Auburn Tigers vs. Ole Miss Rebels

He hopes that the team will play with the same fire and execution in their tilt at Auburn this weekend, another in a crucial string of conference battles to end the season. The victor of the matchup will take control of the driver’s seat to Atlanta for the SEC title game. The Ole Miss performance also ended Texas A&M’s 17-game home unbeaten streak. The win kept the Rebels as a one-loss team in the division race, and the defeat saddled the Aggies with a second SEC setback.

Most preseason questions centered around how much defensive improvement would occur under new defensive coordinator John Chavis after two subpar years that preceded his arrival.

“I didn’t even know we played them this week until after the A&M game”.

“We’ve got to find that steady player who’s going to be there every day that’s not going to have ups and downs”, Insell said.

Should Mississippi State finish 8-4, the most likely scenario would be that the Bulldogs beat Missouri and Arkansas but lost to Alabama and Ole Miss.

Ole Miss left tackle Laremy Tunsil started his first game of the season after serving a seven-game NCAA suspension for receiving illegal benefits. A 23-3 trouncing of Texas A&M will certainly help, but the Rebels were sloppy on offense again.

Special commemorative shirts can be purchased at the Auburn Team Shop in each of the colors – Orange and Blue. Now, that seems like a distant memory. Finley played his freshman year at Cal-Riverside, where he won the Big West Conference’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2014. The Hogs must win three of their last five games to reach the six-win level for bowl eligibility. In hindsight, we have to coach our kids and execute better. Yes, those things are necessary to compete in an ever-evolving SEC arms race, but they have to be supplemented by results.

In a month’s time, many of these concerns could be an afterthought.

Kizer and the Rebels wrap up the 2015 regular season Thursday night, hosting Vanderbilt and honoring six seniors on senior night.

What occurs in Death Valley on November 28 will be a true test to whether the Aggies have properly addressed the issues plaguing them the past two weeks. Should the Bulldogs lose to Alabama but win the other three games, folks will question if Dan Mullen can ever get past Alabama. The schedule is more challenging next season. After having nine games in the state of Texas this year and only three true road games, they must travel to Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State and South Carolina. Denzel Nkemdiche leads Ole Miss with 45 tackles, Trae Elston 40 tackles and four interceptions, and Marquis Haynes has 5.5 sacks.

Texas A&M’s only points came on a 44-yard field goal by Taylor Bertolet in the second quarter. Or at least it should be that way, shouldn’t it?