Rushing attack a bye week priority

AUBURN | Many teams don't have the advantage of having two legit game-changers in the backfield at running back like Auburn in Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter. Unfortunately for the Tigers, though, those two have been extremely quiet over the past few weeks.

You can forgive Auburn for its inability to run the ball against Georgia; a defense ranked second in the FBS by allowing just 64.29 yards per game and, through seven games, a measly one rushing touchdown. But not expected was the Tigers' rushing game having trouble getting going against Georgia State, LSU and Arkansas. Against those three defenses who rank 85th or below against the run, the same problems continued for the Tigers' offensive line in generating holes.

Bryan Harsin and his staff are trying to figure out what, exactly, is going wrong.

"We're always working on the run game," the Auburn coach said. "What the bye week gives you an opportunity to do is go back and look -- alright, what was good, what was bad and why? And let's go work against some of those looks."

What has been alarming is the rushing attack being unable to punish opponents. Against the Razorbacks, a team that had given up 597 yards in its previous two games, the holes were nowhere to be found. Bigsby went for just 68 yards on 18 attempts while Hunter carried 10 times for just 27 yards. If it weren't for Bo NIx finding room on five rushes for 42 yards, the Tigers would have finished with less than 100 yards on the ground, a paltry effort against a defense prone to getting shredded.

It leads to a matchup in which controlling the ground game and time of possession will be as crucial as ever. Ole Miss enters Saturday's matchup with an offense ranked third in the FBS in total yards and one that can put up points in a hurry. Keeping Matt Corral and the Rebels off the field will be pivotal, and the best way to do it is by moving the chains and the clock ticking with an aggressive rushing attack.

Of course, getting the job done is more complex than figuring out what the offense is doing wrong. It also has to do with what the defense is showing and adjusting to that.

"They can give you whatever look they want," Harsin said. "So they've got to teach guys how to handle that and still be able to run the ball. It's not like you call a play and line up a certain defense. You can't just decide you're not going to run the ball; you have to know how to do it."

Getting the running game going is vital for Auburn and its chances of defeating Ole Miss and staying in the SEC West title race. The Rebels, for their part, haven't been exactly good at stopping the run, allowing 181 yards per outing.

Create some holes, get Bigsby and Hunter going and the chances of a victory increase. That's precisely what Auburn needs on Saturday.