Early look at key factor in Auburn footballās 2018 opener vs. experienced Washington
AUBURN, Ala. ā Auburn football officially returns in seven months. The Tigers will open their 2018 campaign in Atlanta ā for the third straight game ā against Washington.
This should be a top-15 matchup, and thereās a chance it could climb into top-10 range, depending on where the preseason polls sway over the next six months. Both Auburn and Washington are fresh off New Yearās Six bowl berths and have been title contenders in each of the last two seasons.
Auburn will have the pseudo-home-field advantage in this game, as most Washington fans will have to travel from the other side of the country to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Most Auburn fans can get to Atlanta in a couple hours. Auburn also recruits at a higher level than Washington, so there shouldnāt be any concern about a talent gap.
But several trends are working against Auburn in this matchup. It hasnāt beaten a top-20 team away from home since the Ole Miss game in 2014. As dominant as Auburn has been inside Jordan-Hare Stadium, road trips havenāt been successful when paired against tough opponents.
Then thereās the subject of season openers against ranked teams. Theyāre rare in Auburn history. The Tigers are 1-6 all time against ranked teams in Week 1, with the only victory coming in 1957. The losses include Clemson in 2012 and 2016, USC in 2002 and 2003, and Miami in 1984.
Itās safe to assume Washington will be ranked when it comes to Atlanta. According to
SB Nationās Bill Connelly, Washington brings back 75 percent of its total production, which ranks 22nd nationally. Itās the most experienced team from last seasonās top 10.
The Huskies are set to return 16 starters ā seven on offense, nine on defense ā from a 10-win team. Quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin will be back as fourth-year starters. The Huskies will return four players with some sort of starting experience on the offensive line, and the only real area of inexperience comes at wide receiver, where the Huskies lose the dynamic Dante Pettis.
Defensively, everyone returns from a secondary unit that ranked 10th nationally in passing yards allowed per attempt. Washington will lose arguably its two best defensive players from 2017 in tackle Vita Vea and linebacker Keishawn Bierria. But the rest of the front seven remains intact.
Auburn has the tools to avoid the slow start that plagued it offensively in recent seasons thanks to the return of quarterback Jarrett Stidham, offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and all of its receivers. When Gus Malzahn returns his quarterback ā think 2014 ā his offenses come out firing. That will be crucial against Washingtonās returning firepower of Browning and Gaskin.
But Auburnās biggest question mark ā the offensive line ā will need to be sorted out before Sept. 1. Offensive line coach J.B. Grimes needs to bring stability to an up-and-down unit that gave up too many negative plays in big games under Herb Hand in 2016 and 2017.
Washington ranked 11th in sacks per game and 40th in tackles for loss per game last season. Even without Vea and Bierria, the Huskies return their top three players in each category.
The Huskiesā style is to play controlled, efficient offense while relying on the defense to frustrate teams and keep them behind the chains. Auburn will have a talent advantage, but an experienced Chris Petersen squad is always a tough out.
For Auburn to buck its recent trend of losing big games away from home and struggling against ranked teams in Week 1, it will need its young offensive line to jell quickly. It canāt afford to waste time āfiguring things outā up front against the Huskies.
Early look at key factor for Auburn football's 2018 opener vs. Washington
