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cbssports.com Auburn Tigers vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs: How to watch, schedule, live stream info, start time, TV channel Scout Staff 3–4 minutes Who's Playing Mississippi State Bulldogs @ Auburn Tigers Current Records: Mississippi State 4-3, Auburn 3-4 How To Watch When: Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. ET Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium -- Auburn, Alabama TV: SEC Network Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.) Follow: CBS Sports App What to Know Auburn and Mississippi State are an even 4-4 against one another since September of 2015, but not for long. Both teams will face off in a SEC West battle at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn is limping into the contest on a four-game losing streak. Auburn's game on Saturday was all tied up 14-14 at the half, but sadly for them it didn't stay that way. They fell 28-21 to Ole Miss. The losing side was boosted by Jarquez Hunter, who rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Hunter was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 53 yards. Meanwhile, Mississippi State was not the first on the board last Saturday, but they got there more often. They welcomed the New Year with a 7-3 win over Arkansas. The win made it back-to-back wins for Mississippi State. The team won by holding Arkansas to a paltry 200 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to Mississippi State's ability to keep the quarterback under pressure: the team laid him out four times before it was all said and done. Leading the way was Nathaniel Watson and his two sacks. Auburn now has a losing record at 3-4. As for Mississippi State, they now have a winning record of 4-3. Looking forward, Auburn is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by six points. The pair have had problems against the spread this season as they are both 2-5. Auburn came up short against Mississippi State when the teams last played back in November of 2022, falling 39-33. Thankfully for Auburn, Rara Thomas (who picked up 84 receiving yards and two touchdowns) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check CBSSports.com after the match to find out. Odds Auburn is a solid 6.5-point favorite against Mississippi State, according to the latest college football odds. The over/under is set at 41.5 points. See college football picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now. Series History Auburn and Mississippi State both have 4 wins in their last 8 games. Nov 05, 2022 - Mississippi State 39 vs. Auburn 33 Nov 13, 2021 - Mississippi State 43 vs. Auburn 34 Dec 12, 2020 - Auburn 24 vs. Mississippi State 10 Sep 28, 2019 - Auburn 56 vs. Mississippi State 23 Oct 06, 2018 - Mississippi State 23 vs. Auburn 9 Sep 30, 2017 - Auburn 49 vs. Mississippi State 10 Oct 08, 2016 - Auburn 38 vs. Mississippi State 14 Sep 26, 2015 - Mississippi State 17 vs. Auburn 9

al.com How are Auburn's players are embracing the changing culture under Hugh Freeze? Updated: Oct. 26, 2023, 7:55 a.m.|Published: Oct. 26, 2023, 6:40 a.m. 5–7 minutes Mondays at Auburn’s Woltosz Football Performance Facility are for truth meetings and life talks. Truth meetings are a time for Auburn’s football team to reflect back on its performance from the Saturday prior. As one could imagine – with Auburn looking to snap its four-game losing streak this week against Mississippi State – recent truth meetings have forced the Tigers to take long, hard looks in the mirror. But once that truth meeting is over, that game is in the trashcan. What happens next is where the life talks come into play. This week’s life talk was all about “closed doors and unmet expectations”, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze revealed during the SEC Coaches’ Teleconference Wednesday afternoon. “All of us face — at some point or another — closed doors or unmet expectations. And that’s never going to go away in life,” Freeze said Wednesday, echoing his message to the team. “And how we handle them, I think, will really determine how we get through them.” And it’s the “handling them” part that has changed at Auburn since Freeze’s arrival. Linebacker Eugene Asante was on Auburn’s roster last year as the Tigers went on a five-game skid, while also having to navigate their head coach being fired midway through the season. It was a lot. And it was hard for those in the locker room to handle. “I think a little bit last year was guys hanging their head and the blame game,” Asante said of last season. “When people start pointing fingers, the team starts to lose chemistry.” When Freeze first arrived to The Plains last November, he sensed a