The mood was lighter on the Plains this week following a 27-13 victory over Mississippi State that stopped a four-game losing streak and gave the Tigers some much-needed confidence going into the last four games of the season.
Up next is Vanderbilt in Nashville on Saturday, where Hugh Freeze's squad will try to make it two in a row and get ever so closer to clinching a bowl bid, which, considering the situation this coaching staff walked into, would be a good accomplishment.
While the Commodores sit 2-7 and 0-5 in SEC play, a trip to Nashville hasn't been easy for the Tigers the last couple of times. Just ask Tommy Tuberville and Gene Chizik. So how can Auburn avoid the upset? Here are four questions heading into Saturday's tilt.
1st Down: Can Payton Thorne and the offense continue the momentum?
Sure, the Tigers scored just three points in the second half against Mississippi State, the reasons explained by Freeze on Monday, but the offense was rolling along in the first 30 minutes, with Thorne playing his best football since arriving on campus. In the first half alone, Auburn racked up 301 yards of offense and looked like it had finally broken out of its malaise.
Vanderbilt's defense is less than mediocre, ranking 117th in FBS by allowing 436.8 yards per game. And, against the run, the Dores give up 174.4 yards. Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston and the running back crew could be in store for a big day.
Oh, and the up-tempo offense should be in effect.
2nd Down: How will Auburn mentally handle the atmosphere?
It's hard to play in front of 100,000-plus people at LSU or Alabama, but it's not exactly easy getting up for a game where the atmosphere and fans will be lacking. Due to the construction of the stadium, Vanderbilt's capacity sits at 28,000 right now, but the lack of support for the Commodores plus a bad record means Auburn fans might outnumber the Vandy fans. While that helps the Tigers, it will be eerie playing to almost silence on offense.
Plus, getting hyped for a big game is easy. Getting hyped for Saturday afternoon will prove more difficult.
3rd Down: Will the curse of Vanderbilt Stadium end?
Okay, it is only a two-game losing streak that Auburn has in Nashville, but that is quite considerate when you consider the recent history of the series. And yes, the two teams who lost (2008 and 2012) were historically bad, with the latter giving up on the season halfway through, but this roster isn't exactly the best Auburn has seen in its own right.
4th Down: Can the defense keep the Commodores down?
Vanderbilt is far from being an offensive juggernaut, but they do average 25.4 points per game. That figure is helped out by big days against non-conference opponents, while SEC play hasn't been as kind, especially last week against Ole Miss when the Commodores put up just seven points against Ole Miss. And, much like Auburn earlier this year, Vandy plans on playing two quarterbacks.
Auburn's defense has been giving up yards but holding teams to field goals primarily. It will be critical that the Tigers' D gets some early stops, the offense takes advantage and Vanderbilt has no chance of gaining any confidence or momentum.
