The Tigers put up a staggering 688 yards of total offense with 410 coming on the ground and 278 through the air while holding Louisiana-Monroe to just 251 yards of offense on their way to a 58-7 homecoming victory this season.
NEW ORLEANS – Tonight, the Auburn Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners will lock horns in the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
The road to the Sugar Bowl has been anything but smooth for the No. 14 Auburn Tigers. Being picked to finish sixth out seven teams in the SEC West (ahead of Mississippi State) following the annual SEC Media Days in Hoover, Auburn had an uphill climb and a chip on their shoulder before the season even started.
Opening the season at home, the Tigers fell to Clemson in heartbreaking fashion and two weeks later fell to a Texas A&M team that underachieved in 2016, finishing 8-4 in the regular season. The next week saw Auburn seemingly on the short end of the stick against LSU when, with just a single second left on the clock, QB Danny Etling found WR DJ Clark in the right corner of the endzone for the game-winning touchdown. However, the play was reviewed and it was deemed that LSU did not get the snap off in time and overturning the score and turning around the Auburn Tigers' season. Auburn went on a tear for the next seven weeks, dropping everyone in their path, including the likes of Arkansas (56-3) and Ole Miss (40-29). In the last three weeks of the season, Auburn was without their starting QB Shaun White (shoulder) and superstar RB Kamryn Pettway (hamstring), and some say that cost the Tigers two of their last games.But their body of work was good enough to earn the Allstate Sugar Bowl nod as the SEC representative.
Auburn arrived in New Orleans on Tuesday and the Tigers were fired up.
“It’s definitely exciting playing a great team in Oklahoma,” said OL Alex Kozan on the chance to play in New Orleans. “This is where you want to be, Sugar Bowl, every team in the SEC, and this is the goal for every team is to be here.”
Kozan, along with four other teammates, are playing their last game for Tigers Monday and he is grateful for the experience.
“It’s definitely special, I’ve been around for five years and there are only four of us left. I am excited to play my one last game with them and try to get one last win.”
After Monday, Montravious Adams will have an opportunity to strap on the Auburn helmet one more time in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, but he is relishing the chance to play in the Sugar Bowl.
“It means a lot; there is so much history in the Sugar Bowl. It’s always been a great bowl to be in. For us to be able to accomplish this much in my last year is a blessing.”
Adams also commented on finishing strong and proving the critics wrong.
“It is very important. Not even just talking finishing up this year. I want to make sure that the guys returning next year have a head start finishing off this season with a great game against Oklahoma and carrying that over.”
There is no doubt that the 83rd annual Allstate Sugar Bowl will be a hotly contested game, pitting the high-powered Sooner offense against the vice-like defense of the Auburn Tigers and The Cullman Tribune will be there to bring you all of the action, live and in person from New Orleans.
Stay connected with us at www.cullmansense.com, @cullmansense and @CS_SportsEditor on Twitter and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CullmanSense/ for updates and coverage from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN.
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