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AU_Jonesy
I know next to nothing about Arkansas State other than they struggled with Toledo. If the defense maintains their intensity from week 1, that should be fine. I just hope Gus simplifies the offense. Run your base plays, go fast, use play-action. Let Sean get comfortable before two big home conference games.
Auburn 33, Arkansas State 13
Ryan Sterritt
If you had asked me a month ago, I would've been worried about this game. Arkansas State won the Sun Belt last year and really did play like a top 40 team (at least as good as Auburn). But, as crazy as last Saturday was, it proved the defense can handle anyone, and the offense is at least capable of getting some yards against a good defense when the right QB is playing. Meanwhile, Arkansas State struggled worse than Auburn, losing 31-10 to Toledo. There's a good chance that this is a feel-good game for Auburn (so long as Gus wasn't crossing his fingers again when talking about the QBs).
34-7 good guys.
Dr Z
I really think Gus and Lashlee should break out some 2009 game film. Remember that year when they took an immobile quarterback with a dead arm and created a pretty good offense? How good could Sean White be in that offense?
I'll believe the quarterback carousel is over when I see it. And I hope it is, along with the "H back ballet".
Auburn 28
Arky St 10
Bobby Barkley
Yeah, assuming Gustav actually sticks with Sean White (and it's unfortunate that, as much as I love Gus, there's a solid chance Sean might go 3-and-out on the first drive, thus giving Gus an excuse to put JJ in), we should win this game comfortably. The night game atmosphere will be a big boost as long as the crowd stays engaged and fewer dudes in polos violently dab on camera. Good grief, it's IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, YOU TWIT.
I could be off here, but there might actually be more pressure on us to win this game than the Clemson game. Most analysts/talking heads (and many of us here, too) had penciled us in for a huge blowout, so in a way, there wasn't much to lose. So you get what we had on Saturday, which was a goat rodeo on offense, a feeding frenzy on defense, and a bizarre six-point loss to the 2nd-ranked team in the country that happened to go toe-to-toe with Alabama in last year's title game. It also left a bunch of "what-ifs" in our heads. Now that we know what we're capable of on defense, as well as what we're potentially capable of when Sean White is in the backfield on offense (and when our offensive line doesn't have malaria), it's a matter of sticking to the plan and being practical on both sides of the ball. Honestly, if it weren't for the offense completely sputtering most of the game, I'd fear a huge emotional letdown before this weekend, but the game never really felt that close as long as we couldn't move the ball effectively, so our players should be in the right state of mind. Sean will certainly be hungry to actually prove himself this time as the starter, since, you know, he's been named the starter a second time.
Gus has a real chance to correct Saturday's mistakes with Sean actually running the offense. I don't mind the Kerryon wildcat package at all, and I also don't really mind putting JFIII in to open up the run game a bit, but just as long as he doesn't see the field every single series. It's not fair to pull Sean on second down and then put him back in to clean up the 3rd/4th and long messes that JJ or JFIII caused. It's just not right. This game is more of a test to see if Gus follows through because let's face it, Saturday's offensive fever dream is 100% on him. If he goes back on the game plan he outlined in this week's press conference, it's going to feel a giant middle finger to me.
We're also getting Stephen Roberts back in our secondary, but they still played well without him last week considering Clemson's receiving talent and quarterback play. I expect plenty of QB pressure, possibly a couple of sacks by Lawson & Co., and hopefully one pick-six.
Playing it safe with this one, but I think somehow we finally get our edge back on offense in front of a home crowd Saturday night in JH. Y'all be patient.
Auburn 27
Arkansas State 13
Jared
The defense is nasty. I fully expect them to feast on an inexperienced Arkansas State offense. I think they will give the offense a ton of short fields. The question is, what will Gus do with it? I think we saw flashes in the second half of what this offense can be with some pace and Sean being the primary guy along with JF3 changing the pace with some wildcat/zone read stuff. Kerryon Johnson quietly had a pretty solid game in a game that was game planned terribly for his success. I'm hoping that Gus is telling the truth about throwing whatever gameplan that was he had against Clemson out the window and hopefully get back to his offense.
Auburn 34
Arkansas State 3
Son of Crow
I think Gus is pissed off. I think he is tired of being second and third guessed, and I think he thinks this is a really talented team he is coaching. I think he unleashes the offense on Saturday.
I also am hopeful that our defense is the type of good defense that plays well no matter the opponent and not the type of good defense that only gets up for the big games.
Because of that, I am predicting a bloodletting. No Tubershell need apply. We see a quarterback rotation that works, like Texas did against Notre Dame this past weekend. We see a machine on offense and an impenetrable mass of hate on defense.
Auburn: half a hundred
Red Wolves: less than two touchdowns.
Oscar Whiskey
Auburn beats Arkansas State
Dusty
Auburn wins. Offense looks better, but not enough for anyone to know if it's because the offense is better or because Arky St is just not good. Play calling will still be terrible and at this point, I don't know if I trust Gus to follow any sort of a plan.
Go win us a ballgame, defense.
Emily
Totally agree that they need to look at that 09 team again. I believe Sean White can be better than Chris Todd if given the chance. (All due respect to The Todd) I hope Gus settles on AN offense and works out some kinks this week. I doubt they light up the scoreboard like we'd all like, but Auburn wins, if only because of the defense.
Tuco
Auburn struggles to finish drives early but finds its stride to win 33-10.
Walt
Gus leaves Sean in for the majority of the game and a defense that gave up more 20+ yard pass plays than any other last season gives up a few more. The running game gets back on track, Auburn is able to move the ball, and the Tigers use this game to try to figure out some of the red zone issues.
On defense, Arkansas State still struggles to find an identity with their new graduate transfer quarterback, while Auburn's defense lives in his face all night. Even the Tigers' third-string defensive line is filled with 4* and 5* players, so garbage time isn't much better for the Red Wolves.
Auburn 34
Arkansas State 6