Grayson Weir, sports editor at The Daily Mississippian, answered a few questions from The Auburn Plainsman ahead of Auburn’s matchup with Ole Miss this Saturday.
1. How does Ole Miss pick themselves up after the big loss to Bama? Does this team have the maturity and leadership to forget that game?
How can you forget a 66-3 slaughter at the hands of the nation’s top program? You can’t. I don’t think “forget” is the right word. Coming off of such a demoralizing loss, the key is reevaluation. And that starts with the coaching staff, runs through the leaders and trickles all the way down to the practice squad. The team has been through so much already this year, there’s no doubt they have the individual mental wherewithal and leadership to move forward.
2. What are some keys to success for Shea Patterson and the offense against the SEC's No. 1 defense?
With all due respect to Auburn and the tough Tigers defense, calling them No. 1 in the SEC is solely statistic-based. Alabama’s defense is, in my opinion, the best in the nation, and our offense couldn’t get anything going against them. Coming in to this weekend, I think the biggest key to success is a push from the big uglies. Our offensive line has lacked significantly, even though we have experience, size and talent. If the line can step up, the rest of the explosive offense should fall in to place from there.
3. Who is an X-Factor for the Rebels that Auburn fans should be on the lookout for?
Outside of Patterson, the easy answer would be wideout AJ Brown. Prior to the loss at Cal, where he went down holding his knee, Brown led the nation in receiving yards and touchdowns. But his return last week saw tight coverage and a clear key on his routes, rendering him relatively ineffective (like most of our offense). However, the one positive from last weekend was running back Jordan Wilkins establishing himself as a factor, creating a run game. Look for Wilkins to play a big role.
4. What is the best position matchup for the Rebels? What Auburn weaknesses could they maybe expose?
Defensively, the best position matchup is on the line. Our secondary is weak and the second level has struggled, but the big fellas in the trenches are a constant. The size, the speed and the athleticism are there, which can cause quite a disturbance in the middle. In an ideal world, the defensive line will force less time in the pocket, causing Stidham to rush his throws, and can keep Pettway, Martin and Johnson from getting past the first level or outside the tackles— because then god knows how far he will run.
5. Score prediction for Saturday?
I prefer not to make score predictions regarding my own teams, I think it brings about bad “juju”. That being said, a road trip to the No. 12 team in the nation is a tough test for a team that was just demoralized by Saban. The Rebels have a chance in this game is if the weeks one and two offense shows up, starting with the line, and the defense can force two-plus turnovers. Otherwise, it could be a tough day at the office.
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