Five reasons why Auburn could struggle with Vanderbilt on Saturday

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Auburn's fanbase morale took a hit last Saturday when the Tigers dropped their first game of the season to Florida. Auburn will look to shake off the loss by welcoming Vanderbilt to the Plains this Saturday for a Week 4 SEC showdown, hoping to bring happiness back to the supporters.

Vanderbilt is 3-0 heading into the matchup, but has yet to face an SEC opponent. Last week, Vanderbilt squeaked by NC State, 35-31, after recovering a Wolfpack fumble in the end zone as time expired. The Commodores trailed 17-0 in the 2nd quarter and were down by 10 points with less than seven minutes remaining.

Auburn is favored to win the game by more than a touchdown, and ESPN's Football Power Index gives the Tigers a 75% chance to win. However, Auburn must avoid these areas to take down Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Here are five reasons why Auburn could struggle with the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday.

If Vanderbilt finds success in late-down situations

Florida was 7-of-15 on 3rd downs last week, with most of their successful attempts coming from 3rd-and-short and 3rd-and-long situations, which turned into an additional 151 yards gained and two touchdowns for the Gators. In addition to their success on 3rd down, Florida was also 4-for-4 on 4th down.

Vanderbilt has converted 36% of its 3rd downs this season, which should be a relief for the Auburn defense. However, the Tigers must get off the field on 3rd down at a high clip to get out alive on Saturday.

If tackling has not improved

Auburn's defense missed 22 tackles in Week 3's loss to Florida, according to Pro Football Focus data. Vanderbilt has several playmakers, including wide receiver Junior Sherill, who will have big days if Auburn's defense can not contain them.

If Auburn's offense gets off to another slow start

Auburn ended the 1st quarter of last week's loss to Florida with -3 yards, and quickly went down by 17 points in the second half after trailing Florida by 3 at halftime. Vanderbilt proved last week that it can fight back from a wide deficit, which means Auburn will need to play at a high level offensively throughout the game.

If the offensive line continues to let the pass rush through

The offensive line has been a weakness for Auburn through three games. Auburn quarterbacks have been sacked an SEC-leading 13 times in three games, and Vanderbilt is among the SEC's best, recording 12 sacks in three games. The offensive line's performance will dictate how well the rest of the offense moves on Saturday.

If Jared Curtis is who we think he is

Vanderbilt signed a high-profile quarterback in its 2026 recruiting class, and he is proving to be as good as advertised. Curtis did not initially win the starting job, but made a splash in his first start last Saturday against NC State, passing for 277 yards and three touchdowns while adding 64 yards on the ground. If Curtis has a breakout performance against Auburn, it could be another rough day for the home team.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Five reasons why Auburn could struggle with Vanderbilt on Saturday

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos