The Auburn Tigers return to action Saturday to face the Mercer Bears in a final tune-up before hosting No. 10 Alabama for the Iron Bowl on Nov. 29. Will the Tigers knock off the Bears and give interim head coach DJ Durkin his first win as interim head coach?
ESPN has given Auburn overwhelming confidence heading into Week 13’s matchup with Mercer by giving them a 94.6% chance to win, opposed to Mercer’s 5.4% chance.
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Although the game is considered a “money game,” Auburn can not take Mercer lightly. The Bears are 9-1 on the season and clinched the Southern Conference championship by finishing 7-0 in conference play. Seven players found the endzone in Mercer’s most recent win, with quarterback Braden Atkinson tossing five touchdown passes to four different receivers. Running back CJ Miller rushed for two scores while fellow backs DJ Smith and Ty Doughty added one each. Atkinson has passed for 3,253 yards, and three Mercer receivers have logged over 600 receiving yards and six touchdowns apiece.
Auburn returns from the bye week fresh and looking to earn confidence ahead of the Iron Bowl. The major storyline this week is Deuce Knight earning the starting job at quarterback while Ashton Daniels takes the week off to preserve his redshirt status and will have the opportunity to return to the roster next season.
Auburn faces Mercer on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn football vs. Mercer ESPN prediction
