Auburn football’s most important game of the season will take place less than 24 hours from now in Tuscaloosa.
Not only will Auburn look to win the 89th Iron Bowl to earn bragging rights over rival Alabama for the next year, but they will earn bowl eligibility after starting the season 2-5. One of their key focuses this week will be Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, the lifeblood of the Alabama offense. Milroe has experienced inconsistency this season, but that is not stopping Auburn’s head coach from preparing his team for the best version of Milroe.
During his weekly preview press conference, Hugh Freeze broke down Milroe’s ability and what his team should prepare for this Saturday.
“You look at the good. That’s what (Milroe is) capable of. I hope we get the lesser-than version. In a game like this, I would think – I don’t know him personally, but everything you see, he’s made of the right stuff and he competes at a high, high level in some of the biggest games. I would think he’d be determined to bounce back. So I think we’ve got to plan to get his best. I feel confident they’ll use him as a runner. That’s when they’ve been the most dangerous, and we’ve got to have a plan for that.”
Milroe enters Saturday’s game vs. Auburn with 2,396 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Milroe is also the Crimson Tide‘s leading rusher with 615 yards and 17 touchdowns on 135 carries. His rushing ability will make or break Alabama’s success on offense.
In Alabama’s eight wins, Milroe has rushed for 587 yards and 16 scores. In Alabama’s three losses, Milroe has been held to 28 yards on 36 carries with just one touchdown. In last week’s loss to Oklahoma, Milroe was limited to seven rushing yards on 15 carries while being sacked once.
Milroe has not faired well in “bounce back” games, either, In Alabama’s win over South Carolina following its loss to Vanderbilt, Milroe rushed for 36 yards on 18 carries. In the Crimson Tide’s win over Missouri, Milroe gained 50 yards on the ground on 11 carries.
However, he has managed to pass well in said “bounce back” games. Two of Milroe’s top-five passing performances of the season have taken place following a loss. Milroe passed for 215 yards in Alabama’s win over Missouri and 209 yards vs. South Carolina.
Auburn will look to slow down Jalen Milroe and the Alabama offense on Saturday when it faces the Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcasted on ABC.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn, Hugh Freeze preparing for ‘best’ version of Jalen Milroe
