Bo Nix would rather forget his statistical performance in the Tigers’ only loss of the season at Florida: 11-for-27 passing, 145 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.
But the true freshman isn’t blocking out the entire day. There are positives to draw from the loss, he thinks.
“Going forward, I think that the Florida game did help a lot,” Nix told reporters Tuesday. “Just from experience — being there and doing that. So, this week, I feel like now I can just sit back and do my job and not really worry about the atmosphere.”
Auburn knows its task Saturday is daunting: a date with No. 2 LSU, playing its best ball in recent years, in Death Valley, where the orange and blue Tigers have come up winless in their last nine tries, dating back to 1999.
Nix himself has never been to Baton Rouge for a game, but he’s heard enough tales of what’s in store.
“I have never been to a game at LSU, which, I probably should have, considering how loud it’s going to be,” Nix said. “I’m looking forward to it, especially with all the things that I’ve heard, all the good things about the stadium and the atmosphere.”
Some of the stories have been first-hand from his father, Patrick Nix, who quarterbacked Auburn in 1995 in LSU’s 12-6 win in “The Whistle Game.”
As the elder Nix dropped back from his own 3-yard line with time winding down in the second quarter, a whistle blew from the stands at Tiger Stadium. Pat Nix halted his drop-back and stopped, thinking play had been blown dead. LSU defensive back James Gillyard crashed into Pat Nix in the end zone.
“Yeah, we talked about that a lot, the phantom whistle game and how he got thrown on his head and stuff like that,” Bo Nix said. “But obviously he’s done everything he can to tell me how loud it’s going to be, but until you’re there in person, nobody can really fathom how loud it is.
“I got my first experience at Florida.”
Following Auburn’s first of two bye weeks after the Florida game, Nix bounced back. He accounted for four total touchdowns, including a career-high three through the air, in a 51-10 rout of Arkansas over the weekend.
Gus Malzahn said Tuesday that Auburn knows the atmosphere will be different still than Florida, or any other environment the Tigers have played in this season. It will certainly be a heel-turn from Arkansas, where available seats were aplenty.
Auburn has been cranking the noise in practice all season in preparation for games such as these. And after communication issues at Florida — where Nix had to relay checks and audibles one-by-one to the offensive linemen and backs — they’re not cutting any corners. Malzahn said they’ve added “little wrinkles” to help with snaps and cadences come Saturday.
“It gets us used to speaking loud and making communication and doing other things that will allow us to make it easier during the game,” Nix said.
Auburn kicks off against LSU at 2:30 p.m. CST from Tiger Stadium. If Auburn wins, it likely vaults into the top 5 and sets up a November to remember at home against its bitter rivals.
Nix and company aren’t getting ahead of themselves. But losing isn’t on the brain, either.
“I think with the way things stand this is a really important game to win. We’re definitely not going in there thinking about losing the game,” Nix said. “We’re going to do whatever we can to win the game and bring it home so it gives us the best chance to make it farther in the season and eventually make it to the championship.”
