AUBURN | One of my good friends in NYC is a major Bon Jovi fan, so a couple of years ago, on his birthday, a bunch of us bought tickets to a Circle Line cruise around Manhattan that had a cover band for the New Jersey group playing on it. Sounds awful, right?

It rocked! The lead singer looked exactly like Jon Bon Jovi, the music was amazing and, let's face it, there are not many more beautiful sights than the skyline of Manhattan at night from a boat.

Again, what does that have to do with Auburn football? Well, nothing except that friend went to Minnesota and was very boastful when his Golden Gophers beat the Tigers in the bowl game a couple of years back. So, with the help of Jersey's finest, here are my five keys to Auburn defeating Mississippi State on Saturday.

1. I'll Be There For You

I mentioned this on Twitter the other day, but there might be nothing bolder than Bon Jovi rhyming the word "you" with "you" and then doing it again in the very next two lines in this song. Maybe as bold as Bo Nix still trusting Shedrick Jackson? But I digress.

Out of Auburn's 20 catches against Texas A&M, wide receivers were responsible for a lowly five of them. Five. That isn't easy to do. For Nix to be effective, this group must play as they did against Arkansas, not as they have the last six quarters. If Demetris Robertson, Kobe Hudson and company can't get going, this might be a long day for Auburn's offense.

2. Lay Your Hands On Me

Last year, Auburn sacked Will Rogers six times. With Leach's offense, you'd expect some sacks to happen, and for the Bulldogs, they are giving up 2.78 a game. Derick Hall said it's fun to play against a team that passes so much because you can pin your ears back. And, while Smoke Monday says Auburn has one of the best secondaries in the nation, it is prone to giving up a lot of yards through the air.

If the Tigers want to contain Rogers, who is completing 75 percent of his passes, they must knock him down and make him start stressing about the incoming pressure. Otherwise, State's talented group of wide receivers led by Makai Polk will have a field day.

3. Who Says You Can't Go Home

Jordan-Hare Stadium was rocking against Ole Miss with the light show making its debut. How will it be for an 11 a.m. start against a middle-of-the-pack SEC West team after a loss? We shall see.

The players have admitted that they feed off the crowd's energy and, if the stands are full, the crowd noise will make it difficult for Leach's offense. The Tigers still have a lot to play for, including a possible shot at the SEC West title, so bring your yelling voice to those coming to the game. The players deserve that at the minimum.

4. We Don't Run

If you have a Porsche in the garage but decide to take out the Pinto for a drive, you deserve ridicule. Unfortunately, this is basically what Mike Bobo has been doing by not using Tank Bigsby more. The star running back carried the ball just 15 times against Texas A&M, and … well, I let my opinion on that come out on this week's Rundown, but that's just not enough.

Sure, opposing defenses' focus is on stopping the run, but when you limit the number of touches he gets, that plays right into the defense's hands. A talent and player like Bigsby deserves at least 25 carries a game, especially late in the season when defenses are a little banged up. Even against Mississippi State, which has the 11th best run defense in the country, give him a shot. Please.

5. In These Arms

Going back to Monday's comments about Auburn's secondary, my esteemed colleague Bryan Matthews asked the safety about the lack of turnovers the defense has created this year. While Rogers has been efficient passing the ball, he still has thrown eight interceptions in nine games.

The Tigers have five picks on the year and only one in the last four games. The defensive line should be able to do their job with pressure, now is when this secondary starts making some plays of their own. Win the turnover battle and win the game.