After a well-timed bye week, the Auburn Tigers are ready to compete again on Saturday, still looking for their first SEC win.
Auburn will be on the road this week, heading to Columbia, Missouri, to face the No. 19 Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium. This marks Auburn’s second straight away game and their third consecutive match against a ranked team.
The Tigers recently lost to No. 21 Oklahoma 27-21 at home and were defeated 31-13 by the Georgia Bulldogs in their last outing.
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze characterized Missouri as a versatile offensive team capable of moving the ball in many different ways.
“They have the explosive capability for sure,” Freeze said. “I think the quarterback does a really good job of keeping them on schedule and doing what the defense is giving. They’re really explosive and can strike you at any time. It’s just a whole mixture of gamut you have to prepare for.”
One of Missouri’s key strengths is its skilled group of wide receivers. Quarterback Brady Cook likes to distribute the ball, and Missouri has six players who have caught at least 10 passes this season, with five players gaining over 100 receiving yards.
Theo Wease Jr. leads Missouri with 407 receiving yards, closely followed by Luther Burden III, who has 398. Both wide receivers have caught 31 passes, with Burden scoring four touchdowns compared to Wease’s one.
Auburn’s secondary will face a tough test this week, as they haven’t encountered a passing attack this diverse so far this season.
“We’ve been tested for sure, but I think this would be the biggest one thus far,” Freeze said.
“We’re so young back there (in the secondary), and I do think we’re getting better each week, but Luther Burden is arguably the best in this league, and he’s not the only one they have. They’re very talented, and you add to it the play of Cook and his maturity.”
Auburn and Missouri are set to kick off at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, with the game being broadcast on ESPN.
