The Auburn Tigers open their 132nd season of football on Saturday by hosting Alabama A&M at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and SECN+.
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze recently fielded questions on the home opener and said there were several “unknowns” about Auburn’s opponent on Saturday.
“Coach (Connell) Maynor, I don’t know personally, but has a great reputation of being a really good football coach,” Freeze said. “The quarterback battle is a little bit up in the air, I think. At least we can’t find out exactly what the plan is there. They’ve got a returner and also a transfer that we’re trying to study a little of both. We do know they got a really good running back in 7 (Donovan Eaglin), he’s a heck of a running back.”
The two teams have met on two other occasions, with Auburn holding a 2-0 edge in the series. The Tigers defeated the Bulldogs 51-7 in 2012 and 55-0 in 2016.
Auburn has 57 lettermen returning, including 16 starters from last year’s team that went 6-7 (3-5 in conference play): 7 offense, 6 defense, and 3 special teams. Top offensive returners include RB Jarquez Hunter (159 att, 909 yds, 7 TDs), QB Payton Thorne (162 comp, 265 att, 16 TDs; 519 yards rushing), and TE Rivaldo Fairweather (38 receptions for 394 yards and 6 TD).
Thorne, a Michigan State transfer who made waves in his first SEC season in 2023, is listed as QB1 on the Auburn depth chart.
Freeze recently commented on the confidence he has in Thorne running the Auburn offense: “I’m very confident sitting here today. At the same time, I’ve said it every time since spring practice that ultimately he’s got to get the job done. I wouldn’t be going with him if I wasn’t confident in him. I’ve always believed in him and believe in him even more today than I did in January because of what I have seen, what I witnessed, and what I hear in meeting rooms and film rooms. I think he’s excited to prove that to a lot of people also.”
Defensively, Auburn returns several impact players, including linebacker Eugene Asante (86 tackles), buck Jalen McLeod (50 tackles), and cornerback Keionte Scott (44 tackles). In 2023, Asante was one of four SEC performers with 80 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, and 5.0 sacks. He has posted three career games of double-digit tackles and figures to be one of the top defenders in the conference in 2024. McLeod had 10.5 tackles for loss in 2023 and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after the matchup versus Arkansas on November 11. Sophomore defensive end Keldric Faulk, who was named to the SEC All-Freshman team last season and started eight games, will bolster the line.
The Tigers allowed 22.6 points per game last season, or 43rd among FCS schools.
Preseason Coaches All-SEC selections for the Tigers include Hunter (1st Team), Scott (2nd Team), Asante (1st Team), and PK/KO Alex McPherson (1st Team KO, 3rd Team PK).
Auburn opens the season with five straight home games – vs. Alabama A&M (8/31), vs. California (9/7), vs. New Mexico (9/14), vs. Arkansas 9/21, vs. Oklahoma (9/28).
Overall, the Tigers are 101-27-2 (.785) in season openers. In all-time winning percentage by stadium, Jordan-Hare ranks 8th in the nation with a 346-95-7 (.780) record.
The 2024 campaign will be Freeze’s second year on The Plains, and though Auburn was voted to finish 10th in the SEC in preseason media polls, many are wondering if this might not be a breakout year for the Tigers.
“So we’re excited again, Jordan-Hare at home for the ’24 season to kickoff, and I know our kids will be ready and we’re anxious for kickoff,” Freeze said. TG