lack of accountability inside the locker room. And while many of examples he saw were little things like getting to class late or skipping out on meals, he knew allowing his players to get away with those would eventually bleed onto the football field on Saturdays. “I really believe that long term for Auburn, to be where we want it to be, that the accountability of those little things — you can’t slide on those,” Freeze said Monday. “I think that’s kind of, maybe when I got here, is something that they felt like they could.” But that has since improved, Freeze says. And as a result, the finger-pointing and head-hanging as stopped, too, Asante says. “We understand that we have to play our best football in order to win games,” Asante said. “I think everybody is really reflecting inward and on things they can do rather than this guy’s not doing their job or this guy’s not doing their job. That’s what you really do need in a team sport.” However, getting players to take accountability is just half the battle. Once they accept it, they then have to be willing to put in the work to improve what needs improving – and that can be hard when in the midst of adversity. “The challenge and temptation that most people have when they have an unmet expectation or a closed door is they become disengaged and therefore, just flow and don’t get better,” Freeze said. “And so my challenge to our staff and to our players this week is men, let’s just get 1% better.” Since losing to LSU in Baton Rouge on Oct. 14 in a game that featured an uncharacteristic lack of effort from both sides of the football, Freeze has been looking for more energy and intensity out of his team during practices. Heading into last week’s game against Ole Miss, Freeze was looking for “passionate, hard-working” practices, and he got them on Tuesday and Wednesday, he said last Thursday during his time on Auburn’s Tiger Talk radio show. When asked about this week’s practices during Wednesday’s teleconference, Freeze said he thought Auburn had one of its better-looking Tuesdays than it’s had all year. While it hasn’t been easy, sophomore quarterback Robby Ashford, who was also a part of last year’s team, says the team is bought in. “With the streak that we’ve been on, it’s hard,” Ashford said Tuesday. “But at the end of the day, we know who’s got to come to work. It’s really who wants to work when times get hard. We’ve gotta come out and work. I mean, if you’re not on board with us, then you don’t need to be with us. “The guys who are onboard — and that’s pretty much this whole team — are ready to work and ready to give it their all.” What happened in Auburn’s first seven games is in the rearview mirror now. And that’s been the case since the Monday morning truth meeting that followed each one. And just like veteran defensive back Jaylin Simpson said he and the defense in did after the LSU game, the last four losses have been thrown in the trash. After all, there’s plenty to look ahead at – including the prospect of reaching bowl eligibility. “We just want to get a bowl game so we can feel some kind of success for the season because right now I feel like a lot of people ain’t feeling that right now,” Simpson said Tuesday. “So we get this first win and keep it rolling, get a bowl game.” And it all starts on Saturday with a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, which is slated for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. “I think everybody’s just — things aren’t going our way, but we’re just, we’re going to keep going,” Simpson said. “A lot of it came from Coach Freeze yesterday, I think, the talk he had with us.” If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. 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247sports.com PMARSHONAU Memorable moments from AuburnMississippi State series Phillip Marshall 5–7 minutes Other than Georgia, Auburn has played more football games against Mississippi State than against any opponent. The Tigers have dominated the series, but in recent years, the Bulldogs have more than held their own, winning the last two meetings and three of the last five. Auburn leads the series 62-31-3, but it is a series that has provided some memorable and even humorous moments, many of them involving former Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill. On Saturday afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Tigers and Bulldogs will get together again with first-year head coaches on both sidelines – Hugh Freeze at Auburn and Zach Arnett at Mississippi State. There are no championship implications, but it is a big one for both teams. Mississippi State is 4-3 and coming off a 7-3 win at Arkansas. Auburn is 3-4 and on a four-game losing streak. The winner will move a step closer to a winning season and a bowl game. For Auburn, after facing a four-game murderer’s row of ranked teams, it is an opportunity for a reset. 