Texas A&M vs. Auburn Complete Game Preview

AUBURN, Ala. — Two years ago, Texas A&M marked its first conference trip to Auburn with a devastating blowout victory that personified the Tigers' entire 3-9 season.

Last year, Auburn got some of its revenge with a wild shootout win in College Station.

This year, the Tigers could very well pay the Aggies back for 2012 in front of their home fans.

No. 3 Auburn comes into Saturday's SEC West matchup off of a major 35-31 victory at then-No. 4 Ole Miss in what many called an elimination game for the inaugural College Football Playoff. While Auburn's offense continued its impressive run with five touchdowns against the stingy Rebels, the defense came up with a pair of unbelievable fourth-quarter turnovers to shake off another up-and-down performance.

Meanwhile, Texas A&M ended its three-game losing streak with a shaky 21-16 win against UL-Monroe in freshman quarterback Kyle Allen's first start following the suspension of sophomore Kenny Hill. The Aggies' high-powered attack is struggling at the moment as their defense continues to give up plenty of points and yards against conference opponents.

Before we get to the full breakdown of Saturday afternoon's game on the Plains, here is all the quick info you need to know:

• Date: Saturday, Nov. 8
• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. local)
• Place: Jordan-Hare Stadium; Auburn, Ala.
• TV: CBS
• Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network, Auburn IMG Sports Network
  
• Spread: Auburn -21, according to Odds Shark

Texas A&M Keys to Victory

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Texas A&M HC Kevin Sumlin

Establish An Offensive Rhythm

Through the first five wins of Texas A&M's season, head coach Kevin Sumlin's high-powered offense averaged close to eight yards per play. However, since the Aggies' close win against Arkansas, Texas A&M's production has dropped to well below six yards per play—including 3.13 against Alabama and 3.52 against Louisiana-Monroe.

It should come as no surprise that the Aggies have had fewer than 20 first downs in the last two contests. Without the momentum from chaining first downs together, the Texas A&M offense loses most of its effectiveness.

Texas A&M's best chances in Saturday's game are based on if they can keep up the scoring pace against Auburn. If Allen can establish some rhythm with short and intermediate passes against Auburn's inconsistent secondary, it will both keep Nick Marshall and Co. off the field and frustrate the Tigers defensively.

Hold Onto the Football

Texas A&M has forced the third-fewest turnovers in the country and will face an Auburn team that keeps finding ways to get takeaways, especially in the red zone.

To make matters worse, the Aggies have only played one game with a positive turnover margin—the commanding opening-night victory against South Carolina that seems like it was played by two completely different teams at this point in the season.

The visitors will not be able to afford any empty possessions against a host side that is firing on all cylinders offensively after an up-and-down start to the season. The Aggies need plenty of points, and early turnovers could make this game ugly in quick fashion.

Don't Give Up

This is not some type of cliche or motivational word for the underdog Aggies heading into this SEC West matchup, as B/R's Michael Taglienti noted in his Texas A&M preview for this game:

"

The Aggies quit on the field against Alabama and they have not displayed any enthusiasm for playing football since the Arkansas game. If Auburn can get up early by two scores, the Aggie players will likely give up and start counting down the minutes until the end of the game. Texas A&M looks like a defeated football team right now.

"

Auburn will continue to put an emphasis on getting a fast start offensively and putting the week's opponent in an early hole. Maybe Allen will keep firing in the first road start of his career and try to make a statement in this one. If not, Texas A&M might be on the other end of a catastrophe in the state of Alabama.

Auburn Keys to Victory

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Auburn HC Gus Malzahn

Rattle Kyle Allen

The last time a true freshman quarterback made his first career road start inside Jordan-Hare Stadium, LSU had to pull Brandon Harris during a 41-7 rout at the hands of the Tigers.

Auburn will look for a repeat performance with Allen and the Aggies this weekend.

The Tigers' pass rush, which was one of their biggest issues heading into the Ole Miss game, got after Rebel quarterback Bo Wallace and tied a season-high performance with four sacks. With Kenny Hill suspended for the entirety of this matchup, Auburn should be able to put all of its energy in preparing for and irritating the former 5-star recruit  Allen.

