Published Oct 23, 2020
Confidences and concerns: Ole Miss game
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Bryan Matthews  •  AuburnSports
Senior Editor
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@BMattAU

AUBURN | Auburn is coming off a very disappointing loss at South Carolina while Ole Miss is 1-3 after back-to-back losses to Alabama and Arkansas. The Tigers have been inconsistent on both sides of the ball while the Rebels pair a high-powered offense with the SEC’s worst defense.

It’s shaping up to be a high-scoring affair as Auburn plays a second consecutive road game.

Below are what I’m confident in and what I’m concerned about in regards to the Auburn’s game at Ole Miss.

CONFIDENCES

** That this team will play hard. They usually do for Gus Malzahn and I expect there will be a response coming off last week’s loss.

** Tank Bigsby is poised for a monster game. A refocus on the running game and a poor Ole Miss defense — along with Bigsby’s incredible talent — should mean a very productive game for the true freshman.

** Bigsby needs to get the ball in the red zone.

** This team is better built upfront to run the ball (see concerns for more).

** Colby Wooden will continue to be a top playmaker for the defense. He currently leads the team with 5.0 tackles-for-loss.

** Nobody on this team plays harder than Zakoby McClain.

** I’ve mentioned before that it’s only a matter of time before Christian Tutt returns a punt for a touchdown. Well, now I’m more confident if he doesn’t start fielding punts more consistently, Auburn will find a new punt returner.

CONCERNS

** That Malzahn saying this team needs to run the ball more/better is his way of saying he’s taking more control of the offense just four games into the season. That could cause a whole lot of unnecessary drama within the team and coaching staff.

** That turning this offense back into a run/play-action attack may work in the short term, but will fail against elite defenses and further set this passing game back.

** Bo Nix continues to try and play hero ball and doesn’t settle down and start making clear and concise decisions. It’s OK to throw the ball away or even take a sack sometimes.

** That the verbal exchange between Nix and Seth Williams last week was more than just two competitors in the heat of the moment.

** That this team is severely lacking leadership without K.J. Britt in the lineup.

** That Ole Miss will do to Auburn’s defense what it did to Alabama’s, and AU doesn’t have a good enough offense to keep up.