What to expect from a T.J. Finley-led Auburn offense at South Carolina

Bo Nix's season-ending injury means that the Tigers will turn to T.J. Finley for a road test in Columbia. Here's how that might affect the game plan.

QB T.J. Finley (Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics)

An injury to the starting quarterback has forced T.J. Finley to the top of the depth chart for the first time with his new team, and it’s coming during South Carolina week.

The above sentence was true for Finley in 2020 at LSU. It’s now true again for him in 2021 at Auburn.

“I don't believe in coincidences,” Finley said Wednesday. “I think God has a plan for everything and God has a purpose for everything. So I'm just going to go out there and do what I did last year and just play consistent and do my job. Get the job done.”

“Consistent” is a good word for Finley. He said he wasn’t very consistent last season at LSU in his five starts.

But that start he had against South Carolina — a 52-24 win for the Tigers — was pretty dang close to consistent. He completed 17-21 passes (81%) for 265 yards (12.6 YPA), two touchdowns and just one interception.

It’s the only game of extended playing time in his career in which he’s completed more than 65% of …