Keep Leaning on the Running Game

Texas A&M's defense is about as balanced as any in the country—and not in a good way, if you're wearing maroon and white. The Aggies are 88th in rushing yards allowed per game and 75th in passing yards allowed per game heading into Jordan-Hare Stadium.

While Auburn keeps preaching the importance of having offensive balance, Malzahn's attack should be content with leaning on the legs of quarterback Nick Marshall and running back Cameron Artis-Payne early in the game. Four teams with rushing offenses ranked lower than Auburn, including Conference USA's Rice, gained 240 or more yards on the ground against the Aggies.

Auburn's rushing offense will want to keep its momentum going next week against Georgia, who gave up the second-highest rushing yardage in its history against Florida last weekend. Another fantastic game against a conference opponent could set the tone for an important rivalry win in Athens.

Don't Let A&M Hang Around

On the flip side of the Aggies' "Don't Give Up" key, the Tigers need to make sure that attitude comes back for their opponents early on Saturday.

Auburn should be able to move the ball easily against the Texas A&M defense, but it will also need to put the clamps down on Allen and the air attack. If the Aggies are still in the game at halftime, they could rally and make things extremely difficult for the Tigers.

But if Auburn can get out to an early lead and get a couple of big stops on defense in its final major home game of the season, this game should be nothing less than a comfortable victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Texas A&M Players to Watch

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Texas A&M QB Kyle Allen

QB Kyle Allen

Allen's first career start was less than stellar against less-than-stellar competition, and he will try to get it turned around this weekend against a much stiffer challenge.

The new starter in College Station went 13-of-28 for 106 yards, one touchdown and one interception against UL-Monroe. His other extended performances have come against other mid-major programs at Kyle Field, and he has thrown a pick in three of his five appearances this season.

There is no doubt Allen has talent as a pocket passer, and he has plenty of time to become a great quarterback in the collegiate ranks. But he will have to overcome his inexperience against Auburn, a team that is itching to correct its woes in pass defense before traveling to Georgia and Alabama.

WR Speedy Noil

Hill and Allen like to spread the ball around to all of their receivers in Sumlin's offense, but the Tigers should definitely watch out for another former 5-star recruit in Noil.

The Louisiana native got his name for a reason and is a real danger in the open field. If Auburn's defense continues to miss tackles like it did against Ole Miss and Mississippi State, a playmaker like Noil could turn a short pass into a long touchdown reception.

Noil has also showed some great hands on a handful of circus catches this season, including this one-handed touchdown grab last Saturday against the visiting Warhawks in which he took away an interception. The Aggies might need some more of his magic to stay competitive against Auburn this weekend.

DE Myles Garrett

When someone breaks a record set by former South Carolina superstar Jadeveon Clowney, he is definitely going to get a lot of attention.

Garrett broke Clowney's SEC mark for most sacks by a freshman last Saturday with 3.5 against UL-Monroe. Another standout true freshman for Texas A&M, Garrett is leading the team in both sacks and tackles for loss through nine games this season.

Auburn is one of the nation's best in preventing sacks, and the offensive line has done a good job recently of keeping opposing defenses from making plays in the backfield. However, Garrett will represent one of the best pure pass-rushers the Tigers have faced this season and will be worth keeping your eyes on Saturday afternoon.

Auburn Players to Watch

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Auburn WR Sammie Coates

RB Roc Thomas

One should expect Artis-Payne, the SEC's new leading rusher, to get the bulk of Auburn's carries against Texas A&M.

But if the game starts to get out of hand, keep an eye on Auburn's own top true freshman. Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said Thomas rolled his ankle in the second quarter of the Ole Miss game, but he expects the electric young back to be ready to go against Texas A&M.

Unless his ankle injury worsens during practice this week, Thomas could get more touches against an Aggie defense that has had a hard time against big-play running backs this year. Those extra carries would definitely get the Auburn crowd excited heading into the final three games of the regular season.

WR Sammie Coates

After a slow start to 2014, Coates showed last Saturday night why he is still a vertical threat to be feared in Auburn's offense.

The junior, who was third nationally in yards per catch last season, made an impressive leaping grab over Ole Miss star cornerback Senquez Golson and found his way into the end zone midway through the second quarter.

Coates still missed a long-ball connection or two with Marshall against Ole Miss, but his performance showed he is playing at 100 percent at such a crucial time in Auburn's schedule. His reemergence in the passing game will only help fellow star receiver D'haquille Williams as defenses will have to worry about a pair of big-play targets.

