No Taulia Tagovailoa for Maryland as Terps face Auburn in Music City Bowl
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze walks off the field after a loss to New Mexico State in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Auburn, Ala. Auburn can cap Freeze’s first season back in the Southeastern Conference with a winning record by beating Maryland in the Music City Bowl. Credit: AP/Butch Dill
Music City Bowl: Maryland (7-5, Big 12) vs. Auburn (6-6, Southeastern), Dec. 30, 2 p.m. Eastern (ABC).
Line: Auburn by 6½, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Auburn leads 2-1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Auburn can cap coach Hugh Freeze's first season back in the Southeastern Conference with a winning record. That might ease the pain of finishing the regular season with back-to-back losses, including losing the Iron Bowl to Alabama on that fourth-and-31 touchdown pass. The Tigers are trying to snap a three-bowl skid since routing Purdue in this game in 2018. Maryland is trying to win at least eight games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2002 and 2003. The Terrapins are playing in a third straight bowl for the first time since 2006-08. A Maryland victory would mark be a third consecutive bowl win for the first time in program history.
KEY MATCHUP
The Tigers come in with the SEC's third-best rushing attack that ranks 15th in the country averaging 198.4 yards per game. Jarquez Hunter is Auburn's top rusher with 865 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He had a career-high 183 yards rushing in the Tigers' last game in Nashville, a win over Vanderbilt. Maryland ranked 33rd nationally defending the run, allowing just 129.6 yards a game.
Maryland head coach Michael Locksley watches the clock before calling a timeout with seconds remaining in the fourth quarter as his team plays against Nebraska during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. Maryland will face Auburn in the Music City Bowl. Credit: AP/Rebecca S. Gratz
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Maryland: QB Taulia Tagovailoa opted out of this game on Dec. 19, so Billy Edwards Jr. is poised to start the third game of his career. Edwards has been more effective using his legs running for six TDs this season as a role player. Cameron Edge also could play and is 2 of 3 for 18 yards passing. Replacing Tagovailoa is a tall task because he left with a handful of school passing records and led the Big Ten with 3,377 yards passing.
Auburn: QB Payton Thorne. Not only did he throw for 6,494 yards in three seasons at Michigan State, Thorne threw for 1,671 yards and 15 TDs this season for the Tigers. He's also mobile, having run for 524 yards this season.
FACTS & FIGURES
Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne looks to pass against Alabama during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Auburn, Ala. Auburn can cap coach Hugh Freeze’s first season back in the Southeastern Conference with a winning record by beating Maryland in the Music City Bowl. Credit: AP/Butch Dill
Maryland is playing in its 30th bowl all-time and 21st different bowl. The Terrapins are 13-14-2 all-time. ... This will be Auburn's 47th bowl and third time playing in this game. The Tigers are 2-0 at the Music City Bowl and 24-20-2 all-time in bowls. Auburn is 13-6 in bowls played in December, including a 10-2 record over the last 12 bowls in this month. ... Maryland is playing an SEC opponent in a bowl for the first time since beating Tennessee 30-3 in the 2002 Peach Bowl. ... The Terrapins are 7-4 in bowls since 2002, the best of any current Big Ten team going into this season's bowl slate. ... Maryland went 3-0 against non-conference opponents this season. The Terrapins have the nation's second-longest winning streak against non-conference opponents at 11 straight, trailing only Georgia. ... Maryland ranks fifth nationally averaging 41.5 points per game against non-conference opponents since Michael Locksley took over as coach. ... Auburn needs a win to become the 13th FBS team to win 800 games in program history. The Tigers are 799- 466-47 in 131 years.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 football throughout the season. Sign up here.
