Mississippi State’s trip to Auburn comes with a clear quarterback contrast, and that’s where the matchup starts.
A.J. Swann is coming off his first full game as a starter, and the numbers were solid enough: 23 of 36 for 254 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
But the production came in waves. He had only 108 passing yards before Mississippi State’s final two drives, and even 65 of those yards came on a touchdown to Sanfrisco Magee in the third quarter.
Auburn, meanwhile, has a true dual threat in Byrum Brown. He leads the Tigers with 1,740 passing yards and 11 touchdowns through the air, and he’s added 606 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground. That kind of balance gives Auburn an edge that is hard to ignore.
On the outside, Mississippi State has had to keep finding answers at receiver. Magee has caught each of the Bulldogs’ last three touchdown passes, including a 65-yarder and a 50-yarder against Vanderbilt last week.
The Bulldogs have been trying to get the ball to Anthony Evans more, but he hasn’t gotten the same kinds of touches since Gamario Taylor got hurt. Auburn’s passing game is driven mainly by the duo of Jeremiah Cobb and Omar Mabson II, who have combined for 469 yards and three touchdowns.
The trenches may decide a lot of this one. Mississippi State’s defense did not allow as many pressures as it often does, but it still struggled to establish the kind of advantage needed to keep an offense from getting comfortable.
Auburn’s offensive line has been a big reason why it has allowed 34 sacks in the SEC and the third most nationally. The Bulldogs will need to rally to the football and be stout, while also having an SEC-best 10 interceptions.
Three of those picks are courtesy of safety Anquon Fegans, and two have been made by Andre Jordan.
Special teams could matter too. Perhaps the most promising development of late was Ethan Pulliam’s 26-yard kickoff return on seven punts over his last two games.
Kyle Ferrie enters the Auburn game 8 for 11 on field goals and 3 for 3 from 40 or more yards away. Auburn’s punts will be handled by Judson Zook, who has 23 punts, and Alex McPherson is 10 for 13 on the year with his two misses coming from 40 or more yards away.
Mississippi State’s front has continued to take steps forward against the Commodores, getting safer. Auburn, however, has 33 tackles-for-loss this season, the second-most in the conference, and its front is a big reason why.
Elija Elenandez leads the Tigers with 26 total, 15 solo tackles and 10 tackles-for-loss. Expect Bryce Deas and Xavier Atkins to factor in as well.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Fans Suddenly Face Real Concern About The Oklahoma Trip
Auburns trip to Starkville turned into a long day before the teams even got to the field, with the SEC pushing kickoff from noon ET to 4:15 p.m. ET after FAA travel disruptions forced a ground stop and created a chain reaction around the game. The league has already locked in the new start time for Auburn at Mississippi State, but the television assignment is still unresolved, adding another layer of uncertainty to a matchup that was already thrown off schedule.
For Ole Miss, the bigger concern is what happens next. The Rebels trip to Oklahoma is suddenly in doubt after reports that the team did not fly out Friday night, leaving the scheduled kickoff hanging and, potentially, the game itself in jeopardy. After watching one SEC game get pushed back by hours, Mississippi fans now have a very real reason to keep an eye on the weather, the airport and the league schedule all at once. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Oklahoma Disruption Creates A New SEC Weekend Twist
A scheduling wrinkle has turned Ole Miss trip to Oklahoma into one of the more unusual SEC weekends on the calendar. The Rebels game, originally set for Friday, was pushed back to November 15 in Norman after travel delays tied to an FAA ground stop on November 13, and the team is now expected to fly out on the afternoon of November 14.
The matchup will kick off at noon, with the television channel still to be announced in Week 11, though the broadcast is slated for a national audience with Taylor Zarzour and Matt Stinchcomb on the call. For Mississippi State fans keeping an eye on the league race, it is another reminder of how quickly a conference slate can get reshaped, even before the teams ever take the field. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State's First Loss Exposed A Worry Beyond Josh Hubbard
Mississippi States first loss of the season came with a familiar kind of warning sign, and it was bigger than just the final score. The Bulldogs fell to Xavier 81-63 after opening the year with three straight wins, but the more troubling part was how little offense they could generate from the perimeter. A team that had been shooting 38.7% from three-point range before the game managed only 4 of 29 from deep, a rough night that left the attack looking far more one-dimensional than it had in the seasons first week.
Josh Hubbard still led Mississippi State in scoring and assists, but even he had a below-average shooting night, which only sharpened the concern around the rest of the lineup. If the Bulldogs are going to keep pace once the schedule gets tougher, they will need more consistent help around Hubbard rather than asking him to carry the load every night. The first loss did more than end a winning streak. It exposed how thin the margin can be when the shots stop falling. [Read more 🡒]