Auburn tries to keep bowl hopes alive with visit from Louisiana-Monroe with ailing QB Payton Thorne

Louisiana-Monroe (5-4) at Auburn (3-6), Saturday, 12:45 p.m. EST (SEC)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Auburn by 24-1/2.

Series record: Auburn leads 11-0.

What’s at stake?

The Tigers have to win out to become bowl eligible and they’ll finish against No. 15 Texas A&M and No. 9 Alabama. A loss here would be another embarrassment in Hugh Freeze’s second season and a fourth straight losing record for the program. The Warhawks are trying to stop a three-game losing streak after a promising start under first-year coach Bryant Vincent. Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne’s status is uncertain with a right, throwing shoulder injury.

Key matchup

Auburn’s defense against a ULM offense that has struggled. The Tigers rank 17th nationally in defending the run, allowing just 109 yards a game on the ground. The Warhawks rank 12th in the Sun Belt Conference in points per game (21.6) and 13th in total offense (300.8 yards per game). Keldric Faulk is leading the Tigers with seven sacks and Jalen McLeod has five.

Players to watch

Auburn WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith has 34 catches for 657 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 19.3 yards per catch.

ULM: RB Ahmad Hardy leads the Sun Belt with 915 rushing yards and has run for nine touchdowns. He is averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

Facts & figures

Auburn has dominated the previous meetings by an average score of 45.1-9.3. The closest game was a 31-28 overtime win in 2012. The Tigers’ 73-7 victory in 2003 remains tied for the largest margin of victory in Jordan-Hare Stadium. … Auburn is 41-5 all-time against teams from the Sun Belt Conference. … Auburn tight end Luke Deal could break a tie with John Samuel Shenker’s school record of games played, with No. 63.

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