Missouri Tigers vs. Auburn Tigers Pick & Prediction SEPTEMBER 24th 2022
Gino Russo
Auburn will have much in common with its fellow Tigers when it hosts Missouri in the Southeastern Conference opener for both schools Saturday.
Both teams finished 3-5 in SEC play last season. Both teams started 2-1 this season.
Both teams have suffered lopsided losses this season: Auburn fell 41-12 at home to Penn State while Missouri lost 40-12 at Kansas State.
So this game at Jordan-Hare Stadium is critical to the fortunes of both teams. And there is this: Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz worked under Auburn coach Bryan Harsin at Arkansas State and Boise State and considers him a mentor.
"You know Coach Harsin, gave me an opportunity and believed in me when not very many other people did and really kept me in college football in 2013," Drinkwitz said Tuesday. "And so I'm very appreciative to him for that and will always be indebted to him."
Auburn's offensive line suffered multiple breakdowns against the Nittany Lions last Saturday while allowing six sacks and nine quarterback hurries.
"We didn't play up to our standard to what I thought we were capable of doing," Harsin said at his Monday news conference. "Some of that was us, some of that was Penn State. Sometimes you get in a one-on-one matchup and you just get whooped. That is fundamental correction you have to make. We'll let the guys compete on the O-line to get the best five out there."
The quarterback position also remains a competition. T. J. Finley completed 11-of-19 passes for 152 yards, no touchdowns and an interception against Penn State and Robby Ashford completed 10-of-19 passes for 144 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Running back Tank Bigsby, who rushed for 147 yards in Auburn's season-opening victory over Mercer, gained just 39 yards on nine carries against Penn State.
Missouri used its tune-up game against FCS foe Abilene Christian last Saturday to get its offense on track.
Quarterback Brady Cook completed 21 of 30 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns in the 34-17 victory. He added 42 yards rushing on six carries.
Receiver Dominic Lovett caught seven passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow receiver Luther Burden III compiled 177 all-purpose yards, highlighted by a 78-yard touchdown punt return.
"He is one of the players on their side of the ball that we have to try to slow down," Harsin said. "They have others they can utilize too, a lot of other personnel."
Lovett has 16 catches for 274 yards in three games after making 26 receptions for 173 yards all of last season.
"Incredible. Just a playmaker," Cook said. "I've said this a million times. It's like beating a dead horse. But just get the ball to him and he makes crazy plays. Obviously, he's a huge weapon."
Like Auburn, Missouri will come into this game seeking much better offensive line play. It failed to sustain a consistent rush push against Abilene Christian and it suffered breakdown in pass protection.
With starting left guard Xavier Delgado sidelined by injury, Missouri took five holding penalties. Delgado is questionable and Drinkwitz, citing 13 offensive line penalties in three weeks, said job competition remains open.
--Field Level Media
Missouri Tigers vs. Auburn Tigers Recap SEP 24TH 2022
Anders Carlson kicked a 39-yard field goal and the Auburn defense recovered a fumble in the end zone as the Tigers opened Southeastern Conference play with a 17-14 overtime win over Missouri in Auburn, Ala. Saturday afternoon.
Carlson connected after missing from 44 yards when Missouri jumped offside. Then Missouri's Nathaniel Peat headed for the end zone, fumbled at the 1 and it was recovered by Auburn's Cayden Bridges.
The play was ruled a touchback, reviewed and Auburn was awarded the win.
With quarterback T.J. Finley (shoulder) sidelined, dual-threat freshman Robby Ashford got his first career start and rushed for 46 yards and a score for Auburn (3-1, 1-0). He was 12 of 18 for 127 yards.
Tank Bigsby had 44 rushing yards and a score, and Koy Moore caught four passes for 74 yards.
For Missouri (2-2, 0-1), quarterback Brady Cook was 14-for-24 for 179 yards with an interception.
Peat rushed for 110 yards on 20 carries. Dominic Lovett caught five passes for 102 yards.
The matchup was the first one for Missouri at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium since joining the SEC in 2012.
On its first series, Auburn gambled successfully on two fourth-down conversions to keep the drive alive. Following the second one, Ashford found the end zone on an 11-yard quarterback draw for a 7-0 lead at 6:01.
Derick Hall's grab of a deflected Cook pass -- Auburn's first interception of 2022 -- set up Bigsby's three-yard TD run after the Ashford-led offense ran on its first 16 snaps of the fourth meeting between the schools.
Transfer Cody Schrader, who led Division II with 2,074 rushing yards last season at Truman State, took an option pitch nine yards to get Missouri on the board in the second quarter.
On fourth down, Cook tied it at 14 in the half's last minute with a sneak.
Carlson had two chances for Auburn on the half's last play -- from 50 (offsides) and 45 yards -- but was wide on both attempts.
Missouri's Harrison Mevis missed a game-winning 26-yard field goal as time expired in regulation.
--Field Level Media