1953 In Starkville, Auburn rallied from a 21-0 deficit to escape with a 21-21 tie against the team then known as the Maroons and superstar quarterback Jackie Parker. You have to remember, that 21-deficit in 1953 was akin to a deficit of 35 points or more in today’s game. ‌1963 In Jackson, Mississippi State turned a late interception into the game-winning field goal in a 13-10 victory. It would be Auburn’s only regular-season loss. Paul Davis, the Mississippi State head coach, would later become an iconic defensive coordinator at Auburn. 1974 After a 24-20 Auburn win in Jackson, Auburn coach Shug Jordan complained long and loud about the Mississippi State cowbells. He was not alone in his feelings. As a result, they were outlawed until 2010. 1993 Sherrill accused Auburn of putting helium in footballs used by All-America punter Terry Daniel in a 31-17 Tiger victory. Yes, Sherrill really did that. Later, an independent test showed that footballs filled with helium actually didn’t travel as far as those filled with air. Auburn, of course, did not put helium in any footballs. 1995 Auburn won 48-20 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Sherrill was angry because Auburn backup quarterback Jon Cooley threw a short third-down pass for a first down that allowed Auburn to run out the clock. When Sherrill met Auburn coach Terry Bowden at midfield, his first words were “I hope Florida beats the f--- out of you next week.” Bowden just smiled and said “Good luck, Coach.” What Sherrill didn’t know was that Bowden was wired for sound by the Auburn Network and the whole thing was caught on audio and video. Auburn coaches had quite a good time watching it the following week. 1997 Auburn was riding high and had started a Heisman Trophy campaign for quarterback Dameyune Craig when Mississippi State came to town. Auburn would eventually make it to the SEC Championship Game, but the Bulldogs won 20-0 that day and Craig’s Heisman hopes faded. 2002 With the game safely in hand in the fourth quarter, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville called for a fake field goal. It was no secret that Tuberville and Sherrill had little love for one another, going back to Tuberville’s days at Ole Miss. Auburn won 42-14. “I didn’t know what else to do,” Tuberville said with a straight face after the game. Sherrill was not amused. "You have to consider the source,” Sherrill said. “That's part of the deal. I always have been a person who says, 'Fine, take your lick.' Would I have done it? No, but that's OK. That's Tommy. Everybody has to understand that. The old saying is what goes around, comes around.” 2008 In the third game of Tony Franklin's ill-fated half-season as Auburn's offensive coordinator, the Tigers won 3-2 in Starkville in an all-time display of offensive ineptitude. Just think if Mississippi State had gotten a safety and won 4-3; 2010 The Auburn and Mississippi State rivalry took an ugly turn with the Cam Newton saga in 2010. Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, who coached Newton as Florida’s offensive coordinator, did all he could to get his former pupil ruled ineligible. Auburn won a tight one 17-14 in Starkville. 2013 At Jordan-Hare Stadium, junior college transfer quarterback Nick Marshall took Auburn 88 yards with no timeouts in the final 1:56, throwing a touchdown pass to C.J. Uzomah with 10 seconds left. The victory broke a 10-game Auburn losing streak in SEC games. The victory started Auburn’s run to an SEC championship and the BCS Championship Game. 2021 Auburn led 28-3 in the second quarter and was seemingly on its way to a blowout. But Mississippi State roared back, scoring 40 unanswered points and held on to win 43-34. Auburn quarterback Bo Nix, in what would be his last Auburn game, played on after suffering a broken ankle early in the second half. 2022 In Starkville, Cadillac Williams worked his first game as interim head coach just five days after being named. Offensive line coach Will Friend and receivers coach Ike Hilliard combined to run the offense. The Tigers trailed 24-6 early but rallied to take a 25-24 lead with 6:36 left in the game. The Bulldogs went ahead 30-25, but Auburn struck back to take a 33-30 lead with 1:05 left. Mississippi State tied it on a 44-yard field goal with 29 seconds left. Auburn came up empty on the first possession of overtime when Anders Carlson missed a 38-yard field goal try. Mississippi State scored a touchdown and escaped with a 39-33 victory. Maybe, after Saturday’s game, there will be more stories to tell.

