Game Recap: Auburn vs. Opelika!

Last week, we previewed the annual rivalry matchup between Auburn and Opelika, and it most certainly did not disappoint. In a defensive battle, Auburn and Opelika faced off last Friday, ending in a close Auburn 16-14 victory, advancing the Tiger's record to 2-0 on the season. &nbsp; <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">AUBURN</span></strong></span></em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="127683" first="Clyde" last="Pittman"]- QB</strong> Pittman has had a wonderful start to his junior season. Against Opelika, he threw a lone touchdown to tight end [player_tooltip player_id="128591" first="Camden" last="Etheredge"] in the back corner of Opelika’s endzone and was able to consistently move the chains for the Auburn offense. In the face of pressure, Pittman showed tremendous confidence in the way he was making quick reads, tough passes down the sideline and over-the-shoulder, and overall took care of the ball very well. <strong>Davaioun Williams- RB</strong> Williams is having a great start to his junior year, scoring a five-yard touchdown towards the end of the third quarter. Williams has great burst and vision, allowing him to find open lanes in the defense to gain good yardage. Throughout the game against Opelika, Williams was able to use these traits to his advantage as he continued to put his team in good field position, while also spotting them one of two touchdowns scored in the night. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125497" first="Brad" last="Harper"]- LB</strong> Harper had himself a very productive night, making several key tackles against Jarrell Stinson, while also forcing a fumble along the way. Harper was able to use his sideline to sideline speed to not allow any outside runs to go the distance, making it very difficult for the Opelika rushing attack to truly explode. Harper continues to be a large factor in why the Auburn defense has been so efficient in their first two games. &nbsp; <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">OPELIKA</span></strong></span></em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125493" first="Taylor" last="Love"]- LB</strong> Love continues to show his dominance at middle linebacker, accounting for two sacks, multiple tackles, and always affecting the run game. Love looks even better than he did last year, using his speed and strength to track and bring down the ball carrier with ease. With the way he has been playing the last two weeks it shouldn’t be a surprise to see him gain some more collegiate attention this fall. <strong> [player_tooltip player_id="125430" first="Jarell" last="Stinson"]- CB/RB</strong> Stinson showed his versatility on Friday, lining up at both cornerback and running back, On defense, Stinson was making great tackles in the secondary and also against the run, not allowing anything positive in his area. On offense, Stinson was able to run the ball well, gaining a good amount of yardage while also creating a three-yard touchdown run. <strong> Grady Bynum- WR</strong> Bynum has emerged as one of Opelika’s top receiving targets so far this season. Against Auburn, JT McArdle and Bynum were able to connect on a 53-yard bomb for a touchdown towards the end of the first half. Bynum possesses great speed that allowed him to fly by the zone coverage and was left on an island by himself, ending the half on a high note. &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>NEXT MATCHUPS</strong></span></em></span> Auburn travels to Prattville this Friday to take on a tough Prattville Lions team. Prattville has opened up the season 2-0 as well, presenting a high-powered 7A offense that scored 41-13 against Wetumpka and 29-6 against Stanhope Elmore. This will be another tough matchup for Auburn as they look to continue their winning streak. Opelika is facing another tough road opponent in Lanier this Thursday. Lanier has opened up their season 2-0 defeating Jefferson Davis 26-12 and Paul W. Bryant 33-13. After suffering back-to-back heartbreaking last-second losses, Opelika looks to rebound and beat Lanier this Friday.