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The Auburn Tigers (2-5) will attempt to put an end to a brutal losing stretch this weekend when they travel to Lexington, KY to face off against the Kentucky Wildcats (3-4) Saturday evening.
Auburn has lost four-straight SEC contests entering its final road game of the campaign. While the Tigers are only one of seven teams in the country to accumulate at least 6.5 yards per play on the offensive end while holding opponents to under 5.0 yards per snap on the defensive side, Hugh Freeze’s squad is just 2-5 and on the brink of postseason elimination with five contests left to play. Kentucky on the other hand is just one game better, but has the opportunity to put itself well aligned for a bowl game with a victory over the Tigers this weekend.
Auburn’s inability to win close football games along with Kentucky’s home-field advantage and more consistent play have the Wildcats as slight, 2.5-point, favorites entering this matchup according to BetMGM. ESPN FPI seems to be in agreeance with the sports books, as the Index gives Kentucky a 51.3% chance to tame the Tigers on Saturday.
Will a deeper dive into the tale of the tape show the wrong side is favored on Saturday?? As always, we’ll start by analyzing the quarterbacks.
Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne has taken a step forward in his second season on the Plains, although his play still leaves much to be desired, specifically when it comes to taking care of the football and putting away games. The senior has thrown for 1,414 yards this season. Accumulating 11 touchdowns through the air and another 2 on the ground. Unfortunately his 5 early season interceptions put a damper on total of 6 throws to the opposition, casting a dark cloud on what has otherwise been a decent campaign.
Kentucky starter Brock Vandagriff has not been very good either. The junior has thrown for only…
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