Auburn vs. Furman Football 2009
Rejuvenated Tigers Have Homecoming Matchup with Furman Paladins
This should not be a tough contest for the Tigers as they face an FCS team at Jordan-Hare stadium, but it can help get them back on track and tuned-up for the tough conference matchups coming up.
Auburn looked extremely down a couple weeks ago as they just came off of three consecutive losses after starting the season off strong. They lost to Arkansas, Kentucky and were blown out by LSU.
This past weekend, the Tigers were able to end their losing streak and get a big boost by defeating Ole Miss. The Auburn offense and defense were able to play strong once again in taking down the Rebels, who were picked as a top team in the SEC in the preseason.
Auburn’s Offense is Back
Auburn running back Ben Tate finished with 144 yards and a touchdown, which gives him six games this year with over 100 yards rushing. Tate also reached 3,000 career yards on the ground in the game. He is the fifth to do so in Auburn history.
The victory over the Rebels helped rejuvenate the Auburn offense and give quarterback Chris Todd his confidence back. There was talk of Todd being benched after the three losses, but he proved that he can lead the Tigers with a great performance Saturday.
McFadden leads Tigers’ Great Defensive Play
The defense also gained confidence in the win especially the pass defense that played horrible the previous week in Auburn’s loss to LSU. However, the Tigers worked hard the past week and showed vast improvement against the Rebels.
Defensive back Walt McFadden led the Auburn pass defense as he was able to pick off Jevan Snead twice. Both interceptions were huge for the Tigers, as he ran the first back for a touchdown and he sealed the upset with his fourth quarter pick.
Furman should not be a very tough test for the Tigers this weekend. The Paladins are currently 4-4 and this is their second time this season to face a team in FBS. They lost 52-12 to Missouri earlier this year.
Tigers Win Big Over Paladins
Auburn should be able to do the same and win this game by 40 or more points. The offense and defense has regained their confidence. They will need to continue to play this strong as they close the season.
Head coach Gene Chizik already has Auburn bowl eligible with six wins, but hopes to keep his squad playing well with two big rivalry games coming after Furman.
They travel to Athens to face the Georgia Bulldogs then end the season with No. 3 Alabama in the Iron Bowl. Both matchups are huge for Auburn and Chizik knows that winning them will help the Tigers get into a better Bowl and also give the team national respect.
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