Good morning. Two weeks before they take on Maryland in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl, the Auburn Tigers practiced Saturday, suiting up for the first time since the Iron Bowl three weeks earlier.

"I'm excited to start practice today," Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. "I've missed our kids and seeing them around. That's always a good thing that we have put ourselves in a position to get extra practices in. We're playing a very good opponent. It's going to be a great challenge for us."

The Tigers and Terrapins meet at Nashville's Nissan Stadium on Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. CT on ABC and the Auburn Sports Network.
 
What else can you find mixed into today’s Brew?

🏀 The WBB team picks up its sixth straight victory - Huge MBB win over USC
🤸🏼‍♂️ Experienced returning gymnasts and newcomers wow in preview meet
🐅 And much, much more!

📝 NSD ON WAREAGLE+

Christmas comes early on The Plains: National Signing Day is Wednesday, and WarEagle+ has you covered!

Get exclusive scouting reports for every player in the new signing class, with a breakdown from their position coach and video highlights. Coach Freeze also recaps the day with an exclusive WarEagle+ interview.

Not already a WarEagle+ member? Be sure to sign up now so you can get full access to the signing day scouting reports - and so you can impress your friends with your Auburn Football knowledge over the holidays!

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Pump Up the Roster Jam. Auburn will be without a trio of defensive standouts in the upcoming TransPerfect Music City Bowl game, lineman Marcus Harris and cornerbacks Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James, who are opting out to begin preparing for the NFL Draft.

Thankfully, however, Auburn's 2024 defense received a double dose of good news this week when defensive back Keionte Scott and linebacker Eugene Asante, whose 84 tackles are 36 more than his next closest teammate, announced they will remain on the Plains for their senior seasons.

"I think they'll be great for these young kids since they are two of our great leaders and captain-material guys,” Freeze said.

Juggling bowl practice, recruiting and the roster management that comes with the transfer portal era requires coaches to be master multitaskers.

Auburn will prioritize high school players in recruiting, then plug in those missing pieces with portal transfers, Freeze says, hoping to create a championship culture.

"I'm going to try the high school formula with needs from the portal," Freeze said. "We would really love to build it like that and get a relationship with kids and their families and try to hold on to them at Auburn and get Auburn to love them and them to love Auburn.”

🔼 USC-Ya-Later. Dylan Cardwell met Boogie Ellis in midair, blocking the USC star's shot and playing to the crowd in a decibel-cranking sequence that summarized Sunday's 91-75 Auburn win at Neville Arena.

One of five Tigers in double figures, Cardwell scored a career-high 11 points and grabbed a team-high five rebounds, adding three steals, two blocked shots and two assists.

"That's the best Dylan Cardwell's played on both ends of the floor," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “When he plays like this, the next level is a possibility for him. We won the battle at point guard, and we won the battle in the paint with our five men. Those are two important wins."

Aden Holloway led Auburn with 15 points, hitting a deep 3-pointer for the Tigers' final bucket against a team that features future NBA lottery picks and the sons of NBA stars Lebron James and Dennis Rodman. 
 
"Of course, it's going to get you a little juiced up and ready to play," Holloway said of the ESPN telecast, Southern California's lineup and approximately 45 NBA scouts in attendance.  "When me and Tre [Donaldson] are playing well, it's hard to stop when you have two floor generals who know how to run the offense and get guys the ball without turning the ball over."

Seeking their fourth straight win and the program's 50th consecutive non-conference home victory, the Tigers (8-2) remain at Neville Arena Friday when they host Alabama State at 7 p.m. CT. 

Quite a few more Brew headlines for your enjoyment 👇🏼

🏈 Congratulations to offensive line coach Kendall Simmons on his new position at MTSU.

🏐 It’s time to celebrate the TWO different times Auburn Volleyball broke the home attendance record this season.

👀 Check out some of these pre-gymnastics meet frames.

🎄 Happy Holidays from the festive soccer crew.

🧡 Check out this exclusive offer for On To Victory members: $135 tickets! (Original price: $155) for the War Eagle From Wildhorse event in Nashville.

📹 Head over to WarEagle+ to watch highlights and player interviews from the 1983 Music City Bowl.

🎯 Some On To Victory fundraising news—as of Dec. 15, they were at 2,472 members, with 5k needed to unlock a $1 million donation for Auburn student-athletes. The deadline is only two days away!

