In 2011, Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen's quest to beat the Tigers came up short.
Inches short, actually.
The Bulldogs' last gasp effort ran out of air when then-quarterback Chris Relf was stuffed on the goal line by defensive back Ryan Smith, clinching the victory for Auburn and the fifth straight loss to the Tigers for Mullen.
In fact, Mullen has never beaten Auburn in his career as a coach. Mississippi State has lost all three games against the Tigers since he became head coach for the Bulldogs in 2009, and Mullen lost two others while offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators.
While not quite as heated as the Georgia-Auburn rivalry, this annual Tigers-Bulldogs game has transcended mere dislike and has become a grudge match of sorts in recent years.
Auburn defeated Mississippi State by 3 points during its national championship run in 2010, tied for the smallest margin of victory Auburn had with Heisman winner Cam Newton at the helm.
Smith's goal line stand last season gave the Tigers a seven point victory.
This year, both teams go into the first game of conference play unranked and with numerous questions to answer.
Can Mullen beat Auburn?
Can Gene Chizik and company prevent the first 0-2 start for Auburn since 2003?
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
The Mississippi State secondary -- Defensive back Jonathan Banks leads all active players in interceptions returned for touchdowns. Banks had one of his pick-sixes against the Tigers last year, and Auburn's passing offense is still trying to discover and play to its strengths. If Kiehl Frazier doesn't take care of the ball and continues his habit of throwing deep into tight coverage, turnovers and easy points can give the home team irrevocable momentum.
No. 50 -- While Chizik said center Reese Dismukes wasn't starting this weekend at Starkville, keep an eye on the sophomore when his number is called. Dismukes' presence may give the offense more rhythm and timing with the snaps, and his penchant for mauling opposing defensive tackles should improve an already stellar running game.
The red zone -- Explosive plays can break any game wide open, but points are much easier to come by in the red zone. Or at least they should be. Auburn ranks last in the country with zero TDs on three attempts this season. Mississippi State, on the other hand, scored six touchdowns on all six red zone possessions they had in the first game, albeit against Jackson State. Both teams have stables of running backs ready to punish defenses deep in their own territory, but Mississippi State returns seven starters from a defense that, last season, ranked No. 17 in the country in opponent red zone scoring percentage.
Against Clemson last week, Auburn had one completion for -5 yards and three rushes for 2 yards inside the opponent's 20-yard line. What changes Scot Loeffler makes to his red zone offense could determine the game for the Tigers.
The "L.O. package" -- One of Brian VanGorder's special defensive packages, the L.O. package features its namesake Ladarious Owens as an improvisational stand-up defensive end. In a position that would project to the NFL as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, VanGorder gives Owens a bit of free reign to either cover or blitz the line. Owens said Monday the scheme worked when utilized against Clemson and he hopes to see more of it. This plus the starting defensive end combination of Dee Ford and Corey Lemonier -- which produced a total of three tackles for a loss and three sacks against Clemson -- should challenge a Mississippi State offense missing 2011 starting tackle Derek Sherrod and a dual-threat quarterback.
The depth chart -- Under the current coaching staff, no Auburn player can take his starting spot for granted. VanGorder and Loeffler will throw every man they have out there at least once if they feel something is not working. Two players who might get solid action this weekend are defensive backs Erique Florence and Robenson Therezie. Both worked with the first team in the offseason, but injuries hampered the two from seeing the field the last few weeks. After giving up over 500 yards of offense, VanGorder is nowhere near done tweaking his starting lineup. On offense, look out for the wide receivers. Loeffler is eager to find a consistent receiver not named Blake or Lutzenkirchen and tried freshman Sammie Coates against Clemson last week. Perhaps this week will be the game he takes a look at Ricardo Louis or Melvin Ray, if only to give them some game experience.
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