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Auburn got its 2018 season started with a huge 21-16 win over No. 6 Washington Saturday, and starting quarterback Jarrett Stidham performed well going 26 for 36 with 273 yards and one touchdown facing big expectations.
The Tigers looked good last Saturday, but things certainly do not get easier for them down the stretch. CBS Sports analyst Gary Danielson joined Mark Heim and Lee Shirvanian on WNSP radio in Mobile to give his opinion on Auburn, and he is a believer in Gus Malzahn’s team.
“Yes, I think Auburn is for real.” said Danielson, “I think they still need a better running back to emerge, like they had last year in a go-to guy in Kerryon Johnson, but you got to love their defense.
“There is no mistaking that Auburn has built up their squad’s talent almost to the level of Georgia and Alabama. Not quite, but it’s a razor’s difference.”
Junior running back Kam Martin was Auburn’s lead running back on Saturday, rushing for 80 yards on 22 carries, but like Danielson mentioned, he has some big shoes to fill after losing Kerryon Johnson to the NFL.
Danielson went on to reference Auburn’s brutal schedule, and how that might influence their record, saying, “If this Auburn team had last year’s schedule, I might even say they would be the team to beat.
“But, with this year’s schedule, it’s hard to imagine that it could happen with this team. I’ll give them all the credit in the world if it does happen. Them and LSU have schedules that are really brutal this year.”
Auburn has LSU, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Texas A&M in Jordan-Hare Stadium this season, where they were able to beat Georgia and Alabama last year. However, the road games are where it gets tough, with trips to Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Georgia, and Alabama down the road.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Lucas is a digital reporter for 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, and a high school play-by-play broadcaster. Lucas has been covering SEC football for Saturday Down South since 2018.