🔼 Fight or Flight. A new season of Auburn basketball is taking flight on WarEagle+. The Flight kicks off with preseason workouts and practice, a trip to The Big Apple, and a blue blood battle against Indiana.

🔼 They Picked Six. Auburn earned its sixth consecutive victory, outscoring Norfolk State by 20 points in the third quarter and scoring 20 consecutive second-half points to defeat the Spartans 67-39 Saturday at Neville Arena.
 
"The kids came out fighting and battling," Auburn coach Johnnie Harris said. "I like how we came out in the second half and the resiliency of this team.”
 
JaMya Mingo-Young tied an Auburn record for free throws without a miss, going 12-for-12 while leading her team in points, rebounds and assists. She scored 16, grabbed five rebounds and made four assists without committing a turnover.

"She has brought toughness," Harris said of Auburn's transfer point guard. "She wants to do what her coaches want, and she instills that in her team."

Some other quick hits:

• Honesty Scott-Grayson overcame a slow start and scored all 12 of her points in the second half.

• Taylen Collins added 10 points, tied Mingo-Young with five rebounds and led Auburn with four steals.

• With the win, Auburn improved to 14-0 in December non-conference games under Harris in three seasons.

Auburn (9-2) plays its final game before the holiday break vs. Washington State on Wednesday at 2 p.m. CT at Neville Arena.

🔼 Quite the Meet-Cute. With the 2024 season a month away, the No. 17 Auburn gymnastics team got a taste of competition Friday night in Neville Arena at its annual Preview Meet presented by On To Victory.
 
"I was really happy with the energy, the vibe, the mental focus," head coach Jeff Graba said.

Auburn saw big routines from a wealth of experienced returners, including grad students Cassie Stevens and Aria Brusch, as well as seniors Gabby McLaughlin and Olivia Hollingsworth and junior Sophia Groth.
 
The Tiger lineup featured a combination of newcomers as well as seasoned veterans, putting mostly full routines throughout the night. Seven student-athletes made their Neville Arena debut, including five freshmen.
 
"It was like a surreal moment, looking up in the stands and seeing so many people here to just support," freshman Julianne Huff said after shining in the all-around.
 
Auburn opens the 2024 season on the road, traveling to Las Vegas for the Super 16 Challenge. The Tigers will compete on January 6 in Orleans Arena. Time and opponents will be announced soon.

🏆 VICTORY FORMATION

We’re encouraging every fan to become a member of On To Victory today and help unlock a $1,000,000 donation in support of Auburn student-athletes by National Signing Day on Dec. 20.

Your support counts now more than ever!

🤔 TIGER TRIVIA

Twerp Trivia. Yeah, we said twerps. It’s time for some light trash talk as the TransPerfect Music City Bowl game approaches, in which the Auburn Tigers take on the Maryland Terrapins (aka Terps).

That brings us to today’s trivia question—how many times have the two teams played each other, and what is the overall record?

Think you know the answer? Scroll down to the bottom to find out!

🐅 ONE BIG THING

Clean Slate. Auburn baseball and head coach Butch Thompson announced Friday the Tigers’ non-conference schedule to complete the team's 2024 slate.

Thirteen of the first 16 games will be played at Plainsman Park, starting with a three-game series against Eastern Kentucky from Feb. 16-18. It marks the ninth time in the last 10 seasons Opening Day has been played on The Plains.

Go here for the full scoop.

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📬 FORWARDED BY A FRIEND

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📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

Monday 12/18

🌊 Swimming & Diving vs AU Diving Invitational @ 11 a.m. CT | Live Stats

Tuesday 12/19

🌊 Swimming & Diving vs AU Diving Invitational @ 11 a.m. CT | Live Stats

Wednesday 12/20

🌊 Swimming & Diving vs AU Diving Invitational @ 10 a.m. CT | Live Stats

🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. Washington State @ 2 p.m. CT SECN+ 100.3 | Live Video | Live Stats | Tickets

Thursday 12/21

(No Activities Scheduled)

Friday 12/22

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. Alabama State @ 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network+ | Live Stats | Tickets

Saturday 12/23

(No Activities Scheduled)

Sunday 12/24

(No Activities Scheduled) 

Merry Christmas Eve to those who celebrate! 🎄

🐅 Click here to view the entire Auburn Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Auburn and Maryland have played three times in their history, with Auburn winning two of three. The last matchup was in 1983.

War Eagle!

🐅 Have a great Monday, y’all!