The Auburn Tigers are not having the season they were hoping to get. After winning their first two matchups, the Tigers dropped consecutive SEC West games and then barely scooted back San Jose State University. After a change in quarterback and a bye week to sort things out, the Tigers are back hoping to defeat the Kentucky Wildcats and gain some momentum before a tough stretch in the schedule.
The biggest question going into the game is who gets the start at quarterback for the Auburn Tigers. The team started with Jeremy Johnson and then switched to Sean White who did not overwhelm in his debut. He went 20-of-28 for 188 yards and no scores against Mississippi State while having a costly interception. He completed just six passes in 10 attempts against San Jose. White might be the quarterback of the future which could be reason enough to start him against Kentucky. According to head coach Gus Malzahn, Johnson has not lost the job either bringing questions to the offense.
The Tigers will also be without D'haquille Williams who was released from the team. After being the nation's No.1 junior college recruit, Williams thrived as one of the best receivers putting up 710 yards and five scores in 10 games last year. He opted not to head to the NFL early. He will now simply wait until the draft to play football again.
Kentucky will be riding their run game in this matchup. Stanley Williams is back after missing a game for personal issues. He might have been shut down by Missouri, but he did have 322 yards in the first three games. He will be facing a run defense that is allowing 209.6 yards on the ground per game. Kentucky comes with a strong offensive line that could be the different maker in the game.
The x-factor in this matchup is the quarterback for Auburn. If the Tigers can get solid play out of their starter which has not happened all season, they stand a chance at getting the win. However, their middle-of-the-road defensive unit cannot get caught sleeping on a Kentucky team that can be dangerous when overlooked by opponents.