Behind enemy lines: Washington Football fans should track these Auburn players

Husky Haul asked Fly War Eagle’s expert Rob Maxwell to name persons playing key roles when facing Washington Football team

With a huge game facing the Washington Football team, there is an unusually high amount of uncertainty as to this weekend’s outcome.  Neither team nor fanbase is familiar with the other. As such, unfamiliarity can breed anxiety. And that simply won’t do.

So the Husky Haul reached out to Fly War Eagle’s Rob Maxwell to get his take on the game from an Auburn perspective. Rob is the voice of the Auburn Tigers for FanSided, covering the range of athletics at Auburn University.  In that role, Maxwell has been following and covering the Auburn Tigers. That includes both their achievements and challenges. So he is the perfect person to interview to build some familiarity with this weekend’s opponent.

We discussed some basic questions in our first round of interview questions. If you havent checked those out you can do so here.  For this round of questions, let’s dig a little deeper into the key persons over at Auburn. Who leads that offense? For that matter, who leads that defense? And finally, which coach is key to their organization?

Husky Haul: Who is the leader of the Auburn Tigers offense?

Fly War Eagle’s Rob Maxwell: Jarrett Stidham. After throwing for 3,158 yards and 18 touchdown passes last season after transferring into the program, this is Stidham’s offense.

Gus Malzahn said at SEC Media Days that they’re giving Stidham more flexibility to change plays at the line of scrimmage (a rarity for QBs under Malzahn) and that they plan to “let him loose.” He’s a mature, level-headed player and that guidance will be key to Auburn’s success on offense in 2018.

Husky Haul: Who is the leader of the Auburn Tigers defense?

Fly War Eagle’s Rob Maxwell: Take your pick, really. Derrick Brown, Dontavious Russell, Marlon Davidson, Jeremiah Dinson, Darrell Williams are good options.

But hands down, the leader is middle linebacker Deshaun Davis. He’s not the biggest (5-11, 233), but he’s the most vocal and always is around the ball. He led the team in tackles last season and is defensive coordinator Kevin Steele’s coach on the field.

Husky Haul: Who is the key coach of the Auburn Tigers?

Fly War Eagle’s Rob Maxwell: Offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey. The second-year coordinator stepped in last season to run the offense. With previous OC Rhett Lashlee, Gus Malzahn still called most the shots on offense. But Malzahn backed off last season, surrendering play-calling duties to Lindsey and overall it was a success.

Auburn improved from 31.2 to 33.9 points per game and from 440.8 to 451.6 yards per game. The biggest improvement was in passing, where Lindsey’s offense went from 169.5 passing yards per game to 218.3 last season. With a full offseason to fine-tune things, expectations are high for the offense.

Some key names to focus upon this Saturday. Still, there is a small matter of predicting the game’s outcome, isn’t there?  What is Rob Maxwell’s take on the game?  That’s due up next. And it’s a good one.