Maryland will make the late December trip to Nashville, Tennessee to take on the Auburn Tigers, marking the Terps’ first SEC opponent since the Peach Bowl win vs. Tennessee in 2002.
Maryland will look to stop Auburn from picking up its 800th win in program history as the two teams face each other for the first time in 40 years, while head coaches Mike Locksley and Hugh Freeze share a connection.
“In 2016, when Coach Freeze was at Ole Miss, I was there as an analyst at Bama and was a part of seeing that. I actually was part of, we interviewed Coach Freeze for a position as well so I’ve gotten to know him over the years and he’s one of those guys that did it the right way. He came up through the ranks as a high school coach, really successful high school coach there in Tennessee and climbed the ladder and really has done a tremendous job. Great offensive mind, a guy that I got a lot of respect for him and the job that he does. I know that they’re finishing their first year under him but there’s no doubt that he’ll recruit at a high level and that he’ll have his team continue to get better and better.”
In the first season under head coach Hugh Freeze, the Tigers finished 6-6 (3-5) overall and suffered a similar fate against the SEC elite the way Maryland did against the Big Ten elite. While both teams finished winless against ranked conference opponents in 2023, Auburn took Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss into the fourth quarter before suffering one-possession losses.
A 40-yard touchdown with under three minutes left put the nail in the coffin in Auburn’s upset chances against Georgia, a game the Tigers were outscored 17-3 over the final 16:03. Two fourth-quarter touchdowns within a near-seven-minute stretch by Ole Miss was the difference just two weeks later, before the season finale. A fourth-down 31-yard strike from Jalen Milroe to Isaiah Bond with 32 seconds left ended a thrilling Iron Bowl as Alabama secured its spot in the SEC championship game. The loss also marked Auburn’s second consecutive loss to end the season after a blowout 31-10 loss against New Mexico State in Auburn.
After Maryland’s bowl outlook shifted from Las Vegas to Nashville, we take an early look at Maryland’s bowl opponent.
Key names: QB Payton Thorne, RB Jarquez Hunter, TE Rivaldo Fairweather, WR Jay Fair
Departures: WR Malcolm Johnson Jr., WR Jyaire Shorter, WR Omari Kelly, TE Tyler Fromm
Scoring offense: 27.3 ppg
Rushing yards: 198.4 ypg
Passing yards: 157.08
3rd down offense: 34%
4th down offense: 50%
Sacks: 31
The rushing attack, led by Jarquez Hunter, was the engine for Auburn’s offense in 2023 as the Tigers finished 15th nationally in rushing yards per game (198.4). While QB Payton Thorne is a big part of Auburn’s ground game, preseason all-SEC selection Jarquez Hunter has been the alpha dog throughout after he posted three multi-touchdown games this season and eclipsed 2,000 career rushing yards heading into the season finale. The 5-foot-10, 212-pound running back will be a test for a Maryland defense that’s been routinely tasked with stopping bulldozing running backs through conference play.
The goal will be to make QB Payton Thorne throw the ball against Maryland as the former Michigan State starter has yet to throw for 300 yards in a single game this season. Star tight end Rivaldo Fairweather, who Maryland aggressively targeted out of the portal last offseason, has proven a reliable weapon for Thorne through the air after the FIU transfer enters the bowl game tied for the program record for catches by a tight end in a season (33). Wide receiver Jay Fair stands second on the team in catches (30) and became the first Auburn player to record touchdown receptions in consecutive games since 2021.
Auburn has allowed 31 sacks—five more than Maryland—in 2023.
Departures: SAF Marquise Gilbert, DL Stephen Johnson, DL Stephen Sings, DL Enyce Sledge
Key names: LB Eugene Asante, CB Jaylin Simpson, SAF DJ James, DL Marcus Harris, LB Jalen McLeod
Scoring defense: 21.9 ppg
Rushing yards allowed: 159.4 ypg
Passing yards allowed: 201.67
3rd down defense: 31.58%
4th down defense: 53.85%
Sacks: 31
Similar to the offensive side of the ball, Auburn is led by another former portal target for the Terps as linebacker Eugene Asante leads the team and sits sixth in the SEC in tackles (84). Asante isn’t alone as he, DL Marcus Harris and LB Jalen McLeod have each registered at least five sacks in 2023 with Harris leading the Tigers with seven sacks. Former North Texas transfer Larry Nixon III also sits second on the team in tackles to bolster the Tigers’ front seven. Though inconsistent, the Tigers have flashed its pass rush enough through the season to help an Auburn defense finish 35th nationally in scoring defense. While Maryland’s offensive line will face a tough test, they won’t have the pleasure of going against a former teammate as former Maryland defensive lineman Mosiah Nasili-Kite was ruled out for the season back in early October.
Auburn’s secondary has firepower, but unanswered questions heading into the bowl game. Eleven of Auburn’s 17 takeaways in 2023 were interceptions, a testament to the strength of the Tigers’ secondary led by defensive backs DJ James and Jaylin Simpson. Simpson, a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist and consensus midseason All-American selection, sits tied for second in the SEC with four interceptions. James, meanwhile, is one of two players with two interceptions this season. Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett is also off to the NFL, and whether either James or Simpson suits up against Maryland will be a storyline to track heading into kickoff.
While Auburn ranks 28th in redzone defense (78%), the tale of the game could be Maryland’s third down success. Maryland’s biggest challenge has been avoiding the third-and-longs, yet still Terps enter the matchup with the Big Ten’s third-best third-down conversion percentage (44.4%), but that’ll be tested against an Auburn defense that sits 17th nationally in 3rd down defense (31.6%).
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