The Auburn Tigers (4-6) finally won last weekend as they took down Texas A&M at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers will be looking to make it two wins on the bounce at home this Saturday as the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (7-4) visit the Plains.
By Steve Wright
Follow @14powerscom
Here are the three keys to an Auburn win over WKU:
1- The Health of Brandon Council
Cadillac Williams is doing things right at Auburn. The Tigers were the better team against the Aggies, and with a little more killer instinct, they would have won that game by a much bigger scoreline. Williams keeps things simple, using his rushing attack to do most of the work, as it is where Auburn’s strength lies. One important player in that attack is the center Brandon Council. Council left the A&M game with an injury, and Auburn needs him to be healthy. The center keys everything the offensive line does, and his chemistry with his guards in the run-blocking game is clear.
2 – The Passing Game Must Improve
The Auburn passing game has been MIA most of this season. That remained the case against Texas A&M, with Robby Ashford completing just 6-of-13 passing for 60 yards. The run should – and will – be the base of everything Auburn does, but if the Tigers can’t take the roof off of the defense, then the backs are going to be crashing into nine-men fronts all game long. Auburn complete just one pass to a wide receiver against Texas A&M, which hurts the offense. Look for Williams to find ways to get the ball into the hands of his wideouts here.
3 – Don’t Take WKU Lightly
Auburn isn’t in a position to take any team likely, but it is easy to do so against an opponent, not in a Power 5 conference. Western Kentucky beat Rice 45-10 last week, bringing a legitimate passing offense with them to this game. The Hilltoppers are the No. 4 team in the country in passing yards per game with 336.1, and they have the 14th-best scoring offense at just over 38 points per contest. Auburn doesn’t score enough to get into a shootout with this crew, so the Tigers will have to make sure not to take them lightly and play tough, SEC-style football.
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