Sports editor Caleb Jones of The Auburn Plainsman sat down with Tanner Marlar, the sports editor for The Reflector, to ask him some questions about the upcoming game between Auburn and Mississippi State.
Jones: It's been an up and down season for Mississippi State, what's caused that inconsistency?
Marlar: It's been a rollercoaster of a year for sure, I think a lot of that goes back to the ridiculous amount of youth that's on this team, it's talented youth. Youth that when they play at their ceiling and play consistently, it's obvious that they're a very competitive football team.
But the problem is, as always with a lot of youth, is getting it to play consistently. Will Rogers is a true sophomore, Charles Cross, probably going to be a first-round draft pick, still a young guy. There just hasn't been a lot of football played in this system by a lot of these kids. I think as time goes on you'll start seeing a lot more consistency, but right now they're just so young, that consistency is what they're struggling to find.
Jones: How will Will Rogers and the air-raid offense perform against the Auburn defense?
Marlar: When Rogers started the season, I wasn't too confident. You start with a one-point win against Louisiana Tech, you go into Week 2 against NC State and you win that one, but then you have the showing against Memphis.
At the start of the season, I thought he was going to be an issue in the air raid. I thought that he was going to be a point of contingency. He's blossomed into this guy, he's made some throws over the past few weeks that really looks like a Mike Leach-type quarterback. He looks like a guy that can sling it down the field, looks like a guy that's patient, more composed. He's just playing the quarterback position in the air-raid offense so much better than the beginning of the year."
Jones: What about the Mississippi State defense concerns you
Marlar: "Last week against Arkansas, they let up 202 rush yards. That's the most they've let up all season and that includes a 49-9 loss to Alabama. That front seven is going to have to come to play.
Bo Nix is Bo Nix. He's gonna move around, he's hard to tackle. he does not go down easy. The front seven and the linebacker core is going to have to contain Nix. The first thing they're going to have to do is stop the run. You've got to make Bo Nix beat you with his arm."
Jones: Do you see the special team's issues from the Arkansas game carrying over to the Auburn game? How will that affect the gameplay?
Marlar: "This isn't just a one-week type deal, it's been all season long. This is a Mississippi State team that's left three wins on the table due solely to special teams.
Against LSU, you miss two field goals in that game. Then on the LSU go-ahead touchdown, you get them to punt, you bring up a punting situation and then Rodney Groce commits an egregious penalty. That gives them the first down and they go ahead and win the game.
Against Memphis, obviously, there was a special teams play that cost them the game, but you end up losing that game by two. I believe there were two missed field goals in that game as well.
And obviously Arkansas, you miss three field goals and you wind up losing by three. One of those misses being from 23 yards, you know, that's got to be a chip shot.
This is a Mississippi State team that's had special teams issues all year long. Leach is tired of it. If he gets the ball inside the 25 and it's fourth and short, do not expect Mississippi State to trot a kicker out there this weekend."
Jones: Who are some Mississippi State players that Auburn fans need to watch on the field?
I'll give you Will Rogers to start on offense. Rogers has made some throws these past weeks that I, for one, had no idea he could make, and many people across the country had no idea he would even attempt or could make.
There was a ball on the sideline last week against Arkansas and Auburn fans that are reading along or just really want to go watch it, it was about a 43-yard ball on the sideline to Makai Polk last week that was absolutely beautiful. An NFL-type throw.
He can make those throws. He's a guy that is definitely going to be a focal point, has to be a focal point for Auburn.
In terms of a do-it-all, you got to watch out for Jo'quavious Marks. "Woody" marks as we call him, No. 7, the starting running back. In the last couple of weeks, Marks has gotten a lot more hand-offs. Marks will lead the team in touches every week.
It seems like he gets hit harder than anyone at least 15 times a game and he pops back up and he's in for the next play. He's just a workhorse guy. He's young, too. He's got quick feet but he knows how to run behind his pads as well. If they can't lock down Woody Marks then that opens up the offense to an insane level.
For defense, Jett Johnson. Jett Johnson was a guy that wasn't even gonna start coming into the year. Due to an injury, he comes on in like Week 2 and absolutely tears it up, middle linebacker. He's a three-year guy, he's been here three years and is just now getting his turn to play. I believe he's darn near leading the team in tackles if he's not leading the team in tackles.
He's a guy that, he's mobile, he's a smaller linebacker but he can pop. If he can be that spy on Bo Nix, that's gonna be dangerous.
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Originally from Helena, Ala., Caleb Jones is a senior studying journalism at Auburn University. He has been on staff with The Plainsman since 2019.
You can follow him here on Twitter: @calebjsports