247sports.com Auburn Opponent Preview Mississippi State offense Jason Caldwell 4–5 minutes With Zac Arnett taking over for Mike Leach following his untimely death, the Mississippi State Bulldogs come into Saturday’s game at Jordan-Hare Stadium with a much different looking offense than the one the Auburn Tigers have seen the last few seasons and that’s a good thing based on the last couple of seasons. Losing two straight to the Bulldogs, Auburn’s defense has allowed 82 total points with quarterback Will Rogers torching the Tigers. In last season’s overtime game, Rogers completed 42-59 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Two years ago in Jordan-Hare Stadium, Rogers led the Bulldogs to a victory after trailing 28-3 in the first half. In that game, he completed 44-55 passes for 415 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions. Starting 38 straight games, Rogers missed last week’s win over Arkansas with a shoulder injury and is questionable for Saturday’s game. If he plays it will look much different than the offense Auburn fans have seen the last few years. In six games this season, Rogers has completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 1,275 yards and 10 touchdowns with four interceptions. If he’s unable to go, Vanderbilt transfer Mike Wright will get the call. He is 16-23 on the season passing, but has 198 yards rushing and three touchdowns. The biggest injury question may be with star running back Jo’Quavious Marks, who was hobbled in last week's win. Leading the team with 97 carries for 500 yards and four touchdowns while adding 18 catches for 138 yards and another score, he’s the heart and soul of the Mississippi State offense. In his career, Marks is closing in on both 2,000 rushing and receiving yards and is already the record holder for most receptions by a Bulldog with 206. Backups Seth Davis and Jeffery Pittman have combined for just 205 yards on 43 carries this season. Outside at receiver, the guy to watch is Lideatrick Griffin. Returning a kickoff for a touchdown last season against the Tigers, he leads the team this season with 32 catches for 494 yards and three touchdowns. Big Justin Robinson is second on the team with 14 catches for 184 yards while true freshman Creed Whittemore has 10 catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns. The strength of the Mississippi State offense is up front where the Bulldogs put a group on the field that has a combined 143 starts with all five starting at least 20 games in their career. Right tackle Kameron Jones leads the way with 38 starts under his belt while center Cole Smith has started 34 contests in Starkville. There are three graduates and two seniors that make up the starting five for the Bulldogs. LT 69 Kwatrivous Johnson (6-7, 330, Gr.) 75 Percy Lewis (6-8, 345, Sr.) LG 66 Nick Jones (6-3, 300, Sr.) 76 Albert Reese IV (6-7, 320, R-So.) C 57 Cole Smith (6-3, 305, Gr.) 72 Canon Boone (6-4, 305, R-So.) RG 64 Steven Losoya III (6-4, 320, R-Sr.) 52 Grant Jackson (6-6, 325, R-Jr.) -or - 79 Jakson LaHue (6-5, 315, R-Fr.) RT 58 Kameron Jones (6-5, 315, Gr.) 67 Leon Bell (6-8, 325, Jr.) QB 2 Will Rogers (6-2, 215, Sr.) 14 Mike Wright (6-4, 195, Sr.) RB 7 Jo’Quavious Marks (5-10, 210, Sr.) 25 Jeffery Pittman (5-11, 205, Jr.) 23 Seth Davis (5-7, 185, Fr.) WR (X) 3 Justin Robinson (6-4, 220, R-Jr.) -or - 19 Freddie Roberson (6-2, 190, R-Sr.) WR (H) 5 Lideatrick Griffin (5-10, 180, Sr.) 85 Creed Whittemore (5-11, 185, Fr.) -or - 81 Antonio Harmon (6-3, 215, R-So.) WR (Z) 1 Zavion Thomas (5-11, 190, So.) 11 Jaden Walley (6-0, 195, Sr.) -or - 18 Jordan Mosley (6-0, 190, R-So.) TE 88 Ryland Goede (6-6, 260, Gr.) -or - 98 Malik Ellis (6-5, 265, Fr.

saturdaydownsouth.com Hugh Freeze explains why Cadillac Williams is a ‘valuable’ assistant Ethan Stone | 2 days ago ~3 minutes Cadillac Williams went 2-2 with Auburn last season following the firing of Bryan Harsin. The former Tigers RB earned his first win against Texas A&M and won over the Auburn fanbase, as well as a few fans across the SEC. Williams was retained by Hugh Freeze when he took the head coaching job at the end of last year. On Wednesday during the SEC’s weekly teleconference, Freeze was asked about the value that Williams brings to the table. Freeze had plenty to say about Williams. Check it out below: “He’s somebody I lean on to get the pulse of the team for sure, he’s got great relationships with the team and brings great energy to practice and to the games and to the building,” Freeze said. “And obviously, he had the ear of the players because he’s walked in their shoes at this place, done it at a high, high level and I think he’s got great insight from time to time also that we might need to try to — as we try to right the ship and continue to build this program. So he’s very valuable.” Williams is the current Associate head coach and works with running backs as well.

