Many teams in the SEC will use week one of their season to tune up for a grueling nine-game conference stretch. However, the Auburn Tigers will not be one of them.
Auburn football will be one of two SEC teams to face another Power Four opponent in week one of the college football season when it battles the Baylor Bears at the Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, Sept. 5. There is plenty of buzz surrounding the game, which is a key reason why USA TODAY Sports has listed the game as one of the best games to watch in week one.
Auburn handled Baylor in last season's matchup, defeating the Bears, 38-24, in Waco behind a strong rushing performance by quarterback Jackson Arnold. Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson also had a memorable day by passing for 419 yards and three scores. Two new quarterbacks will take the field for both Auburn and Baylor this year, which is one of the storylines USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg is following ahead of the game.
"One thing to really like: Golesh brought along former South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown, which will speed along the transition to his system. Baylor should be able to keep pace offensively as long as former Florida passer DJ Lagway cuts down on his turnovers," Myerberg writes.
Brown produced quality numbers during his time with Alex Golesh at USF, most recently combining to gain 4,166 yards of offense and score 42 touchdowns. Lagway signed with Florida as the top quarterback from the 2024 recruiting cycle, but has not lived up to the hype he had as a high school quarterback. He threw 28 touchdowns and 23 interceptions during his time with the Gators, and now he is back in Texas hoping to rebuild his image with an in-state team.
The biggest concern surrounding Brown so far is his transition to the SEC and his ability to produce similar numbers against challenging defenses. Time will tell, but Brown will be as comfortable as any transfer quarterback in college football, with his former head coach, offensive coordinator, and four of his top five targets from last season joining him on the Plains for his senior season.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: An intriguing QB battle makes Auburn-Baylor a key week one matchup
Leave a Comment