Chick-Fil-a Bowl 2011: Key Matchups for Auburn Tigers vs. Virginia Cavaliers

With a surprise invite to the Sugar Bowl for Virginia Tech, their in-state rival Virginia slots into the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in a matchup with the defending BCS National Champion Auburn Tigers.

At one point in the season, Virginia looked to potentially be contenders in the ACC but were brought back down to earth by Virginia Tech in a 38-0 loss to close out the season.

Auburn had a disappointing season and couldn't seem to make up for the losses of Cam Newton and Nick Fairley.

But a win in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl could be a bright spot in the season for the Tigers, and with the draw against the Cavaliers instead of the Hokies, it seems as though a win could be in the cards. 

Virginia Defense vs. Auburn Running back Michael Dyer

If Virginia wants any chance at winning the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, it will have to hold Michael Dyer in check. 

The Cavaliers defense got embarrassed on the ground in their final game against Virginia Tech, allowing 180 yards and three touchdowns to the Hokies, and they have not been particularly good against the run all year. 

Dyer broke the 100-yard mark five times on the season and rushed for a total of 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns on 242 carries.

Look for Dyer to get the better of this matchup and break the century mark for the sixth time on the year.

Auburn Quarterbacks vs. Virginia Defense

The Auburn Tigers have struggled to find a consistent signal caller all season long and will likely play two different QB's in the game, Clint Moseley and Kiehl Frazier.

Moseley handles the passing game and Frazier comes in to run the ball occasionally. 

Virginia's defense will have their best opportunity to win the game if they force these two guys to make plays.

Moseley threw five touchdowns to three interceptions, so he is prone to turnovers, and the Cavaliers will need some if they want to win.

If they can stop Dyer and force Auburn to make plays through the air, it could be a long day for the Tigers. 

Virginia Running Game vs. Auburn Defense

After a disappointing showing against Virginia Tech in which they only rushed for 30 yards, the Cavaliers will need to get back on track if they want a shot at winning the Chick-Fil-A Bowl against Auburn. 

For a team that does most of its damage on the ground, 165.3 yards per game, only rushing for 30 is crippling, as it resulted in 38-0 loss. 

Luckily for Virginia, Auburn is terrible against the run, ranking 98th out of 120 heading into the Iron Bowl against Alabama, allowing 193 yards per game. They went on to allow Trent Richardson to rush for 203 yards on the ground in that game.

The Cavaliers will need to capitalize on that weakness early and often to give themselves a shot against the Tigers. 

Ted Roof vs. Jim Reid

Ultimately, this game will come down to which defensive coordinator can create the best scheme at stopping the other teams run, therefore, a key matchup to watch is the one between Ted Rood and Jim Reid. 

Neither has been rather successful against the run all year, but Reid has had more success. It will be interesting to see if the belief that an ACC offense has little chance against an SEC defense despite the Auburn defense not being all that great.

Auburn Fans vs. Virginia Fans

With the game being played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Auburn will have a de facto home game.

Virginia fans will have much farther to travel and will need to head to Atlanta in droves to help out their team with the crowd noise.

If few Cavalier fans show up to the game, Auburn will have the benefit of playing in front of basically a home crowd with the school being closer than Virginia. 

Virginia may want to rally their fellow conference fans from Georgia Tech to head to the Georgia Dome and cheer them on.