247sports.com PMARSHONAU Phillips Thursday afternoon musings Phillip Marshall 7–9 minutes A must-win for Auburn? Auburn went through most of its four-game losing streak without defensive back Keionte Scott, linebacker Austin Keys and running back Demari Alston. All three players were significant parts of Auburn’s plans. Scott and Keys played against Ole Miss. Head coach Hugh Freeze said Wednesday he expects Alston to play in Saturday’s game against Mississippi State at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Getting all those players back could be a very big deal. Is Saturday’s game a must-win for Auburn? It feels that way, but coaches try their best to keep players from looking at games that way. Win or lose, there will be more games ahead. But for Auburn (and Mississippi State), this game could be significant in getting to bowl games. That matters if, for no other reason, the 15 extra practices that go with a bowl bid. At the same time, the loser won’t be out of the bowl picture. Coaches have to try to hold their teams together, regardless of the outcome. Tigers try to avoid third straight losing season Auburn needs to win enough games to avoid making some unhappy history. Auburn has not had three consecutive losing seasons, officially, since losing records from 1946-1950 led to the hiring of Shug Jordan. Auburn had losing records from 1975, Jordan’s final season, through 1977. But the 1977 team got a forfeit when Mississippi State was harshly penalized by the NCAA and officially finished 6-5. These days, penalties more often include vacating victories. In other words, the team that won loses the win but the team that lost doesn’t get a win. What is happening with NIL What’s really happening with NIL? That’s a question that is difficult to answer because the NIL business is largely conducted away from the public eye. What follows is what I have been told by people who know. --Are Power 5 players getting wealthy? A small number are making seven figures. A significant number are making six figures, but those are still in the minority. Most players are getting something. --Is it legal to pay high school players? Not in most states. Are high school players getting paid? No question about it. --What seems to be happening is that, as legislators pass laws to ostensibly help programs in their states, others are saying “If they can do it, we’re going to do it, too.” The NCAA and deserves criticism for letting all this get out of hand early on, but at this point there is not much it can do. --What do players do to earn the money? Some high-profile players do commercials for big companies. Most are paid by collectives and work for the collectives. That usually means a few Tweets now and then. --The NCAA demanded early on that NIL agreements could not be pay for play. To no one’s surprise, that’s exactly what they have become. --What’s going to happen? Most believe the power programs will eventually begin sharing money with players. What form that would take is uncertain. No one wants to create a situation where players are considered employees. That would not be good for college football programs, and it would not be good for most players. Michigan scandal keeps getting worse As the burgeoning Michigan scandal seems to grow every day, there seems to be a significant lack of understanding. Michigan is not in trouble for looking across the field and stealing signs. That is legal. It is in trouble for in-person scouting of future opponents and using electronic means to do it. That is very much against the rules. Here is Hall of Fame coach Bob Stoops’ take: "Everyone is saying 'Oh, it happens all the time!' No, it doesn't. I've never heard of that in all my years of football and every team I've ever been on. Sure, do we look across the field and if you can see it, that's your job to do. If I'm able to just with my plain eye look over there and know what they're doing, I should be doing that. "But to video people and to send people to scout and marry up a signal with the play? No, no, no. That's terrible. It goes against everything we're about. That's wrong, if it happened." To me, here’s a significant question: If Michigan didn’t believe what it was doing would provide a competitive advantage, why do it? In search of a winning edge Everybody in college football (and other sports) is looking for an edge. There are few if any coaches out there who aren’t willing to operate in the gray area. That was true before coaches started getting paid like kings. Some, of course, are willing to push the envelope further than others. So it has always been. In 2003, I did an interview in Abbeville with the late Robert Vann, who signed with Auburn in 1937. Here is what he told me: Red Drew, then an assistant at Alabama, had arrived in Abbeville intent on talking Vann, a hard-nosed fullback at Abbeville High School, into playing for the Crimson Tide. "Coach Drew came down here with a new Chevrolet, 