The 79th Iron Bowl will feature some premier athletes on both sides of the ball. Auburn has one of the more explosive offenses in the SEC. The Tigers offense has been limited by subpar production from the quarterback position and turnovers. In recent weeks, those issues seem to be getting fixed.
Quarterback Payton Thorne has been playing better, and the turnovers have not been as big of an issue. He has thrown for 587 yards and seven touchdowns in the last two games. He has thrown just one interception. Auburn’s playmakers have continued to evolve in the offense despite the early struggles.
Running back Jarquez Hunter, wide receivers Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons, and KeAndre Lambert-Smith have each been X-factors on the offensive side of the ball at different points this season. They have continued to improve in Hugh Freeze’s offense and seem to be performing their best down the stretch. The four of them have combined to have 3,115 all-purpose yards and 27 touchdowns.
Alabama’s defense has seen three of its starters (Que Robinson, Deontae Lawson, and Keon Sabb) suffer season-ending injuries since suffering a gut-wrenching loss to Tennessee in October. The Crimson Tide have not been challenged in both the run and pass game since week five against Vanderbilt. That will certainly change this weekend when the Tigers come to town.
Auburn has a balanced offensive attack with multiple explosive playmakers on the perimeter and arguably the league’s best running back in Jarquez Hunter. Thorne seems to be playing his best ball of the season, and he will be looking to extend his college career beyond this weekend’s Iron Bowl.
Alabama’s defense will likely be tested in ways that it has not been tested this season. Auburn’s skilled players are just as good as any skilled group that the Crimson Tide has seen this season. Will Alabama’s defense step up to the plate when it is needed the most?
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Brody Smoot is a team reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on X, via @brodysmoot.
