AUBURN | After a very physical game at LSU, No. 11 Auburn is getting an extra day off this week.
Gus Malzahn cancelled what is usually a light Sunday workout, holding meetings instead as the Tigers try to flip the page from a disappointing loss to a tough matchup against an improving SEC West opponent.
“We're moving on to Ole Miss,” Malzahn said. “We didn't practice today. It was a physical game. We need to heal up, and we need to get ready for Ole Miss, a team that is a talented team. They had an off week. We really need to get prepared and turn the page.”
The Rebels are just 3-5 this season but soundly beat Vanderbilt to open October before dropping competitive games to Missouri on the road and Texas A&M at home. Ole Miss is second in the SEC averaging 232.5 rushing yards per game.
With two weeks to prepare, the Rebels will face an Auburn squad that is coming off one of its most physical games of the season in a 23-20 loss to LSU, which rose to No. 1 in AP poll Sunday.
“I'm proud of our team. I'm proud of our players' effort, their physicality,” Malzahn said. “When you watch the film, they gave everything they had. Really, really fought hard. Obviously disappointed that we lost. You know, give LSU credit. Played the No. 1 team in the country down to the end on their home field. Defensively, we played outstanding. You know, I think we confused the quarterback early, and I thought that was good. We had the two fourth-down stops that were huge, then we had the interception down there close to the goal-line. Our special teams, I thought, played with great physicality and great effort. Really big play getting the punt return that he fumbled. Got the ball and that led us to points.
“Offensively, the big thing was really the penalties. That was the most disappointing thing. It really put us behind the chains time and time again. If you look, I think we had nine or 10 third-down-and-10-pluses on the road against a good defense. That's just not the way that you can operate. But overall, it was a tough loss, but we played the No. 1 team in the country close down the end. We had opportunities.”
Kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.