Auburn has set its leadership group for Saturday’s trip to Ole Miss, naming Byrum Brown, Hudson Kaak, Kenneth McManus IV, Elijah Melendez and Cody Digler as its Week 9 captains.
The Tigers head into the matchup trying to steady things after a rough Week 8, when they fell at home to LSU. That came on the heels of their Week 7 upset of Georgia, a reminder that Auburn has shown the kind of upside that can make life difficult for anybody - but also the inconsistency that has marked Alex Golesh’s first season as coach.
Now comes another road test, this time against an Ole Miss team that is also coming off a loss, having dropped its game to Texas.
For Auburn, the clearest path to another upset starts on the ground. The Tigers managed just 66 rushing yards on 35 carries against LSU, with Brown leading the way on the stat sheet with 19 carries for 20 yards. That kind of production won’t be enough if Auburn wants to control the game against Ole Miss.
Running the ball has been the key to this offense at its best. Brown’s dual-threat ability gives Auburn a play-action element that can open things up, but that only works if the run game gives it something to build on.
Melendez should have a major role on the other side of the ball. He leads Auburn in tackles and figures to be central in slowing down Trindad Chambliss.
Kickoff is set for 12:45 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Faces A Playoff Pressure Game Auburn Would Love To Ruin
Ole Miss gets Auburn again this Saturday, the first meeting between the programs since 2023, and it arrives with a little more edge than a routine SEC date. The Rebels have taken the last two in the series, even though Auburn still owns a commanding 35-12 lead all-time, and this one carries the kind of pressure that comes with late-season positioning and College Football Playoff attention.
Auburns recent surge has made this matchup harder to ignore, especially after the Tigers knocked off Georgia and reminded the league they can still swing the conversation around the top of the SEC. If Auburn can keep winning the rest of the way, the path gets very interesting in a hurry, which is exactly why Ole Miss cannot afford to treat this as anything less than a dangerous trap game. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Faces A Real Depth Test Against Auburn Again
Ole Miss heads into another Auburn matchup carrying a long injury list, and the numbers alone tell the story of how thin the margin has become. The Rebels released a report listing 15 players, with 10 already ruled out, three questionable and two probable, which puts real pressure on the rotation as the SEC grind continues. Kewan Lacy and Edwin Joseph are among the players unavailable, while Terez Davis and Jalyn Crawford remain in the questionable column.
Even so, the Rebels have been leaning into the next-man-up approach that every contender eventually has to trust. Makhi Frazier is among the backups expected to step in, and the offensive line has continued to lean on its chemistry even as injuries have changed the personnel around it. Auburn has a way of exposing any softness in the depth chart, so Ole Miss will need the same kind of plug-and-play response again if it wants to survive the evening intact. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Brings Real Momentum Into An Auburn Test That Matters
The date and the setting give Saturdays matchup a little extra weight, even before kickoff. No. 12 Ole Miss gets Auburn at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, with an 11:45 a.m. CT start on Oct. 31, and the Rebels are carrying real confidence into it thanks to a 15-game home winning streak and a defense that has lately been creating extra possessions.
Trinidad Chambliss adds another layer to the matchup, because the quarterback is closing in on a notable Ole Miss milestone with a passing touchdown in 20 straight games, a mark that already puts him second in program history. Against an Auburn team that can still make things uncomfortable, this is the kind of test that can either reinforce what Ole Miss has built at home or slow the momentum that has made the Rebels one of the more interesting teams in the SEC. [Read more 🡒]