Auburn-Chattanooga: 5 Things the Tigers Can Accomplish Against the Mocs
Even the most optimistic Auburn football fans would have been hard pressed to predict a perfect record as Homecoming weekend has arrived on the Plains.
Cam Newton has been even better than advertised (which is saying something), the defense has been much better than last season and the offense has clearly benefited from a second year learning to execute the scheme of Gus Malzahn.
November is sure to be a month to remember, win or lose, with Georgia and Alabama coming up. But first comes the last non-conference game of the regular season.
So at 9-0 (6-0 SEC), what can the Tigers accomplish against FCS foe UT-Chattanooga? Here are five things that can get done this weekend.
No. 1: Win the Game
1 of 5First and foremost, Auburn obviously has to make sure it takes the opponent seriously and wins the game. This is no time to let this game be close in the fourth quarter. Ask Ole Miss about how that goes.
If the Tigers can duplicate their early performance against ULM earlier this year, they should be fine. But when you're undefeated, winning against a team like this is imperative.
No. 2: Earn Some Time for the Backups
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Is it just me, or is it really amusing to watch Cam Newton help man the play board when he comes out of the game for Barrett Trotter? It's a weird sight to see, but I hope to see it often this weekend.
If the Tigers can take care of business in the first half and maybe partially through the third quarter, most of the second half can be used to get some of the guys who work just as hard as the starters some playing time.
Many of the backups are the future of Auburn's team. In particular, keep an eye on the defensive line substitutes. Freshmen like Corey Lemonier, Jeff Whitaker and Kenneth Carter will all play major roles next season.
Obviously, this allows the starters to get some rest as well, as they head into their 10th straight game without a bye week.
No. 3: Get Mario Fannin Going
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Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I think Mario Fannin has to stay involved in the offense in some way. Keep in mind that Auburn is just an injury away from him becoming fully involved in the offense again.
So, I don't think it's good to completely shelve him, especially since he's a senior. This is a good opportunity to give him some carries, keep him fresh and allow him to gain some confidence.
His value as a pass blocker and a receiver is still valuable to this offense. I wouldn't mind seeing him get some carries either, whether that's in the first half or after Michael Dyer has exited for the day.
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No. 4: Increase Health
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Games like this offer a good opportunity to get healthy. Guys like T'Sharvan Bell that have been dealing with nagging injuries can take another week to heal and get ready for Georgia.
At this time of year, no one is 100 percent healthy. Sometimes the opportunity to play only half the game can give some guys the added rest and recovery time they need to become close to fully healthy.
One of the main goals when stepping out of FBS to play a game is to be more healthy afterwards than you were beforehand.
No. 5: Continue Making Strides on Defense
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The first team defense did quite well after giving up the early 83-yard run in Oxford on Saturday. We'll see if they can carry that over into this game.
The strength of UTC is their passing attack, led by former Tennessee quarterback B.J. Coleman. They average almost 300 yards passing a game, which has led them to a 5-3 record and nearly an upset of Appalachian State.
Can the first team defense keep the Mocs under 10 points? To me, that's a reasonable goal. The main thing is to keep making progress on the defensive side of the ball, especially with an impressive Georgia offense coming into town next weekend.
What do you expect from this game? Comment below.
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