Vanderbilt football begins the final three-game stretch of the season by hosting Auburn in the interim debut of D.J. Durkin on Nov. 8 at FirstBank Stadium.
The Commodores (7-2, 3-2 SEC) attempted a large comeback but fell a score short at Texas last week, and they tumbled toward the back end of the top 20 as a result.
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Auburn (4-5, 1-5) lost 10-3 to Kentucky on Nov. 1, and Hugh Freeze was fired the next day. Durkin, Auburn’s defensive coordinator, will make his interim coaching debut in Nashville.
Here’s how the Tennessean’s experts pick Vandy-Auburn:
Vanderbilt-Auburn picks as Commodores rebound from Texas loss by beating up on Tigers
Aria Gerson, Vanderbilt beat reporter: Vanderbilt 24, Auburn 7
This type of team hasn’t been a slam dunk for Vanderbilt, which has struggled against teams with good run defenses this season. But Auburn hasn’t played well offensively, so as long as the Commodores can score a moderate number of points, they should be able to win this matchup.
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Tom Kreager, sports director: Vanderbilt 24, Auburn 14
Diego Pavia won’t get a chance to go 4-0 versus Hugh Freeze, but he will go 3-0 against Auburn. And in the process, the Commodores stay in the hunt for a CFP berth.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt football vs Auburn picks, predictions