AUBURN TIGERS NOTES:
THE TRANSPERFECT MUSIC CITY BOWL
• Auburn (6-6, 3-5 SEC) faces Maryland (7-5, 4-5 Big Ten) in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl on Saturday, November 30, played at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. ABC will televise the 1:00 p.m. CT contest.
BOWL HISTORY
• Auburn is making its 47th bowl appearance. The Tigers are 24-20-2 in previous bowl games. The Tigers are 2-0 in the Music City Bowl previously, with a 28-14 win over Wisconsin in 2003 and a 63-14 win over Purdue in 2018. Auburn is 22-27-3 in all games played in the state of Tennessee, most recently a 31-15 win at Vanderbilt in November.
SERIES HISTORY
• Against Maryland, Auburn is 2-1 all-time. The Terrapins won a 1952 matchup 13-7 in Birmingham. Auburn has won both contests played in Auburn, by a 20-7 score in 1958 and by a 35-23 score in 1983. The Tigers are 12-12-2 overall against current members of the Big Ten Conference and Auburn is 8-6 against Big Ten teams in previous bowl games.
IN DECEMBER
• Auburn is 23-26-2 (.471) all-time in December. Auburn’s December home record is 0-1 and on an opposing team’s campus, the Tigers are 1-2-1 (.375). At neutral sites in December, the Tigers are 22-23-1 (.489).
KICKOFF COVERAGE
• The Tigers are seeking their 800th win in program history; they would be just the 13th FBS team to reach that mark. Auburn is 799- 466-47 in 131 years of football • Auburn leads the SEC in red zone defense (.780). Auburn is third in the SEC in third-down defense (.316) and third in fewest penalties (5.58) and penalty yards (44.50) per game • The Tigers are third in the SEC in turnovers forced with 17 (11 interceptions, 6 fumbles recovered) • Freshman All-American and Lou Groza Award semifinalist Alex McPherson’s current string of 19 consecutive made field goals broke Daniel Carlson’s Auburn record (16) • All-SEC honorees as selected by the league’s coaches: Rivaldo Fairweather, Jarquez Hunter, Jaylin Simpson (all second team). Keldric Faulk, Connor Lew and Alex McPherson earned all-freshman honors • With four interceptions, Jaylin Simpson, a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist, is among the national FBS leaders in picks per game this season. He was named a midseason All-American by the Associated Press, ESPN, CBS, Fox, 247, The Athletic, USA Today, PFF, Sporting News and Reese’s Senior Bowl • The Tigers rank third in the SEC and 14th nationally in rushing offense, averaging 198.4 yards per game • Rivaldo Fairweather has tied the Auburn tight end record for catches in a season (33).
Auburn is 3-0 in games played on December 30 all-time; those were Gator Bowl wins over Colorado (24-3 in 1972) and Texas (27-3 in 1974) and a 31-10 win over Memphis in the 2015 Birmingham Bowl. Auburn is 13-6 in bowl games in the month of December, including 10-2 in its last 12 December bowls.
ON OFFENSE
• Auburn is third in the SEC averaging 198.4 rushing yards per game and is fifth in the league with 19 rushing touchdowns this season. Eight different Tigers scored a rushing touchdown this year. Jarquez Hunter led the ground game against Mississippi State, gaining 144 yards on 17 carries, and followed up with a career-high 183 yards on 19 carries at Vanderbilt, scoring twice. Hunter had 109 yards at Arkansas and Payton Thorne added 88; the Tigers rushed for 354 yars against the Razorbacks. Auburn gained 219 yards on the ground against Georgia, the most against the Bulldogs since 2018, led by 92 yards from Thorne. Against Samford, the Tigers gained 222 ground yards, led by 123 from Thorne. Auburn rushed for 289 yards on 44 carries in the season opener vs. UMass, scoring six touchdowns via the ground game. The Tigers had rushed for at least 125 yards in 16 straight games before the New Mexico State loss. Auburn gained 244 yards rushing against Alabama.
• Quarterback Payton Thorne is 149-238 passing this season for 1,671 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s also added 524 yards on the ground to rank 10th in single-season rushing yardage among Auburn QBs. Thorne passed for 282 yards (24-32) with a score and rushed for 123 yards and two TD in the win over Samford, a career rushing high for the transfer, and the first Auburn QB to rush for 100 yards and pass for 200 in a game since Nick Marshall vs. Mississippi State in 2014. Thorne was 10-17 passing versus UMass for 141 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jay Fair. He added a 13-yard touchdown pass to Fair and the 5-yard game-winner to Rivaldo Fairweather in the win at Cal. Thorne had another TD pass to Fairweather vs. Ole Miss. Thorne rushed for 92 yards against Georgia, including a career-long gain of 61 yards, the longest run by an Auburn QB since Malik Willis in 2017. Thorne’s three TD passes vs. Mississippi State were the most by an Auburn QB in a SEC game since Bo Nix vs. LSU in 2020, and his 76.9 completion percentage (20-26) was the best by an Auburn QB in any game since Nix was 21-26 at Arkansas in 2021. Thorne rushed for a TD and passed for three more at Arkansas, going 12-20 for 163 yards passing while adding 88 rushing yards. A transfer from Michigan State, Thorne threw for 6,494 yards (223.9 per game) in three seasons with the Spartans. He was 524- 860 (.609) in 29 career games, 26 of those as the starter. He ranked among MSU’s career leaders in passing TD (fourth with 49), completion percentage (fifth at .609), passing yards (sixth with 6,494), pass completions (sixth with 524), pass attempts (sixth with 860) and passing efficiency (eighth with 137.6 rating).
