The Auburn Tigers and Washington Huskies will meet in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game on Saturday afternoon. The game will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. This top ten matchup will be the highlight of an exciting first weekend of the college football season.
Auburn finished last season with a 10-4 record that included an SEC West Title. The Tigers fell to the UCF Golden Knights in the Peach Bowl to end the season. Washington went 10-3 last season and finished 7-2 in the Pac-12 Conference. The Huskies were defeated by Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl last season. The Auburn Tigers are a small 2.0 point favorite in this game.
Stidham Leads Auburn Attack
Junior quarterback Jarrett Stidham is back to lead the Auburn offense. Stidham is expected to be a Heisman Trophy candidate this season and could be the top quarterback prospect in the nation. The strong quarterback is a threat to run the football, but also has one of the strongest arms in all of college football. The Auburn offense will get a tough task against the Washington defense on Saturday.
Auburn also features one of the best defenses in college football, with the defensive line leading the way. The entire defensive line of the Tigers could potentially play in the NFL, but Derrick Brown is the most talented. The 6’5, 325 -pound junior will look to find a way into the backfield to disrupt the Washington throwing game.
Washington Looks Strong on Defense
While Auburn appears to have a strong defense, the Washington Huskies might be even better. The Washington defense is extremely athletic and extremely talented, and they are always looking to turn their opponent over. They feature a veteran secondary which should come in handy against a steady quarterback like Stidham.
On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin will lead the way for the Huskies. Gaskin and Browning should end their careers with several offensive records at each position. The Huskies offensive line will play a key role in this game to provide time and space for Browning and Gaskin to operate.
Huskies Knock Off Tigers
Auburn has one of the toughest schedules in college football this season, and it gets started off in a big way on Saturday. The Tigers hope to make it to the College Football Playoffs this season after just missing out in 2017. Auburn has always relied on their defense to win games, but they believe they have an offense to match this year. Jarrett Stidham hopes to have a big game in this one.
The Washington Huskies are expected to win the Pac-12 this season, but they need this win to earn national recognition. The Huskies know that points will be hard to come by in this one, but they believe in Browning and Gaskin. Look for Washington to find a way to sneak out a huge win in the season opener. Bet Washington +2.0 to defeat the Auburn Tigers.
