Auburn football looks to continue momentum from a big Week 1 victory into Week 2 as it hosts Ball State. Auburn rose in the power rankings after a major win over a power conference opponent. The team gets a much easier opponent this week, facing a non-power team in Ball State, coming in from the MAC. While the game could be a lopsided victory for the Tigers, there are still bold predictions to be made.
Auburn had a solid first game against Baylor on the road. Baylor marched down the field on the first drive, but settled for a field goal. After an Auburn three-and-out without gaining any yards, Baylor began marching again. They brought the ball to the Auburn three-yard line, but failed on a fourth-down conversion. Auburn took advantage, marching 96 yards in 5:53 and capping it off with a Jackson Arnold 24-yard run.
Auburn would hold a seven-point lead going into the halftime break. The offense continues to produce. The Tigers scored two of the three full drives in the second half, while also having a kick returned for a touchdown. It would finish as a 38-24 victory over Baylor.
Meanwhile, Ball State struggled against Purdue. Purdue opened the game with a two-play 76-yard drive for a touchdown. The Purdue offense also scored on three of its first four drives. Meanwhile, in the first four drives on offense for Ball State, the team managed just 45 yards and punted four times. The offense drove to the edge of field goal range at the end of the second quarter, but a sack forced them out of range, and the team failed to convert the fourth-down attempt. In the second half, it was more of the same, with a punt and two missed field goals in three drives, as Ball State fell to Purdue 31-0.
Cam Coleman recovers from a rough Week 1
Cam Coleman was named first-team All-SEC in the preseason. While he was not a major threat early in his freshman season, he broke out in the final three games. In the last three contests of 2024, Coleman brought in 22 receptions for 306 yards and six touchdowns. Much was expected of the 19-year-old wide receiver this season. He did not live up to those lofty expectations. Coleman had just one reception for 23 yards and did not score. It was only the third time he had one reception in a game, and it was the lowest amount of yards since having one catch for nine yards against Vanderbilt in 2024.
Coleman is going to have a big game in this one. To begin with, the final two games of the season, in which he brought in over 200 yards and 14 receptions, were against top-quality defenses with Texas A&M and Alabama. It shows he can make plays against solid defenses. Ball State is also not a solid defense. According to SP+ provided by Bill Connelly of ESPN, Ball State ranks 133rd out of 136 teams in defensive SP+.
Ball State also gave up plenty of big plays to Purdue wide receivers. Arhmad Branch had just three receptions, but went for 101 yards and a score. He also had a long of 49. Michael Jackson III brought in six receptions for 72 yards and a score as well. Coleman did not have the best first week of the year, but he will make up for it against Ball State.
Jackson Arnold has another solid game
The Auburn quarterback was solid in Week 1, completing 11 of 17 passes for 108 yards, but without a touchdown. As described with Coleman, the Ball State pass defense is not great. With receivers such as Coleman, Malcolm Simmons, and Eric Singleton Jr., the passing numbers will improve. Still, it was the legs of Arnold that were the most impressive. He ran the ball 16 times against Baylor, running for 137 yards and two scores. This also includes the one sack against him. He had multiple long rushes in the game against a much better defense.
While Arnold may not put his body in harm's way as much in this game, he is still going to have a solid game on the ground. Ryan Browne, the Purdue starting quarterback, is not much of a running threat, but he still scored once on the ground. Meanwhile, backup Malachi Singleton ran three times, going for 17 yards with a long of 12 yards. With how Arnold ran in week one and the struggles of the Ball State defense, expect him to have another solid game on the ground, with some better passing stats.
Ball State struggles on offense again
Auburn gave up 24 points in its Week 1 game. All 24 points by Baylor were scored on long drives. The shortest was a 56-yard drive that ended in a field goal to open the game. The field goal was 36 yards, but Carson Holmer, the Ball State kicker, missed twice in Week 1, including a 29-yard attempt. Meanwhile, Ball State had just two drives against Purdue that went longer than 50 yards. The Auburn offense will drive the field with ease against Ball State, and unless they make a massive mistake, they are not going to give the Cardinals good field position.
Kiael Kelly was almost the entire offense for Ball State last week. The quarterback was 10 for 16 passing for 87 yards while having 63 yards rushing. Auburn has defensive end Keldric Faulk, one of the best in the nation, to slow him down. Faulk will be in the backfield early and often against this poor offensive line of Ball State.
At the time of writing, odds according to FanDuel have the under 3.5 point team total for Ball State favored at -136. The Cardinals were shut out by Purdue, which does not have the same level of defense as Auburn. They will not score once again. Unless Hugh Freeze starts putting walk-ons into the game late, Auburn will take the shutout victory on its way to a 2-0 record.
