ESPN's What To Watch For Week Five

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WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GO HOME?

by Jim Donnan

After sitting out last week to rest various groin, shoulder, toe and ankle injuries, Auburn Heisman Trophy candidate Kenny Irons will return to Columbia to take on his former team -- with a little help from his No. 2-ranked Tigers teammates.

Irons transferred to Auburn in 2004 after two disappointing seasons with the Gamecocks. In last year's meeting between the teams, Irons struggled (as much as you can struggle in a 48-7 win). He finished with two touchdowns, but just 27 yards on 11 carries. Expect a much stronger showing from the explosive running back in round two.

South Carolina's quarterback switch seems to be paying off. Quarterback-turned-wide receiver-turned-quarterback Syvelle Newton led the Gamecocks to a 45-6 rout of Florida Atlantic. Newton completed 13 of 20 passes for 216 yards and five touchdowns. Of course, there's quite a big difference between Auburn's defense and FAU's, but Newton knows his offense and has gained the trust of his teammates. He gives the offense a boost and flexibility because of his mobility. It's also good to see receiver Sidney Rice back in the lineup; he caught all five of Newton's touchdown passes in the win over FAU.

Last year, Auburn really thumped the Gamecocks, but South Carolina went on a tear after the game, winning the next five games, including an upset of then-No. 23 Tennessee. There has been a lot of talk about Auburn playing close to the vest and not opening up its offense, but I think we'll see Brandon Cox throw the ball more. The Tigers have been relying on their defense to win games; South Carolina should provide an opportunity to air out the offense.

On paper, this looks like an easy Auburn win, but Steve Spurrier's teams are always capable of surprising folks. Auburn has just two remaining road games on its schedule: Mississippi (Oct. 28) and Alabama (Nov. 18).

Both teams have a short week this week -- the game's on Thursday (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET) -- but neither faced stiff competition last week, so staying fresh shouldn't be too difficult, even though playing on minimum rest (especially for the team that is traveling) is never easy. Coaches begin to prep teams during two-a-days in the preseason by introducing the opponent's schemes. At this point in the season, the fundamentals are ingrained in a team, so as long as it's not beat-up, playing during the week isn't as much of a problem. As a coach, I liked Thursday night games because of the exposure, which helps in recruiting. You also get extra time to prepare for the next game. If you're not playing, you get to watch the game on television -- a rarity in the season, when you're consumed by your own game on Saturday. For fans, attending Thursday night games can often be an inconvenience, but the good outweighs the bad.