Peach Bowl 2018: Individual Matchups to Watch in UCF vs. Auburn

After beating Georgia and Alabama in November, the Auburn Tigers appeared to be on their way to the College Football Playoff.

However, when asked to confront Georgia for a second time, this time in the SEC Championship Game, the Tigers fell short and were consequently left out of the top four. 

While that may be something of a letdown, Auburn (10-3) will have its hands full with the undefeated UCF (12-0) in the Peach Bowl.

Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham and running back Kerryon Johnson lead a prolific Auburn offense that averaged 36.7 points per game in 2017. The Knights have the kind of defense that should be able to give Auburn a battle, as it allowed 22.5 points per game this year.

Here's a look at some of the game's key individual matchups.

Auburn Quarterback Jarrett Stidham vs. UCF Free Safety Kyle Gibson

Stidham is a productive passer who completed 218 of 327 passes for 2,827 yards with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2017. He is quite accurate, as he completes 66.4 percent of his passes, and his decision-making is good.

The quarterback understands a big part of his game is looking off the free safety and making sure he does not throw into double coverage.

Gibson is rather productive, as he finished the regular season with 56 tackles (36 solo), four interceptions, four passes broken up, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.

The Junior has does a good job of diagnosing how the opposing offense wants to attack, and the chess match between Stidham and Gibson will go a long way toward deciding the Peach Bowl's outcome.

Auburn Running Back Kerryon Johnson vs. UCF Inside Linebackers Pat Jasinski and Chequan Burkett

This may be the decisive individual matchup in the game, as Johnson is a 6'0", 212-pound running back who has 1,320 rushing yards, an average of 5.0 yards per carry and 17 touchdowns. 

Johnson is the third-ranked running back among ESPN's pro prospects.

Pat Jasinski and Chequan Burkett should be well prepared for the battle. Jasinski led the Knight with 96 tackles (47 solo), and he also had eight behind the line of scrimmage and a sack. He also forced a fumble and had a fumble recovery.

Burkett has 74 tackles (43 solo) along with 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also forced a fumble and had a fumble recovery.

John Raoux/Associated Press

UCF Quarterback McKenzie Milton vs. Auburn Free Safety Tray Matthews

McKenzie Milton is one of the biggest reasons the Knights were able to go undefeated through the regular season, as he completed 249 of 360 passes for 3,795 yards with 35 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also did a solid job of running the ball, picking 497 yards on the ground and scoring seven touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry.

Tray Matthews is the Tigers' second-leading tackler, with 53 stops, one sack, one interception and one pass broken up. He is more of a hitter and sure tackler than he is a ball athlete and playmaker, but he may need to step up in that area if the Tigers are going to slow down Milton.

UCF Wide Receiver  Tre'Quan Smith vs. Auburn Cornerback Javaris Davis

Tre'Quan Smith is a wonderful playmaker, and he figures to be a huge factor in this game. He has caught 54 passes for 1,082 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 20.0 yards per reception. At 6'1" and 205 pounds, he has the size and speed to make big plays.

Javaris Davis will have to try to hold Smith in check, and this assignment will be challenging. Davis had 26 tackles, two interceptions and four passes broken up this season.