• Auburn has scored in 141 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in school history. The Tigers are averaging 30.58 ppg (4,312 total points) during that stretch. Auburn was last shut out by No. 2 Alabama 49-0 in Tuscaloosa in 2012. Games Dates 149 10/4/1980-11/14/1992 141 8/31/2013-current The longest streak in program history is 149 games, beginning with a 55-16 victory over Richmond (10/4/80) in Doug Barfield’s final season as head coach and lasting until the final game of Pat Dye’s 12-year tenure as Auburn head coach, when the Tigers lost 17-0 to No. 2 Alabama in the 1992 Iron Bowl.
• Jarquez Hunter, a 2023 preseason all-SEC pick, now has 2,128 career rushing yards, ranking 18th among Auburn career rushers. He has 17 career rushing TDs; seven of those scores have come this season against Samford, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss (2) and Vanderbilt (2), giving him three career games with multiple rushing touchdowns. Hunter’s 144 yards gained on 17 carries against Mississippi State marked his first 100-yard performance of the season, the sixth of his career. At Vanderbilt, Hunter gained a career-best 183 yards, scoring touchdowns of 67 and 56 yards. He had 121 of those yards in the first quarter. For a third consecutive game, Hunter crossed the century mark with 109 yards on 16 carries at Arkansas. Hunter has four 50+-yard runs in the second half of the season – a 53-yard run against Ole Miss, a 50-yard run against Mississippi State and touchdown runs of 67 and 56 yards at Vanderbilt – after having just one such run in his first 30 career games.
FOR THE DEFENSE
• Jalen McLeod was the SEC defensive player of the week against Arkansas, recording nine tackles, three sacks, four TFL and a forced fumble, all career highs. He earned national player of the week honors from Pro Football Focus, Lindy’s and the Bednarik Award. For the season, McLeod has 46 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He led the Tigers with eight tackles against Alabama. ›› Linebacker Eugene Asante has led Auburn in tackles in five games this season: against UMass with six stops; 12 tackles, a sack, 1.5 TFL, 2 QB hurries and a pass breakup at California, earning SEC defensive player of the week honors; at Texas A&M (9 tackles) and LSU (12 tackles, sack) and against Mississippi State (10 tackles, 2 QB hurries, TFL). He was the first Auburn player to record at least 12 tackles and register a sack in a game since Zakoby McClain had 14 tackles and 2.0 sacks vs. Ole Miss in 2021. Asante ranks seventh in the SEC in total tackles per game (7.0) with a team-best 84 stops. He’s one of four SEC players with 80 tackles, 8.0 TFL and 5.0 sacks this year.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Freshman All-American and Lou Groza Award semifinalist Alex McPherson has set an Auburn record with his current string of 19 consecutive field goals made, breaking Daniel Carlson’s previous mark (16). McPherson is now 19-20 for his career on field goals and 48-48 on PAT. He’s one of two FBS kickers who has made at least one FG per game and not missed a kick this season. McPherson’s 53-yard field goal at Texas A&M was a career long for the redshirt freshman. He set a career high vs. UMass with eight PAT, along with a 37-yard FG. McPherson was 6-7 last season on field goal attempts. His 51-yarder against Western Kentucky was the longest by an Auburn kicker since 2019. McPherson became Auburn’s first freshman kicker to make a 50+ yarder since Anders Carlson did so twice in 2018. ›› Keionte Scott’s 74-yard punt return for a touchdown at Arkansas, earning him SEC special teams player of the week, was Auburn’s first punt return TD (not blocked) since Quan Bray vs. Louisiana Tech in 2014 and the first against an SEC opponent since Chris Davis at Tennessee in 2013. He’s one of 29 players nationally with a punt return TD this season.
• Brian Battie is fourth in the SEC and 23rd nationally averaging 23.4 yards per kickoff return (24 returns for 562 yards). Battie’s 562 kickoff return yards this season are ninth-most in a season in program history. His long return this season was 39 yards at Vanderbilt. He is one of six FBS players with at least 500 kickoff return yards and 200 rushing yards this season.
• Auburn continues the longest FBS current span of games (190) without having a punt blocked; Auburn last had a punt blocked vs. Mississippi State in 2009.
