Auburn is staring at a simple equation on Saturday at Mississippi State: play cleaner, play faster, and give the offense a chance to breathe early.
The Tigers are one win from bowl eligibility, and after the way last week’s game against Arkansas started, there’s no room for another sluggish opening. Auburn didn’t score on its first six drives in Week 10, managed only 18 rushing yards and three points in the first half, then flipped the script late by outscoring the Razorbacks 23-13 and outgaining them 254-176 over the final 30 minutes in a 26-23 win.
Offensive coordinator Joel Gordon owned part of that slow start during Monday’s press conference, pointing back to the need to put players in better spots from the jump. His message this week was clear.
"We just have to continue to make sure that everything that we're asking the players to do early in the game, even if you get some crazy looks that you're not expecting, that we can handle what it is. We can't have chaos or breakdowns," Gordon said this week.
That’s the starting point. But Auburn’s offense also has to win a few specific battles if it wants to leave with a victory.
First, the run game has to show up.
Jeremiah Cobb’s workload picked up against Arkansas, with 11 carries nearly matching what he had in Auburn’s previous two games combined. Still, that production didn’t go very far - he finished with 41 yards. Omar Mabson has also been quiet, totaling 13 carries for 36 yards across his last three games.
The matchup gives Auburn a real opening. Mississippi State is allowing 121 rushing yards per game, and the Tigers need Cobb and Mabson involved enough to lighten the burden on Byrum Brown.
Brown, in turn, has a chance to do damage through the air. Mississippi State is giving up 251 passing yards per game, and Brown has been trending in the right direction. He’s averaging 193 passing yards per game, has topped 150 yards in five straight contests, and has gone four straight games without throwing an interception.
If Auburn can keep that efficiency going, Brown can help steer the offense toward the finish line.
The last piece is staying on the field. Auburn has been one of the SEC’s better teams on third and fourth down, ranking No. 6 in the league by converting 42% of its third-down tries and No. 3 on fourth down at 68%.
Mississippi State has been vulnerable in those situations, allowing opponents to convert 39% of third downs and 73% of fourth downs.
For Auburn, the formula is straightforward: start better, run the ball with purpose, let Brown keep the passing game moving, and extend drives long enough to keep Mississippi State’s offense watching from the sideline.
In Other News...
Auburns Postseason Picture Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Auburns path to the postseason is suddenly much clearer, and a lot more interesting, after the win over Arkansas pushed the Tigers to 5-4. With one more victory needed to lock up bowl eligibility, the conversation around this team has already shifted from survival to where it might land in December, and there are no shortage of possibilities floating around.
Different outlets have Auburn slotted everywhere from the Texas Bowl to the Gasparilla Bowl, Liberty Bowl and Birmingham Bowl, with potential opponents that range from Oklahoma State to USF and Illinois. None of those projections are set in stone, of course, but they do reflect how much the Tigers finish could shape not just whether they go bowling, but the kind of stage and matchup they end up getting. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Offense Now Hinges On One Backfield Problem
Auburns ground game has leaned heavily on quarterback Byrum Brown for much of the production, which has left the Tigers searching for more consistent help from the backfield. Jeremiah Cobb and Omar Mabson II have both had their moments, but the overall rushing attack has not settled into the kind of balanced rhythm Auburn needs, especially with the offense sitting ninth in the SEC in rushing.
Alex Golesh has made it clear the answer starts with cleaner execution and a more even distribution of carries, a point that matters even more with Mississippi State bringing a strong rushing defense into the matchup. If Auburn can get its backs going alongside Brown, the offense has a better chance of becoming more difficult to defend, but that remains the challenge hanging over this group right now. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Pass Rush Faces Its Biggest Test Since Arkansas
Auburns defense finally looked like the disruptive unit the Tigers have been chasing, piling up six sacks against Arkansas and getting a breakout performance from freshman linebacker Shadarius Toodle, who finished with three of them. Coaches made clear afterward that the pass rush and the coverage behind it have to work together, because one without the other can still leave a defense vulnerable even on a good day.
Mississippi State brings a different kind of test, though the setup is still favorable for Auburn if it can carry over the same edge. The Bulldogs have already allowed 31 sacks this season, and they are turning to AJ Swann at quarterback after an injury to Kamario Taylor, which puts even more pressure on Auburn to get home early and force the issue. For a defense trying to prove the Arkansas outing was more than a one-week surge, this is the next chance to show it can consistently make life miserable in the backfield. [Read more 🡒]