Vanderbilt is 7-2 coming off a lost to Texas and surging into November, but national analysts say the Commodores should beware an Auburn team with nothing to lose.
ESPN personality Josh Pate placed Vanderbilt squarely on upset alert heading into Saturday’s SEC matchup in Nashville, calling it a dangerous spot for a team built on patience and precision.
“I just think Vandy showed they are not checked out of anything,” Pate said Thursday on his College Football Show. “They almost came from behind at Texas last week. So I am going to put a seven on my upset concern meter for this game. Limited possessions, anything could happen.”
Interim coach D.J. Durkin’s Auburn squad may rediscover its defensive identity, but under Hugh Freeze they held seven straight opponents under 100 rushing yards and ranking ninth nationally in run defense. On the other side of the ball, running back Jeremiah Cobb has paced an offense that thrives on ball control and field position.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has been the catalyst for the Commodores’ resurgence, accounting for 24 total touchdowns while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes. Yet penalties and slow starts have occasionally stalled drives.
“They play a very low margin for error style of football. So does Auburn,” Pate said. “The total in this is 45 and a half, and frankly I think even that is a little high.”
Auburn heads to Nashville to face No. 16 Vanderbilt on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
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