Texas A&M vs. Auburn: Tigers distracting, regrouping as Aggies visit

As Texas A&M gets set for their maiden visit to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday night, their opponent, the Auburn Tigers, have issues on and off the field.

Off to a 1-6 overall start and still winless in the SEC, head coach Gene Chizik spoke in his press conference Tuesday about the problems presented by the Aggies.

"They lead the league in just about every category offensively that there is," Chizik said in a report by Charles Goldberg of al.com. "Defensively, they're very aggressive. They have an elaborate scheme defensively that allows them to be very productive in terms of negative plays. We have our work cut out for us, but we're looking forward to the challenge."

Chizik is also mourning the loss of his mother, who passed away on Monday, as the head coach was thankful for the overwhelming support from Auburn's fan base.

On the gridiron, the Tigers will be without senior tight end and team leader Philip Lutzenkirchen, who will undergo season-ending hip surgery, as Chizik spoke of the continued importance of Lutzenkirchen's presence around the team.

"We don't know exactly what that is going to look like after he gets his surgery, but he is a part of this football team," Chizik said of Lutzenkirchen in the al.com report. "He's a part of this family."

The Tigers host the Aggies at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday night.