No. 7 Auburn is 4-0 for just the 32nd time in 127 seasons, twice under head coach Gus Malzahn (started 5-0 in 2014).
After knocking off then-No. 17 Texas A&M on the road last Saturday, 28-20, to open SEC play, the undefeated Tigers are now the only team to defeat two teams ranked in the AP Top 25 this season. Those wins are two of only eight over top 25 opponents away from home this season in college football. It’s the first time since 1974 that Auburn has beaten two ranked teams in its first four games of a season.
But Malzahn doesn’t care about all of that.
His focus is on Mississippi State (3-1, 1-0) and not looking back to what they’ve accomplished up to this point, but responding to one of the more disappointing losses of the 2018 season.
Last year, Mississippi State rushed 57 times for 349 yards beating the then-No.8 Tigers 23-9 in Starkville, while Auburn rushed for just 90 in what was the first of a string of losses in the 2018 season for Malzahn’s team. Nick Fitzgerald, who was the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback at the time, carried it 28 times himself for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
“Mississippi State is a team that, bottom line, embarrassed us last year,” Malzahn said at his Tuesday press conference. “They just lined up and whipped us…The A&M game was last week. We don’t really care about who we’re playing the next week (Florida) right now. We’ve got our hands full… Crud, we’re playing a good team.”
This weekend’s matchup pits two of the SEC’s best against one another: Mississippi State’s Kylin Hill, who is the leading rusher in the conference, and the Auburn defense, who ranks second in the SEC in rushing defense (89.5 yards per game).
Hill has rushed 91 times for 551 yards, with an average of 6.1 yards per carry, and five touchdowns this season. He leads or is tied for the SEC lead in nine different categories and is top five in the FBS in six, and has 316 yards after contact this season, which leads the SEC and is fifth in the all of college football. The Bulldogs, who face their first ranked opponent of the season in Auburn Saturday, have had at least one player rush for over 100 yards in 13 of its last 17 games, going 10-3 in those games.
“You look at their offense, their running back, he’s the real deal,” Malzahn said. “He’s one of the best in the country. He can break tackles, he’s explosive, runs with great pad level…I saw that one play where he dove from outside the five-yard line and I was like ‘whoa’. And he’s a veteran guy. He’s been there and done that. He’s one of the best in our league.”
The Auburn defense, who will be tasked with tackling Hill has had a player named SEC defensive lineman of the week for three weeks straight, and has held three of its first four opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing allowing 90 to Oregon, 92 to Kent State and 56 at Texas A&M. Marlon Davidson won the award back-to-back weeks before Derrick Brown took last week’s honors after his performance in College Station.
The Tigers have now held 15 of 44 teams below 100 yards rushing since defensive coordinator Kevin Steele took over in the 2016 season.
Malzahn expects more of the same Saturday.
“The great thing about us, we’ve got most of our guys back,” Malzahn said. “You really don’t have to say anything. They know exactly what happened. We left that thing, and they embarrassed us, as a team now… We pride ourselves on winning up front. You’ve just got to do it. They’re a good team. I don’t have to say much. Our guys know. It’s a new year. It’s completely a new year but at the same time, when you have experiences, whether you’re a player or coach, you remember. And we’ve got to respond.”
Mississippi State comes into this weekend unbeaten in conference play and with one loss on the season, to No. 24 Kansas State. With Hill leading the offense on the ground, the Bulldogs’ offense is averaging 6.0 yards a play and hold a scoring percentage of 87.50 in the red zone.
Malzahn acknowledged Tuesday that they are one of the more physical teams Auburn faces year in, year out.
“That’s just part of it in the SEC,” Malzahn said. “You’re exactly right. I mean, every time we play Mississippi State — it doesn’t matter if it’s 2009, ’10 or this year — it’s a physical game. That’s just part of the rivalry and it’s part of playing a good team…We knew that when we signed up. If you’re in this league, each week, it’s going to be physical. You’ve got to prepare for that, and I think our guys are prepared for that, conditioning-wise. I think we’ve got the guys that can do it. We’ve just got to get out there and execute it and do it.”
No. 7 Auburn kicks off its SEC home opener versus Mississippi State Saturday at 6:00 p.m. CST inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