4-door," Vann said. "He handed me the keys and said, 'Come to Alabama.' " But Vann wasn't going to Alabama. He was going to Auburn, the setting for the stories his father had told him about football when it was new, a brutal game in which only the strong survived. "I just wanted to go to Auburn because my daddy went to Auburn," Vann said. "He never told me he wanted me to go, but I knew. There wasn't any question about it." Freeze left Liberty loaded It is clear that Freeze left Liberty with quite a roster when he left for Auburn last December. The Flames, in their first season in Conference USA, are 8-0. With their victory over Western Kentucky, they became the first team in the FBS to clinch a spot in a conference championship game. Jacksonville State fun to watch Speaking of Conference USA, Jacksonville State is really fun to watch. The Gamecocks are transitioning from the FCS to the FBS and are, by rule, ineligible for a bowl. Their only loss is to Liberty, and that came when they were down to their third-team quarterback in the second half. Rich Rodriguez seems to have finally found a home there. By the way, his offensive line coach is Rick Trickett, who is in his 47th year of coaching college football. Trickett, as colorful as any coach you will find, was Auburn’s hard-nosed offensive line coach from 1993-1998. UAB struggles as Dilfer goes quiet Former Super Bowl quarterback Trent Dilfer talked a good game when he took over as head coach at UAB after last season, but things have not gone so well in the Blazers first season in the American Athletic Conference. They are 2-6, their only wins over North Carolina A&T and South Florida. They haven’t exactly taken the city by storm. In last Saturday’s loss to Memphis, the announced crowd at Protective Stadium in Birmingham was 20,269. Rebounding from first-year troubles Something to consider: Florida and Miami had losing seasons in 2022 under first-year head coaches. This season, they have four losses between them. One of those was a gift from Miami to Georgia Tech. The struggles of those two teams last season came on the heels of coaches who had been largely ineffective on the recruiting trail being fired. Sound familiar, Auburn fans? That’s not to say Auburn or its fans should simply roll over and say Hugh Freeze’s first season is going nowhere. It still might go somewhere. But the fact is that, if it doesn’t go well, that does not mean a dark future.

si.com The top four matchups for Auburn vs Mississippi State Lance Dawe 3–4 minutes Auburn football needs a rebound win badly. The Tigers are off to their first 0-4 start in SEC play since the dreadful 3-9 season in 2012. The offense has been horrid, the defense has been holding on, and the staff seems to be trying to rally the troops for what should be a much easier back half of the 2023 slate. Thankfully, there's a stretch of easier contests coming up before the end of the season against Alabama. The first game of the stretch is at home against Mississippi State, a team the Tigers have dominated in their all-time series. However, both teams are really struggling to find their offense right now. Auburn has one of their worst offenses in over a decade. Mississippi State lost quarterback Will Rogers to injury and scraped by Arkansas 7-3 last weekend. It's ugly for both teams right now... and that could create an even uglier game this weekend between the two schools. Here are the top four matchups for this weekend. Auburn’s running backs vs MSU’s defensive line The Tigers' rushing attack has been at they have had on that side of the ball this season. The four-headed backfield led by Jarquez Hunter has proven to be effective. State has an average rush defense (127.57 yards per game is 8th in the SEC). Auburn's only hope to move the ball offensively could come down to this matchup here. Auburn’s pass rush vs MSU’s offensive line Pass rush has been hard to come by for Auburn this season. Auburn is 8th in the conference in total sacks (16.0) and has only eight sacks through four SEC games. State is also average in this stat category (2.14 sacks allowed per game). Not letting dual-threat QB Mike Wright extend plays on third-down will be crucial. The Bulldogs are right there at the bottom of the league with Auburn in third-down conversion percentage. Special teams Mississippi State is 10th in the SEC in punt return averaged allowed and 11th in field goal percentage (75%). The Tigers have yet to miss a field goal this season. This may be the game that Alex McPherson, Brian Battie or Keionte Scott come up big for AU. Auburn’s passing game vs itself The Tigers are dead last in the SEC in passing yards per game, averaging just over 150 per contest. That's probably not going to change for the rest of the season. However, if Auburn can somehow mange to figure out how to get their numbers over, say, 200 yards in this one vs MSU's secondary? That would be big for their chances of victory.

