When No. 11 Auburn hosts Ole Miss on Saturday, it will be the first home game for the Tigers since September 28. Historically, Auburn leads the series against Ole Miss 15-3 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The series has featured some lopsided games recently with 11 of the last 15 being decided by a double-digit difference.
Players to watch:
Auburn’s offensive line:
The Auburn offensive line’s job was already important before this weekend, but now it is even more crucial for the line to perform to the best of their ability. Backup quarterback Joey Gatewood has decided to transfer from the program and now behind Bo Nix is former minor league baseball player Cord Sandberg and senior walk-on Wil Appleton.
The Auburn O-line has been consistent this season and is allowing only 1.63 sacks a game but struggled against LSU giving up three sacks and was responsible for four false start penalties. Now with a quarterback room with little in game reps behind Nix and coming off a lackluster performance against LSU, the offensive line will need to play their best from here on out.
D.J. Williams:
D.J. Williams made the most of his opportunity and was able to contribute heavily to the offense against LSU. The freshman running back helped step in for the less than 100 percent Boobee Whitlow and rushed for 130 yards on 13 carries against LSU.
Whitlow did take limited snaps against LSU, but head coach Gus Malzahn does not think that Whitlow will return to his typical snap count against Ole Miss. Whitlow still not being completely healthy could lead to more carries and usage for Williams.
“Boobee (Whitlow) is still not 100 percent, and won’t be 100% this week...We’ll see how practice goes and we’ll have a good plan," Malzahn said.
Marlon Davidson:
Marlon Davidson has been dominant this season earning himself SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week on three separate occasions. Against Arkansas two weeks ago, Davidson was the first Auburn player to record multiple sacks, TFL and force/recover a fumble in the same game since Nick Fairley in 2010.
Not only is Davidson dominant, he is consistent with 47 consecutive starts and counting. Those 47 consecutive starts rank him second nationally among FBS players in consecutive starts trailing only Louisiana Tech’s Ethan Reed with 48.
Davidson hurt his back against LSU but returned later in the game and is “expected” to play against Ole Miss on Saturday, according to head coach Gus Malzahn.
John Rhys Plumlee/Matt Corral:
Ole Miss has used a two-quarterback system since the Missouri game with both Corral and Plumlee seeing snaps. Plumlee’s 508 rushing yards this season are an Ole Miss freshman quarterback record. He left against Texas A&M last week with a knee injury but is expected to play against Auburn.
Corral in six games and only four starts has thrown for 1,101 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Against Arkansas this season, Corral earned SEC Freshman of the Week after throwing for 246 yards and two touchdowns.
Elijah Moore:
Even in a run heavy offense, Elijah Moore has been productive as a slot receiver this season. His 49 consecutive catches without a drop is the longest streak in the nation. Those 49 receptions have all come from the slot which ranks him second in the SEC and fifth in the nation.
This season, the sophomore has racked up 49 receptions for 621 yards and four touchdowns.
Benito Jones:
The defensive lineman leads the Rebels in quarterback hurries with seven on the season. Jones is not only good at applying pressure, but he also has 8 tackles for a loss on the season.
The eight tackles for a loss have Jones ranked fourth in the SEC. The senior is in the midst of his most successful season statistically with 3.5 sacks, a career high in sacks. He is one tackle for a loss away from tying his career high.
Keys to victory:
Auburn:
- Regain Bo Nix’s offensive confidence
Nix has played a lot better in front of the home crowd. He has four touchdowns and zero interceptions with a 64.1 completion percentage in three games at home. While on the road or at neutral sites, Nix has 10 touchdowns and 6 interceptions with a 48.1 completion percentage in five games.
Auburn only has home games remaining on the schedule and if Auburn wants to win these remaining games at home, they need to regain Nix’s confidence at home against Ole Miss.
Ole Miss:
- Run on Auburn’s defense
It won’t be easy as Auburn’s defense is allowing an average of 105.88 rushing yards through eight games. The Ole Miss’s offense is a run heavy team and to be successful they will need to establish the run. Through eight games, Ole Miss is averaging 45.63 rushing attempts a game and 232.50 yards.
Ole Miss has rushed for 200+ yards in four straight games against Alabama, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Texas A&M respectively.
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