Getting to know Maryland football's bowl opponent: Auburn Tigers

Maryland will look to pick up its third consecutive bowl win in as many appearances for the first time in program history when they face the Auburn Tigers in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. Maryland will also look for its second consecutive bowl win against an SEC opponent, granted its Peach Bowl win over Tennessee was back in 2002. Still, the late December matchup gives head coach Mike Locksley a chance to not just preview what's to come in 2024 but send his veterans like Taulia Tagovailoa and Jeshaun Jones out one last time. Maryland remains a slight underdog with Auburn a 2.5-point favorite, per DraftKings, but how does Maryland stack up against Auburn? To get early insight on Maryland's next opponent, we go behind enemy lines with Daniel Locke of Auburn Daily. IBG: Auburn kicked off a new chapter in program history when Hugh Freeze was announced as head coach heading into the 2023 season. What’s the overall vibe on how Freeze has fared in year one, whether good or bad? DL: Overall, the vibe surrounding Freeze’s first season at Auburn is positive. Obviously a 6-6 record is not going to be good enough moving forward and there were a few things that the fanbase as well as Freeze wish had gone differently. Those include falling to Georgia and Alabama in heartbreaking fashion as well as getting blown out by New Mexico State at home. Freeze’s biggest saving grace in year one was the success he had on the recruiting trail. IBG: Auburn enters the bowl game exactly at 6-6 overall, but had multiple chances to pick up wins against top-15 opponents in 2023. What stuck out about how Auburn fared against the SEC elite, whether good or bad? DL: One thing that stuck out about Auburn’s play against teams at the top of the conference is that Auburn would not back down from anyone. It greatly benefited from playing Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss at home, but this Auburn team has no quit in it. Auburn’s defense was able to keep the team in a lot of games this season. The secondary was one of the best in the country and the front seven kept improving as the season went along. Auburn’s offense was far from perfect but it was able to consistently keep up with the competition throughout the season. IBG: Maryland fans are plenty familiar with QB Payton Thorne from his time at Michigan State, but Auburn was among the best teams in the country on the ground after ending the season 14th in run yards per game. What makes Jarquez Hunter Jr. such a special player? DL: Jarquez Hunter’s best quality as a running back is his pure strength. There is not a hole Hunter cannot get through and he is a difficult player to bring down. He is also shifty and has an ability to extend plays. He has been part of a running back duo throughout his Auburn career. His first two seasons he played second-fiddle to Tank Bigsby before taking over the lead ball carrier role this season. Damari Alston provides Hunter with the support that is vital from the secondary ball carrier. IBG: Keionte Scott announced his return and will suit up for Auburn in the bowl game, but the Tigers have a few other defensive backs with pending stay-or-go decisions. What is the level of concern with Auburn suffering opt-outs? Any notable names to keep tabs on? DL: There is not a high level of concern about players opting out. This is likely because the team did not get to play in a bowl game last season and players want to have that experience. Defensive backs D.J. James and Jaylin Simpson are two names to keep tabs on as well as defensive lineman Marcus Harris. IBG: Early score & winner prediction DL: I think Auburn will be able to capitalize on a crowd that will resemble a home one and pick up a close 24-20 victory to finalize its first winning season since 2020. Related Links What I'm hearing: update on portal, flip targets (+)Update on five-star target (+)Former NC State QB MJ Morris breaks down decision to transfer to MarylandBreaking down how former Terps fared in 2023One Maryland verbal solid, another shuts down recruitment (+)