Auburn Wire roundtable, predictions for Auburn vs Vanderbilt

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The Auburn Tigers will close out a three-game homestand on Saturday when they host Vanderbilt for a key SEC showdown, which means it is time for another edition of the Auburn Wire Roundtable.

Last week, Auburn suffered its first loss of the season, a 44-39 loss to the Florida Gators. Auburn fought back to cut the lead to five points in the final minute after trailing by as many as 17 points in the second half. Auburn got off to a slow start offensively, and the defense struggled to get off the field on 3rd and 4th down. They aim to correct many mistakes from last week's loss and shake it off with a win over Vanderbilt.

Ahead of the game, Auburn Wire's Taylor Jones, Phillip Jordan, and Jac Myrick shared their thoughts on the Florida game and shared what they would like to see in the Tigers' SEC showdown with Vanderbilt. Here is what the guys had to say this week; here is this week's Auburn Wire Roundtable.

Auburn lost its first SEC game last week by five points despite being down by as many as 17. How did you feel about the team's fight last week?

TJ: "I enjoyed seeing Auburn not give up after being down by 17 in the 3rd quarter and walk away with just a five-point defeat. However, that effort and determination must start earlier and last throughout the game."
PJ: "If you wanted to take a positive out of last week's loss to Florida, it is that the Tigers did not give up in the game. At least on the offensive side of the ball. It is a reflection of the head coach that this team is not going to give up."
JM: "We definitely saw some fight out of this offense. Defense is going to have to prove their worth after an abysmal performance last Saturday."

Alex Golesh vowed to establish a solid running game, but we have not seen a dominant effort from the unit thus far. Do you think we'll see more from the run game this week?

TJ: "I hope to see a healthy rotation in the backfield on Saturday. It will be hard for Vanderbilt to contain Auburn's three-back stable, plus Byrum Brown, and a solid run game will wear down Vanderbilt's defense."
PJ: "They are going to have to dedicate themselves to getting the run game going with the running backs. Jeremiah Cobb, Omar Mabson, and Bryson Washington need to be bigger parts of the offense to take pressure off of Byrum Brown and the passing game."
JM: "If not this week, then I do not know when. This Vanderbilt defense gave up over 100 yards rushing to Delaware. If the Tigers cannot do it here… oh my, it’s a lost cause."

Vanderbilt has less hype surrounding them than they did over the last two years, but they are still 3-0. What stands out most to you about the Commodores?

TJ: "Like Auburn, Vanderbilt refuses to quit. It will be important for Auburn to create separation early so that the Commodores do not find a spark in the second half."
PJ: "This team still has really good players on the roster. The defense likes to create pressure on the quarterback too. The Auburn offensive line is going to need to play well."
JM: "A young quarterback that can really turn into something special. Jared Curtis has a better arm than the previous Diego Pavia, but he is a true freshman, so Curtis will make mistakes."

What must Auburn's defense do on Saturday to slow down true freshman Jared Curtis?

TJ: "Force him to make bad decisions. I expect Xavier Atkins and Elijah Melendez to be in his grill the whole game."
PJ: "Take advantage of his mistakes. He had a solid game against NC State in his first career start, going 20 of 34 for 277 yards and three touchdowns. He also made some big mistakes by throwing two interceptions. Another part is slowing down the Vanderbilt running game and making Curtis beat them with his arm."
JM: "Not just pressure, but get to him and bring him down. Completely collapse the pocket around him; don’t allow him to burn you with his legs."

What needs to go well for Auburn to get a win on Saturday?

TJ: "Auburn must avoid another slow start on offense, and the defense must do a better job of getting off the field on 3rd down."
PJ: "The defense needs to make tackles. They cannot have another performance like against Florida and miss 22 tackles."
JM: "Effective offensive play and Byrum Brown decisive in his throws."

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn Wire roundtable, predictions for Auburn vs Vanderbilt

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