auburnwire.usatoday.com Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs Mississippi State Brian Hauch 4–5 minutes The 3-4 Auburn Tigers are finally favored to win a football game this week when they host the 4-3 Mississippi State Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday. The Tigers are currently favored by nearly a touchdown to win this game according to BetMGM and ESPN FPI agrees with the oddsmakers, as the model gives Hugh Freeze’s team a 62.7% chance to snap their four-game losing-skid come Saturday. Will the tale of the tape agree that Auburn will win their first game in over a month, or does a further look into the matchup show us this game will be closer than expected? As always, we’ll start by looking at the quarterbacks. Mississippi State faces uncertainty at the quarterback position heading into this one. Starter Will Rogers is dealing with a shoulder injury that forced him to miss last week’s game against Arkansas. Head coach Zach Arnett was ambiguous talking about his quarterback’s status, saying “he is progressing well” but refusing to label Rogers in or out for Saturday. If Rogers is unable to go, the offense will be left in the hands of senior Mike Wright. In limited work this year, Wright has thrown for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has also added 106 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. As for the Auburn signal-callers, they are still struggling. Through 7 games, starter Payton Thorne has thrown for 845 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. The Tigers top option is averaging just over 120 passing yards per game to go along with 0.7 touchdowns and interceptions per game. That is not good. Once again, Auburn loses the quarterback battle. It is much closer than it has been in previous SEC games however, and it’s almost even if Will Rogers is forced to sit on the bench. The battle of the skill positions is even closer. Neither team boasts a top-notch playmaker that give a defensive coordinator a worse headache than a night out at Quixote’s, nor do they do anything on offense particularly well. Mississippi State’s best player on the scoring side of the ball is probably running back Jo'Quavious Marks. The senior back has been a workhorse for the Bulldogs offense. The senior from Atlanta is averaging 14 carries for 71 yards a game and has scored five total touchdowns. Auburn’s best playmaker is also their number one running back, junior Jarquez Hunter. After a slow start to the season for Hunter, he has come alive of late, and now leads all Auburn rushers with 309 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns. He has also added 61 receiving yards. Neither receiving core is worth mentioning ahead of the other, although Mississippi State receiver Lideatrick Griffin has the most yards out of any pass catcher in this game with 494. The skill position battle is a wash. Auburn does finally get an edge in the defensive department, although it is closer than you might think. Jaylin Simpson, Eugene Asante, and the Auburn Tigers defense have been great all year long. Unfortunately for them, Mississippi State has been pretty much just as good, at least according to the numbers. Auburn’s defense has given up 25.7 points and 397.3 yards per game this season. Mississippi State has given up 28.8 and 393.8, respectively. As good as Auburn linebacker Eugene Asante has been, linebacker Nathaniel Watson has been even better. Overall, these two teams are extremely similar and a 6.5-point spread only makes sense if Will Rogers can’t go. If he does, Auburn may be in some trouble come Saturday. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Auburn QB Robby Ashford is ready to hush his doubters Updated: Oct. 24, 2023, 4:40 p.m.|Published: Oct. 24, 2023, 4:38 p.m. 5–6 minutes You name it and Auburn sophomore quarterback Robby Ashford has heard it. He’s only a running quarterback. He should’ve stuck with baseball. Maybe they should move him to wide receiver or running back. And perhaps his personal favorite: He can’t throw. “I feel like it’s a stereotype that I can’t throw the football,” Ashford said Tuesday afternoon. All the noise started during Ashford’s whirlwind-of-a-first-season on The Plains, where he took over the starting quarterback job midway through the season — beating out TJ Finley, who has since gone on to transfer to Texas State. Ashford finished last fall 123-for-250 through the air — good for a completion percentage of 49% while tallying 1,613 passing yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. Meanwhile, Ashford added 710 yards and seven touchdowns with his legs in 2022. Nonetheless, it was a lot for the then-freshman transfer to wrap his head around. “Last year was just all types of crazy,” Ashford said. “I mean, transferred in, the coach I committed to is gone, I didn’t even get a full year. So, it was all crazy, just a lot of ups and downs.” To top it all off, Ashford says he spent the last nine games of the 2022 season with the same injury Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers recently suffered. