For Auburn football to be eligible for a bowl game, the Tigers must win their final three games. This bowl race begins Saturday with the match against ULM.

This will be the 12th time these two programs have met since 1994. Auburn has won the previous 11 games, with the close victory coming in a 31-28 overtime victory in 2012.

Here are three questions for the Tigers who host ULM to keep their season alive:

Who will start at center for the Tigers?

Payton Thorne suffered a shoulder injury against Vanderbilt, preventing him from practicing during Auburn’s bye week.

Thorne practiced this week. However, Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said Thorne wasn’t as ready as he hoped for Saturday’s game.

“Not as far as I hoped, with the shoulder,” Freeze said during the SEC coaches teleconference. “He thinks he’ll be OK, but he definitely wasn’t ready to play yesterday, that’s for sure.”

Thorne, who has not missed a game in his career, is confident in his abilities to play this week. But Freeze and his team have already considered the possibility of a possible change.

“It certainly doesn’t mean I don’t think (Thorne) plays pretty solidly here,” Freeze said Monday. “But you just start to see the big picture. And that’s not always the easiest thing to do because you love your players, and you want what’s best for all of them and what gives us the best chance of winning the remaining three games.

Auburn’s backup options at quarterback are Hank Brown, Holden Greiner and true freshman Walker White.

Brown started two games this season for the Tigers, finishing with 403 yards and six touchdowns. His three interceptions in the first half against Arkansas were the last time he saw game action.

There’s also plenty of optimism behind White for his first varsity start as Thorne praised him for the growth he’s seen in the freshman.

“He was throwing it everywhere. Nothing I’ve ever seen him do before,” Thorne said Tuesday. “He did a very good job. Then to see him play in a live scrimmage setting, that was fun to see.

Can Auburn’s defense create turnover opportunities?

According to the scouting report, the Warhawks are averaging 21.6 points and 300.8 yards per game, totals that rank them 112th and 126th, respectively, out of 133 FBS teams.

Linebacker Dorian Mausi stressed the importance of getting more turnovers to help take pressure off the offense.

“We had two weeks off, so we split the season into three different sections. Right now, we need to create more turnover,” Mausi said.

Auburn ranks 17th nationally, allowing just 109.0 rushing yards per game. The Tigers have held three straight opponents to under 50% passing for the first time since 2018. Not to mention, they are ranked tenth in red zone defense (.704).

Sophomore Aidan Armenta started ULM’s last five games at quarterback, replacing transfer General Booty. For the season, he totaled 898 passing yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions.

What does a loss mean in an ultralight aircraft?

Auburn enters the game with a 92.6 percent chance of winning, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. Thus, a loss may not be suitable for anyone associated with the program.

Last season, Auburn lost 31-10 to a Group of Five team in New Mexico State. To this day, it remains one of the worst losses in school history.

A microlight failure will not only end the Tigers’ season, but it could lead to an offseason full of changes.