The Ole Miss Rebels easily handled the LSU Tigers last week. The Auburn Tigers are likely going to pose a much bigger challenge for Lane Kiffin’s team.
By Matt Zemek
Auburn is coming off an idle week and will be fresh and rested for this contest. Bryan Harsin’s team has steadily improved over the course of the season, but it should be noted that Auburn’s win over Arkansas could still be seen as more of a commentary on the Razorbacks than the Plainsmen. Regardless, Ole Miss should face a very tough test on the road at night in Jordan-Hare Stadium. This team will have to be noticeably better than it has been over the past month.
1 – Red-zone defense
Auburn, because it had a week of rest, will enjoy a natural advantage in this game. Ole Miss is in a position where it is likely to feel the strain of the cumulative punishment of a college football season. Auburn catches Ole Miss in a favorable spot on the schedule. Therefore, one should expect Auburn to have a reasonable amount of success moving the ball between the 20s. The Tigers will get their share of yards against an Ole Miss defense which generally allows a large chunk of yards in each game. Raw yards aren’t the key issue, though; what matters is that the Rebels defend their own red zone. If they force a bunch of Auburn field goals and keep the Tigers under 30 points, Matt Corral can then win this game for them. If Ole Miss can’t force field goals and Auburn puts up 35 or 42, it will be very hard for this team to win, given that Corral is less than 100-percent healthy and is not likely to play at his absolute best. Ole Miss scored 52 against Arkansas but has scored much less in recent weeks as the taxing nature of the SEC grind has become progressively more pronounced. Standing strong in the red zone is the centerpiece of this game.
2 – Third-down defense
The companion to red-zone defense is third-down defense. Auburn is likely to convert its share of third downs. The red zone is where Ole Miss absolutely must make its stand on defense, but if it can step up on third downs, that would be even better and make this game exponentially more manageable for the Rebels.
Arkansas was 7 of 13 on third downs against Ole Miss, Tennessee 9 of 17. You can do the quick math and see that both teams were better than 50 percent against the Rebels. If Ole Miss can hold Auburn to 40-percent conversions, that would be a good target to reach.
3 – Make Bo Nix throw down the field
Bo Nix scrambling for big plays or creating something out of broken plays are what the Ole Miss defense must limit. Nix isn’t a great pocket passer. Preventing him from making plays with his legs is how Ole Miss can limit Auburn and give Corral a great chance to win.
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