The Auburn Tigers return to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday for the first time since Sept. 28 when they host ULM to close out the nonconference schedule.
Auburn (3-6, 1-5 SEC) dropped its most recent game to Vanderbilt on Nov. 2, 17-7, erasing the momentum built from its first SEC win on Oct. 26 at Kentucky. The Tigers look to take momentum back on Saturday against ULM (5-4, 3-3 Sun Belt) as they enter the most important stretch of the season.
Will Auburn handle business? ESPN’s matchup predictor favors Auburn in a major way by giving the Tigers a 96.2% chance to beat ULM on Saturday.
Auburn needs to win its final three games to qualify for a bowl game and a win over the visiting Warhawks will push them in the right direction. ULM is in a rough patch, dropping three straight contests by an average margin of 18.3 points after beginning the season with a 5-1 record.
Auburn will look to win the game by stopping ULM’s run game. The Warhawks rank No. 8 in the Sun Belt in rushing by averaging 172.1 yards per game. However, ULM’s run blocking is no match for Keldric Faulk, Jalen McLeod, and the rest of the Auburn defense. The Warhawks’ average grade in run blocking is 60.9 according to Pro Football Focus and has not graded above 69.1 in the category. On the contrary, Auburn averages 76.6 in run defense and has graded above 80 four times this season.
Auburn football hosts ULM on Saturday for an 11:45 a.m. CT kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on SEC Network.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: ESPN predicts the winner of Auburn vs. ULM
