BREAKING NEWS;Hugh Freeze finally set to part ways with million mega Five-Star joining immediately..

Auburn (2-5, 0-4) is fresh off three consecutive losing seasons, and a fourth one seems on the way. Hugh Freeze is off

Kentucky is reeling (3-4, 1-4) after another loss as this season is quickly getting away from Mark Stoops and his football team. The Wildcats are now looking to avoid the program’s first winless SEC season at home since 2013. Kentucky will be hosting a former SEC West program with similar issues.

Auburn (2-5, 0-4) is fresh off three consecutive losing seasons, and a fourth one seems on the way. Hugh Freeze is off to an 8-12 (3-9) start at a program with high expectations. Things are off to a bad start in year two, and pressure is beginning to ramp up on the Plains after an 8-13 start to his tenure. The Tigers will look to get things flipped on the road after starting the season 0-5 against power conference foes with three losses in one-possession games.

Both teams are desperate for a win in the first meeting of this SEC series since 2020. That creates quite a unique matchup in Week 9.

When digging into the offensive numbers, it becomes clear that Auburn is an improved offensive team that can consistently move the football. Starting quarterback Payton Throne is averaging 8.9 yards per attempt and trails only Jaxson Dart in the SEC with 11 completions of 40-plus yards. The Tigers are No. 16 nationally in yards per dropback (8.36). On the ground, Auburn enters Week 9 ranked No. 22 in rushing success rate (46.3%). Starting tailback Jarquez Hunter is on pace to finish the regular season with 1,003 yards and should be viewed as one of the best tailbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft class.

Auburn has an efficient rushing attack and an explosive passing game. Why does this offense currently rank No. 109 nationally in points per drive (1.64)? Red zone inefficiency (No. 99 in red zone touchdown percentage) hasn’t helped, but turnovers have been this team’s biggest issue.

The Tigers enter this game with a minus-10 turnover margin, which is tied with TCU for the worst mark in power conference football. Auburn’s offense has 16 giveaways. Only East Carolina (who just fired their head coach) and Temple (who might be making a coaching change at the end of the season) have worse numbers. Ball security is a massive issue for this team.

Tags: NFL