• Punter Oscar Chapman ranks fifth among Auburn career punting leaders with a 43.88 yard average (200/8,776 yds). Chapman’s 71-yard punt against Georgia was a career long (previous: 67 vs. Northwestern 2020); it’s tied for the third-longest punt in Auburn history and was the longest punt since 2006 (Kody Bliss vs. Tulane). He earned punter of the week honors from the Ray Guy Award. The Australian now shows 41 career punts of 50 yards or longer. Chapman ranks fourth among SEC punters (44.8) this season with 22 punts inside the 20 and 16 of 50 yards or longer.
• Auburn has seven field goal blocks and nine punt blocks since the start of 2016.
RANKINGS
• Auburn is 116-179-6 all-time facing ranked opponents. The Tigers are 54-48-2 at home against ranked teams, 29-78-2 on the road and 33-53-2 on a neutral field. • The Tigers are 92-143-5 all-time facing ranked SEC opponents (44-38-2 at home, 29-70-2 away, 19-35-1 neutral). Ranked Auburn teams vs. ranked SEC teams are 60- 55-3 overall (30-11-1 at home, 19-34-1 at the opponent’s home, 11-10-1 on a neutral field). • Auburn’s record as a ranked team alltime is 334-126-6. Ranked Auburn teams at home are 191-34-2; away from Auburn, ranked Tiger squads are 142-91-4 all-time. When a ranked Auburn team faces a ranked opponent, the Tigers’ all-time record is 82-80-4 (37-14-1 at home, 22-43-1 away and 23-23-2 on a neutral field).
MARYLAND TERRAPINS NOTES:
THE OPENING KICK
MUSIC CITY BOWLING
▶ Maryland is playing in a bowl for the third season in a row for the first time since 2006-08, as the Terps take on Auburn in the 2023 TransPerfect Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The Terps have won each of their previous two bowl games, the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in 2021 and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in 2022. Maryland will look to win a bowl game in three straight seasons for the first time in program history this year. The TransPerfect Music City Bowl is the 21st different bowl the Terps have played in. It will mark the first time the Terps play an SEC team in a bowl since they beat Tennessee 30-3 in the 2002 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. ▶ The Terps have at least won seven games for the third consecutive season, marking the first time since 2001-03 that Maryland has won seven or more games in three consecutive seasons. The Terps will look to win eight games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2002-03. ▶ Maryland is 7-4 (.636) in bowl games since 2002, the best record by any current Big Ten team entering this year’s bowl season. The Terps are coming off bowl victories over Virginia Tech (2021) and North Carolina State (2022). ▶ The Terps are 3-0 against non-conference opponents this season and have won 11 straight non-conference games, the second-longest streak in the country (Georgia). In the Locksley era (2019-pres.), Maryland’s average of 41.5 points per game in non-conference play is fifth in the nation, only trailing Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama and LSU. The Terps’ have scored 30-plus points in 12-of-14 nonconference games under Locksley.
REWRITING THE RECORD BOOKS
▶ QB Taulia Tagovailoa has helped ascend the Terps’ passing game to new heights during his four-year career. The quarterback has set Maryland career records for passing yards (11,256), passing touchdowns (76), total touchdowns (89), completions (955), completion percentage (67.1), 300-yard passing games (15), passing efficiency (146.1) and total offense (11,473). ▶ Earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors for the second consecutive season, Tagovailoa has been one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten through 12 games, currently leading the conference and standing top-20 in the country in passing yards (3,377), passing touchdowns (25), completions (290), points responsible for (182). He leads the Big Ten and stands top-25 in the nation in total offense (282.9). ▶ In the Terps’ last game of the regular season against Rutgers (11/25), Tagovailoa became the Big Ten’s all-time passing leader, passing Purdue’s Drew Brees (10,909), Minnesota’s Adam Weber (10,917) and Purdue’s Curtis Painter (11,163). Tagovailoa stands 93 yards ahead of Painter for the most yards by any quarterback in the history of the illustrious conference. Tagovailoa’s current career completion percentage (67.1) is the fourth-best of any Big Ten quarterback all-time. He is also seventh in career passing touchdowns (76) and total offense (11,473) in Big Ten history. ▶ The redshirt senior is one of only two FBS quarterbacks with at least 2,500 passing yards in each of the last three seasons, along with Memphis’ Seth Henigan. He’s also thrown at least one touchdown in 34 games, tied for the second-most among FBS quarterbacks in that time with Sam Hartman (Notre Dame). Seth Henigan (Memphis) has thrown a TD in 35 games over the last three seasons. ▶ The Ewa Beach, Hawaii native has now thrown multiple touchdown passes in 24 career games, the most of any active Big Ten player. Maryland has gone 16-8 in those games. ▶ Tagovailoa currently stands top-15 among all FBS QBs in career completion percentage (fifth), completions (eighth), passing yards (10th) and total offense (11th).