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Sunday that Ewers suffered a Grade 2 AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder and is expected to miss “some time.” “You see Texas’ quarterback? He’s sitting out with the injury that I played nine games through,” Ashford said Tuesday. “That should tell you, in itself, what I was going through. But people don’t really want to look at that.” As a result of his injury, Ashford said he wasn’t able to throw during the final five weeks of practice last season and was instead having to rely solely on “mental reps” to get him through the week and only throwing on Saturdays. But that isn’t an issue this season as Ashford has been full-go through fall camp and the first seven weeks of the regular season. And that alone has got him feeling more confident. “I feel a whole lot better. I feel way more confident. I mean, just with the guys we have, I have the utmost confidence in them,” Ashford said. “So just being able to get those physical reps instead of mental ones when I was hurt, it’s definitely paid off really big for me.” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has said all along that Ashford is too athletic not to see the field and that he’ll always have packages. And Freeze has been a man of his word as Ashford has played in each of Auburn’s seven games to this point and recorded his first start of the year last week against Ole Miss. However, Ashford still hasn’t been asked to throw the football much this season as he’s thrown just 26 passes, completed 14 of them and has recorded 145 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception. “I look at it as, right now, it’s me more of a running guy,” said Ashford, who has tallied 180 rushing yards on 40 carries and five touchdowns — tying with running back Jarquez Hunter as the Tigers’ leading scorer. “But I know I can sit back there and throw the ball around the yard. I did it last year, before I got hurt.” While it’s hard to say exactly when Ashford got hurt last fall, if you take away his final four performances in 2022 — playing off his comment of not being able to throw in the final five weeks of practice — Ashford averaged just more than 162 passing yards per game and a 52.6% completion percentage. In those final four games, Ashford averaged 78.5 passing yards per game and was completing passes at a 41.5% clip. And while it is worth noting there was a lot going on at Auburn in those final four games after the firing of former head coach Bryan Harsin and running backs coach Cadillac Williams taking over as interim head coach, it might be worth hearing Ashford out. As Auburn’s offense continues to sputter using this funky quarterback rotation between Ashford and junior Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne, Ashford sounds ready to try and silence the naysayers and prove he can throw the football. “I feel more comfortable as a whole,” Ashford said. “Whoever says I can’t play quarterback, I really don’t care. They couldn’t do half of what I do. They can sit behind a phone screen and type all they want. It’s never going to faze me.” And while Freeze hasn’t made mention of any significant changes to his approach at the quarterback spot, between his discontent with how the offense is currently operating and the fact that Ashford started last week’s game, it’s hard not to feel like there might be a shift happening. “I’ve said from Day 1 that I think Robby has a place,” Freeze said Monday. “Is his place every down? We’ll see this week.”

si.com LOOK: Two computer models dramatically disagree on Auburn vs Mississippi State Lance Dawe 2–3 minutes Two computer models have very different opinions as to how Auburn's matchup vs the Bulldogs will play out. Auburn football needs a rebound win badly. The Tigers are off to their first 0-4 start in SEC play since the dreadful 3-9 season in 2012. The offense has been horrid, the defense has been holding on, and the staff seems to be trying to rally the troops for what should be a much easier back half of the 2023 slate. The first game of a stretch of easier contests is at home against Mississippi State, a team the Tigers have dominated in their all-time series. However, because of the inconsistent nature of both teams this season, this feels like more of a toss up than a strong lean in Auburn's favor. According to a computer model created by College Football Nerds, the game actually swings slightly in Mississippi State's favor. The model projects the Bulldogs to win 24.5 to 23.2 over Hugh Freeze and the Tigers. A loss in Jordan-Hare would be Auburn's second-straight home loss to MSU and their fifth-straight loss this season. However, there is another computer model that predicts the Tigers will win and cover the current spread of -4.5. CFBGraphs' model believes Auburn will beat Mississippi State 22.16 to 14.50. An eight-point victory to get the Tigers back on track this season would be big. Auburn's four upcoming games include Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and New Mexico State.

auburnwire.usatoday.com Auburn RB commit J’Marion Burnette sets official visit JD McCarthy 1–2 minutes J’Marion Burnette has been committed to Auburn since March and while he has visited several times since then, he has held off on scheduling his official visit. That is no longer the case as the four-star running back has set his official visit for Nov. 25, the weekend Auburn will host Alabama for the Iron Bowl. