AUBURN, Ala. – Game week has arrived.
The eighth-ranked Auburn Tigers will kick off the 2020 season at home against No. 23 Kentucky on Saturday, and though Jordan-Hare Stadium – with capacity reduced to 20 percent because of the COVID-19 pandemic – might not be as loud as it typically is, head coach Gus Malzahn is looking for the home crowd to be an advantage.
Next Game:
Kentucky
9/26/2020
11:00 AM
TV: SEC Network
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
IT'S GAMEWEEK!
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 21, 2020
Our journey to the SEC Championship begins NOW. pic.twitter.com/Lid8DNSKL8
"When it's a regular game day and we've got 90,000 fans, there's no better place in all of college football as far as atmosphere than here," Malzahn said. "The fact that the majority of our fans are going to be students – our student section is always one of the best, if not the best in the country, and I know they're going to have their A-game and will be loud as possible to help us win."
Home or away, the first game always brings an excitement about what might be to come.
Last year, Auburn opened the season with a thrilling, come-from-behind victory against Oregon in one of the premier Week 1 matchups. This year, the Tigers are once again in the national spotlight playing a Kentucky team that has won seven or more games in each of the last four seasons.
It's a different Auburn team than it was a year ago, but the ultimate goal remains the same.
"I'm really excited about this year's team," Malzahn said. "We have all kinds of new faces out there. I believe we have 13 new starters, so I'm really excited to watch this team grow. If we stay healthy, we'll have a chance to improve each game, and of course with 10 SEC games, it's important for teams to improve throughout the year."
Saturday's opener will kick off at 11 a.m. CT and will be televised on SEC Network with Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic on the call.
Andy Burcham, Stan White and Ronnie Brown will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM and on Sirius/XM Channel 81. You can also listen online at AuburnTigers.com and on the TuneIn app.Three questions with … LB K.J. Britt
Q: What does it mean to be able to go out and play this season?
A: I'm anxious. Anxious to see the outcome, but I'm anxious just to see the foundation that we led and the process through March, through the quarantine, through July, through camp, through everything. I'm anxious to see all this pay off. Win or lose, we're going to fight our butt off. With everything we've been through, the adversity we've been through, I'm just anxious to put it all together – put it all together in the game we love, put it all together on the stage we want to be on. Just being out there, I can't wait. I'm getting butterflies. It's good butterflies. I just can't wait. It's like a kid going to the fair. I'm ready.
Q: Where are you at as a defense?
A: We're in a pretty good spot. We're really athletic. We've got guys out there who really love football. It's really important to them. That's something that is going to set us apart – just the love for the game for us. We just have to stay healthy and stay strong.
Q: How significant was it for you to be named a captain?
A: Growing up, that's something you dream about. Being a captain at an SEC school, that's a huge deal. Something I never ever take for granted. Being a captain here at Auburn University, knowing the people who were captains for me and the foundation they set, it was a huge honor. One that I couldn't really put into words. But it also gave me urgency. It also gave me a fire to my tank. It also gave me gas to my motor. It just gave me what I needed coming into the season and made want to go even harder for my teammates.
Inside the Series: Kentucky
Auburn leads the all-time series with Kentucky, which dates back to 1934, by a 26-6-1 margin. The Tigers won the last meeting between the two sides with a 30-27 victory at Kentucky in 2015. Running backs Peyton Barber and Kerryon Johnson combined for 128 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Series: Auburn leads 26-6-1
At Auburn: Auburn leads 12-2
At Lexington: Auburn leads 13-4
At Neutral Sites: Auburn leads 1-0-1
Most AU points: 49 (1983 and 2005)
Current Streak: Auburn, W2In Season OpenersAuburn is 98-27-2 (.779) all-time in season openers. The Tigers have won 12 of their past 14 openers dating back to the 2006 season and six of seven season openers under head coach Gus Malzahn with the only loss coming to eventual national champion Clemson (19-13) in 2016. Last season, Auburn came from 15 points down to defeat No. 11 Oregon 27-21 in the Advocare Classic in Arlington, Texas.
The Tigers are opening a season against an SEC opponent for the 17th time since the inception of the SEC in 1933. They are 11-5 in the previous 16 games, including a current four-game winning streak and wins in eight of the last nine. The most recent SEC opener came in 2014 when Auburn was a 45-21 winner at home against Arkansas.Winning the Turnover BattleAuburn is 32-9 under Gus Malzahn when it wins the turnover battle and 15-6 when turnovers are even, compared to 14-16 when the Tigers lose the turnover battle. Since Malzahn took over as head coach in 2013, Auburn has a +39 turnover margin in win and is -15 in losses. The Tigers are 21-5 when they play turnover-free football and 43-17 when they have no more than one turnover under Malzahn.
Since the start of the 2013 season, Auburn is 53-20 when it forces a turnover and 33-9 when it forces multiple turnovers over that span, including a 19-5 mark under current defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.