AUBURN | When it comes to a true freshman making his first college start, Connor Lew couldn’t be much more prepared.

He’s already played in four games and had to come in early against Ole Miss last week for an injured Avery Jones.

With Jones doubtful for this week’s game against Mississippi State, Lew has been working all week with the first team at center. He looks back at all those previous snaps including 47 against the Rebels as very beneficial.

“Once you get your feet wet for the first time you just build off of it going forward and then feel better now that it’s not guessing, ‘Oh, I wonder what it’s like to be in the SEC game.’ Now I know what it’s like,” said Lew. “Now I know when I’m practicing what I need to work on and just how to build from it going forward.”

Lew, who enrolled in the spring, has already earned the trust of his veteran teammates including quarterback Payton Thorne.

“When you look at him, he doesn’t look like a freshman,” said Thorne. “He’s done everything he needs to, I feel like, in practice. He’s proven himself in practice and then he went out there and played well in the game, I thought.”

Lew also has plenty of veteran offensive linemen to rely on. He’s been watching film with Jones all week and will line up between senior guards Kam Stutts and Gunner Britton, who have a combined 43 starts between them.

They were a big part of his success last week.

“When I was getting ready to go in, they were like, ‘You’re ready.’ I knew in my mind I was ready, but they were telling me, too,” said Lew. “Just to back it up. Like: ‘You’re ready for this moment.’ That’s been helpful, too.”

Auburn’s offense has struggled in its four consecutive losses but Lew feels like the team has done a good job of staying together during the adversity.

“Obviously, everybody in that locker room is a competitor. We all want to win games,” said Lew. “But I think in some ways it’s definitely brought us closer. We’ve realized we need to play for each other. That’s kind of been the theme that we’ve been going for.

“Just play for each other. Play for the man next to you. Play for Auburn. Play for the name on your back and the name on your front.”

Kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.