DT Montravius Adams

Adams, the versatile defensive tackle, recorded a sack in what was a bounce-back performance for the Auburn defensive line against Ole Miss.

The standout sophomore has been one of the more reliable defensive players for Auburn this season by getting ample pressure on opposing quarterbacks and shutting down runs up the middle. He is Auburn's top defensive lineman in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks.

With Texas A&M's offensive style calling for lots of receivers spread across the entire field, defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson might not be able to rely on the blitz as much to get pressure on Allen. Look for Adams to lead the way for a line that is still trying to perfect its four-man rush.

What They're Saying

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Auburn LB Kris Frost

Texas A&M

Head coach Kevin Sumlin on his team's attitude after breaking its losing streak against UL-Monroe, per the team's official website:

"

We need to win. It’s been a while since we’ve won. Anytime you win, you put everything you have into this. There’s a lot of work, a lot of effort, a lot of time and energy spent. Regardless of the opponent, you play to win the game. That’s what happened. I’m happy that those guys are happy. You didn’t see crazy ordeal in the locker room. I think they understand that we have work to do. But certainly the attitude is a lot better right now than it was in the course of the last few weeks.

"

Sumlin on true freshman quarterback Kyle Allen's first start, per The Associated Press (via The Dallas Morning News): "We've got to give him more of the playbook. We played it really, really close to the vest today, and I think the numbers reflected that."

Senior wide receiver Malcome Kennedy on looking ahead to Auburn, per the team's official website:

"

Like I said before, every team in the SEC is ready to play every night. Any of these teams are capable of winning a championship.  What we need to do to win is play with more effort and more attitude and just play closer as a team. We just have to get out there and play hard. Sometimes you don't execute as well but as long as you play hard that can make up for the mistakes.

"

Auburn

Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson on preparing for a new quarterback in Allen:

"

We’re going to prepare for the regular Texas A&M to come in here throwing it around. They got a very good offensive line Their receivers may be the most talented. They’re young. They’re not as old, as experienced as that crowd last year, but I know the young man’s got great talent and can throw the ball anywhere on the field. It’s just a matter of them protecting him and him reading the coverages and those things. 

"

Junior linebacker Kris Frost on not looking past the Texas A&M matchup and ahead to Georgia:

"

With this team, that's never an issue for us. We never go into a game with the mindset that we can relax. If anything, it puts us on higher guard against the team we're playing, like a team like South Carolina that has nothing to lose. And it comes out with all these trick plays and these double passes. Things like that will beat you, and beat good teams.

"

Junior wide receiver Sammie Coates on talk of revenge for Texas A&M's 63-21 win at Auburn in 2012:

"

We know this is our seniors' last game at home, and we remember the last time they came. We talked about it today, the last time they came here, they embarrassed us, and that's a feeling you never want to have again. There's a lot of angry seniors on our team, so we're going to play for them.

"

Prediction

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Auburn WR Ricardo Louis, RB Cameron Artis-Payne, QB Nick Marshall and OG Avery Young

Earlier in the year, this matchup looked like another tough test during a grueling back half of the season for Auburn.

Now it looks like it will be a more comfortable victory as the Tigers get ready for "Amen Corner."

Auburn's offense will be able to move the ball at will against Texas A&M, who has struggled mightily against above-average attacks all season long. The Tigers should establish the run and get everyone involved while looking toward Williams and Coates for deep pass plays when the Aggie defense overloads.

If Hill was starting this game at quarterback for Texas A&M, then I would expect a much closer contest. However, Allen didn't inspire a lot of confidence against UL-Monroe, and while Auburn's defense doesn't match up too well against a pass-heavy offense, the Tigers have already had success in rattling young signal-callers this season.

I expect Texas A&M to get on the scoreboard a few times, especially toward the end of the game, but Allen and the young Aggie playmakers won't have enough firepower to hang with an Auburn offense that is finding its groove at the right time. The Tigers cruise in their final major home game of 2014.

Auburn 52, Texas A&M 20

What is your final score prediction for this Saturday's game? Let me hear it in the comments section below.

All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.

Justin Ferguson is Bleacher Report's lead Auburn writer. Follow him on Twitter @JFergusonAU.