Texas A&M Week 4 Opponent Preview: Auburn Tigers

The Texas A&M Aggies open the SEC season in College Station against a new Auburn Tigers roster with more upside than most first-year staffs.

Now comes the hard part. And it starts in College Station.

Texas A&M won't enter Saturday's matchup against Auburn undefeated. Miami made sure to wreak havoc on the defense in South Beach as a redemption for a 17-9 loss last season at Kyle Field. 

There is a light at the end of the entry tunnel toward the grass and resides inside the hallowed halls of the stadium that seats over 102,000. Offensive consistency at home has been promising. Conner Weigman has yet to throw an interception in his five starts at Kyle Field, dating back to last October when he replaced Haynes King. He's thrown 12 touchdowns and over 1,200 yards since facing off against then-No. 15 Ole Miss. 

Since the hiring of Bobby Petrino, A&M's offense has methodically marched its way up and down the field and into the end zone. The Aggies are averaging 484 yards of offense at home and 49.5 points per game. Remember that Saturday's 47-3 win over Louisiana-Monroe came without standouts Evan Stewart and Noah Thomas making highlight grabs to set up quick runs in the red zone. 

There are two ways to look at A&M entering conference play. You could argue that despite inept tackling, a lackluster defensive play design and the inability to win on third down, the Aggies have an offense that can match any middle-tier program, and Miami is a roster on the rise. 

The other way? A&M handles business against lesser-tier competition but can't win against teams with upside. Auburn, who needed a fourth-quarter surge to defeat Cal on the road in Week 2, comes with its flaws under first-year coach Hugh Freeze, but it's a program with promise and an abundance of talent that could pull off any upset. 

The road becomes rocky after Saturday's matchup. A&M must do battle with a Razorback in Arlington, then face the elephant in the room known as Alabama. A road trip to Rocky Top will follow before rest comes in mid-October. 

Every game is a must-win in the SEC West, but consider Saturday a litmus test to see where the Aggies stack up. A victory will do wonders for morale, but a beatdown shows that A&M's road woes were nothing more than a hiccup. 

Follow along with AllAggies.com as we preview everything to know about the Tigers heading into conference play. Make sure to check out a quick synopsis of the opponent before kickoff at Kyle Field come Sept. 23. 

Auburn Tigers 

2023 Record: 3-0 (0-0 vs. Southeastern Conference opponents)

Head coach: Hugh Freeze 

Freeze is entering his first season with the Tigers. 

Offensive Leaders

QB Payton Thorne 

Thorne won the starting job over Roby Ashford and has been consistently inconsistent. The Michigan State transfer threw for a season-high 284 yards against Samford, but also tossed a pair of interceptions against one touchdown. Thorne's only completed more than 70 percent of his throws once and has relied heavily on intermediate passes rather than deep shots. 

Mobility is an asset to his game. Thorne leads the Tigers in rushing through three games, averaging 6.4 yards per run to match his two touchdowns. Against the Bulldogs, he rushed for 11.2 yards per play and became the first Auburn QB to total over 100 yards and pass for 200 in a game since Nick Marshall in 2013. 

Auburn also has designed packages for Ashford, so don't be surprised to see a switch depending on the field position throughout Saturday's matchup. 

RB Jarquez Hunter

Hunter missed the season opener against UMass due to an internal suspension. Since returning, he's split reps with sophomore Damari Alston but remains efficient in the short game. Entering Saturday, he's averaging 4.1 yards per carry and has eight first-down runs.

Last season, Hunter split reps with Tank Bigsby and worked well against the Aggies' front. Bigsby was the thunder who knew how to ground and pound the rock up the middle. Hunter, a bit more of the lightning type, averaged 8.8 yards and totaled 113 en route to a 13-10 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

WR Jay Fair

No one has really been a stout No. 1 weapon this season in the passing game, but Fair is the most consistent. He's totaled five or more catches in two games and averaged over 13 yards through the air. Fair also leads the team in receiving yards (174) and receiving touchdowns (2) through three games.

TE Rivaldo Fairweather

Tight end play has been promising on The Plains and the new guy on campus headlines it. Fairweather spent three seasons at Florida International and is coming off a breakout season where he averaged 15.2 yards per catch. In two games, Fairweather has eight catches for 92 yards. Half of his receptions have either been for touchdowns or first downs.

Defensive Leaders

LB Eugene Asante

Asante, a three-year roleplayer at North Carolina, has been the most consistent tackler through three games. He leads the team in stops with 19, including a 12-tackle outing against Cal on the road.

LB Larry Nixon III

Another roleplayer stepping up in run support, Nixon has become a staple for Ron Roberts' 3-3-5 system. Nixon finished with five tackles in games against Cal and Samford, and has totaled two for loss. The North Texas transfer won the job as the team's starting middle backer and has only had one missed tackle through two games. 

DB Jaylin Simpson

Simpson returns for a second year at safety after transitioning from cornerback last fall. His physical demeanor was influential in the run game, while his coverage skills matched well against bigger receivers and tight ends. Last season, Simpson finished with two interceptions and five pass deflections. Comfortable in the position change, expect those numbers to improve come this fall. 

DB Nehemiah Pritchett

Perhaps the biggest returnee for Freeze, Prichett is the most experienced defensive back on the team. He's one of the more nuanced defenders in the SEC, having started the previous two years under Harsin's staff. 

Quietly, Auburn's pass defense was one of its strengths, holding opponents to 6.5 yards per pass and quarterbacks to under a 60 completion rating. Prichett, who registered eight pass deflections, was one of the more prominent influences to the production once being shifted to the outside.