Auburn Football will play Mercer at home in the 2022 season. In 12 matches, the Tigers have never lost to the Bears.
In their last matchup in 2017, Auburn totaled over 500 yards of offense and scored only 24 points in a 24-10 win. A very strange afternoon at Jordan-Hare was plagued by five turnovers.
Here are five reasons why Auburn will walk away from Week 1 with another victory over the Bears.
Tank Bigsby dominates the ground battle
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Tank Bigsby rushed for 1,099 yards on 223 carries, averaging 4.93 yards per carry. Tanks play a big role in determining the outcome of this attack. Mercer’s defense allowed him 117 yards on the ground in the opening game against Morehead State. Mercer’s defense needs to bring more to the table if they want to stop Auburn’s run game.
auburn defense
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Auburn’s defense would be too strong for Mercer’s strong offense shown in Week 0. Mercer had more than 600 yards of offense in his first game, in which he scored 63 points. Colby Wooden and Auburn’s defense successfully held back Mercer’s attacks throughout the matchup.
Auburn returns offensive playbook for second year in a row
Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics
Auburn tight end John Samuel Schenker joins Zach Blackerby at Locked on Auburn. When asked about the benefits of returning a similar attack from last season, Schenker said, “It’s huge. It’s the first time in about four years that we’re repeating the same playbook, and it’s huge for attacking players. It’s because I’ve become able to stick to…”
Off-season development in the quarterback room
AP Photo/Butch Dill
Tj Finley was named QB1 after the Tigers’ fall camp ended. Finley made multiple appearances in the 2021 season, starting three games after quarterback Boenix broke his ankle against Mississippi State. Coach Brian Harsin had nothing but good things to say about Finley during fall camp. He also added, “He’s gotten better as a pitcher, he’s gotten better as a decision maker. It’s one thing from last year to this year. It’s amazing how many people got better, Auburn quarterbacks got better, they got better.” and he’s the man who did it.” Finley can run this offense smoothly and score points on the board.
Mercer’s defense
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Mercer’s defense performed well in Week 0, but closed out the season opener without conceding a single sack. Auburn’s offensive his line should be able to give Finley plenty of time in the pocket, allowing Auburn to have a big game in the air. We should expect big numbers to be put down against the Bears.