Newfound hope, potentially packed Jordan-Hare and other questions about Auburn football

Auburn football was going nowhere fast. The energy inside Jordan-Hare Stadium against Arkansas on Oct. 29 was bland, and fans started to head for the exits before the game was even close to being finished. There was no point in watching for many; the on-field product didn't matter until coach Bryan Harsin was fired.

Then Monday it happened, and Harsin was let go and running backs coach Carnell "Cadillac" Williams was named interim head coach. All of a sudden, there wasn't some dark cloud hanging over the program. There was tangible hope, and after a tightly contested overtime loss on the road against Mississippi State on Saturday, that hope only grew.

And now we're here, less than a week out from Auburn (3-6, 1-5 SEC) welcoming Texas A&M (3-6, 1-5) to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday (6:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network). Here are some questions before the game.

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How will the passing game look against Texas A&M?

The Tigers struggled to throw the ball with much consistency against the Bulldogs, a familiar trend for Auburn this season. There are plenty of reasons for that, of course. The receivers struggle to create separation; the offensive line breaks down quickly; and quarterback Robby Ashford, in his first season as a full-time starter, is not yet a polished passer. He may get there eventually, but as of now, he has work to do.

So, how do Williams and his staff fix this against Texas A&M? The simple answer is they don't. Despite the woes in the passing game, Auburn took Mississippi State to overtime partly because of the dynamic run game it has with Ashford and Tank Bigsby in the backfield. The duo combined for 197 yards and three scores on the ground. Maybe they'll just lean on that.

The more complicated answer is they try to get Ashford going early with some easy passes. Eric Kiesau, who was the offensive coordinator under Harsin, was also fired, and Saturday's game against the Bulldogs was the first with Will Friend and Ike Hilliard as co-offensive coordinators. Asking them to create a creative game plan for Ashford to throw the ball on a short week would've been unfair, but perhaps now that they're settled in, the duo can scheme something up to get Ashford going.

How full is Jordan-Hare going to be?

I've never seen a packed Jordan-Hare in person, but that might happen against Texas A&M.

Shortly after Mississippi State scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime, the Auburn football Twitter account sent a tweet asking the "Auburn family" to be at the game against the Aggies. With the new excitement around the program, I anticipate the football account to have its request granted, but to what extent?

That remains to be seen, but a win under the lights against coach Jimbo Fisher in a full Jordan-Hare Stadium sounds like quite the experience, especially with Williams as the coach patrolling Auburn's sideline.

If Auburn loses, does hope remain?

Everything feels good for the Auburn faithful right now. Williams, who is beloved because of what he did as a player and his demeanor off the field, has the approval of the fanbase. How long does that last?

What if the Tigers come out really flat and the Aggies run them off their own field? What if it's a close game, but Auburn loses? Will there still be hope?

I venture to say as long as it's not a blowout, Williams will remain in the good graces of the fanbase. The following week against Western Kentucky may be a different story, however. The Tigers shouldn't look past the Hilltoppers — frankly, they're not in a position to be looking past anyone — but they are expected to win. It'll be interesting to take the temperature of the fanbase after each of the next three games.

Richard Silva is the Auburn beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football: Will Jordan-Hare be packed for Texas A&M?