Pre-match diary: news from Jordan-Hare stadium

AUBURN, Alabama – It’s game day at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn plays in the State of Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kick-off time is 3 p.m. on the SEC network.

Phillip Marshall, Jason Caldwell, Mark Murphy, Nathan King and Keith Niebuhr will provide pre-game news. The notebook will be regularly updated until the start of the game, which will be televised by the SEC network.

NO PAPPO IN THE STRETCHES

Junior linebacker Owen Pappoe, who was restricted to training this week after sustaining a lower-body injury at Penn State, did not participate in the pre-game stretches. Auburn will also be without first-half linebacker Zakoby McClain after being hit by a second-half targeting penalty last week. –Nathan King

FULL FORCE BACKFIELD

Tank Bigsby, Shaun Shivers, and Jarquez Hunter are all participating in pre-game stretches together for the first time since the start of the season. –– Nathan king

ANOTHER CORNER

Jaylin Simpson, who has not played due to an ankle injury, warms up at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Simpson did not make the road trip to Penn State last week.– Mark Murphy

HISTORY OF THE AUBURN CTÉ

It’s home to Auburn, and the story is on the Tigers’ side against Georgia State of the Sun Belt Conference.

The Tigers are 84-8-4 in home games, including a 30-17 victory over Tennessee last season. They have never lost to a Sun Belt Conference team. They haven’t lost to a team in what is now known as the Group of 5 since 2007, when they lost 26-23 to South Florida in overtime. This South Florida team climbed to second place in the polls.—Philippe Marshall

A CUPCAKE GAME? HARSIN SAYS IT ISN’T

Is this another mismatch between Akron and the state of Alabama? Auburn coach Bryan Harsin insists it isn’t, calling Georgia State a “damn good team.” The Panthers enter Game 1-2 after scoring their first victory, 20-9 over Charlotte last Saturday. In their first two games, they lost 43-10 to Army and 59-17 in North Carolina.

Auburn is a 27-point favorite as he tries to bounce back from last Saturday’s loss at Penn State. –Philippe Marshall