ready to perform. Auburn has been terrible offensively this season, while Virginia has relied on its defense to win ballgames. This matchup will be fun to watch and will likely host some Malzahn-style fireworks by games end.

Edge: Auburn