No. 15 Auburn faced a stiff test at Ole Miss on Saturday in a game that might have been the Tigers' biggest hurdle before the potentially SEC West-deciding Iron Bowl. Even at 3-4, the Rebels explosive offense had shown all year that it can move and score on anybody, especially with the arm of Chad Kelly.
Down 29-27 after three quarters, the Tigers dominated the final 15 minutes, outscoring Ole Miss 13-0 to pull away for a bowl-clinching win.
What grades do Auburn's different positions get for their 40-29 victory in Vaught Hemingway Stadium?
Coaching: A
- In the first half, Auburn's defense struggled mightily to stop the Rebels offense and the offense settled for a couple of field goals. Neither team punted in the first 30 minutes. However, in the second half, the defense came into its own and adjusted to slow down Kelly, while the offense took a more balanced approach. Gus Malzahn and Rhett Lashlee's offense is on a roll right now, and the defense stood tall to hold yet another opponent under 30 points. This was a great win on the road for Malzahn, who outcoached longtime friend Hugh Freeze in the second half.
Quarterback: A
- Saturday night made it clear just how much the coaching staff trusts Sean White. White, who went 15-for-22 for 247 yards and a touchdown and added 34 yards on the ground, burned Ole Miss several times in the second half, and his deep pass to Jason Smith early in the fourth quarter started Auburn's 13-0 run. He's the undisputed leader of this offense and it showed Saturday night.
Running Backs: A+
- What's there to say about Kamryn Pettway that hasn't already been said? He carried the ball 30 times for 236 yards and a 41-yard touchdown in his third consecutive career-high performance. Pettway leads the SEC with 933 yards on the ground this year, despite not playing against Clemson or UL-Monroe. He's not a clear-cut Heisman contender yet, but his performances in October can't be ignored.
- Despite still not being 100 percent, Kerryon Johnson had a big night in his first game back in three weeks. He ran 11 times for 43 yards and a pair of touchdowns out of the wildcat formation while hauling in another 43 yards through the air. After the game, he tweeted "#PettwayForHeisman," which goes to show how close this 1-2 punch is.
- All in all, Auburn ran for 307 yards as a team on the road in a hostile environment. This running game is clearly the Tigers' most potent since 2013. It's simply unstoppable right now.
Wide Receivers: A
- It wasn't the most flashy night for Auburn's receiving corps, but it was surely an efficient one. Six different receivers caught a pass. Eli Stove hauled in five catches to lead the team. Four Auburn receivers had a catch for 25 yards or longer. The blocking on the outside helped spring some nice runs, as well.
- Tight end Jalen Harris made the first catch of his career for a 15-yard touchdown in the third quarter. After the game, he described the play as being "in slow motion."
Offensive Line: A+
- How many weeks in a row now has this unit turned in an A+ performance? This line continues to steamroll the competition. Auburn has the best rushing offense in the SEC by far, thanks largely to the play of this offensive line. Finding anything remotely close to a weak spot along this offensive front is nothing short of a chore.
Defensive Line: A
- There was little doubt Saturday night that the offensive side of the ball wasn't the only one where Auburn was dominant up front. This unit was neutralized in the first half thanks to Kelly's quick passing, but in the second half, this unit started to make more plays. The stand on 4th-and-1 on the Rebels first drive of the second half was a tone-setter.
- Carl Lawson and Jeff Holland each had a sack. Montravious Adams blocked an extra point. Ole Miss only ran for 105 yards. It was another strong performance by this group once Ole Miss' quick passing game became less of a factor.
Linebackers: B+
- The first half was one to forget for this unit, as poor angles and messy tackling allowed Ole Miss to move up and down the field. However, like other positions on this side of the ball, they rebounded in the second half and turned in another good performance. Deshaun Davis had 10 tackles, second-most on the team, while Tre Williams added five tackles and made a nice play to break up a pass in the end zone.
Defensive Backs: B
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- How ironic that the unit that had by far the worst night made arguably the play of the season in the fourth quarter. Kelly went 36-for-59 for a career-high 465 yards and three touchdowns, with 297 of his yards coming before halftime. The Tigers soft coverage in the first half was exploited time and time again. However, the switch to more man coverage after halftime paid dividends, as Ole Miss' passing attack was far less consistent.
- Joshua Holsey's fourth-quarter 47-yard interception return led to the game-clinching touchdown. An argument could certainly be made that the pick was Auburn's biggest play so far this season.
Special Teams: A
- The only factor keeping this grade from being an A+ is the lack of an explosive return game. Outside of that, it was another great night for the best kicker in college football, Daniel Carlson. He went 4-for-4 on field goal tries, with all of them splitting right down the middle. Just give Carlson the Lou Groza Award already.
- Kevin Phillips only punted twice on the night, with a 43-yard average. The lack of punting won't hurt the unit's grade, because why would it?
- Montravius Adams' blocked PAT in the first quarter ultimately prevented Ole Miss from reaching the 30-point mark.
Overall: A-
- Auburn did allow Ole Miss to gain 570 yards and 32 first downs, but how much of that was Auburn's defense and how much was simply Ole Miss having a really good offense? The defense made stops when it needed to, the offense was able to control the line of scrimmage while remaining balanced, Carlson had yet another perfect game and Malzahn's team got a big road win that might see it land in the College Football Playoff Committee's initial top 10 on Tuesday night.
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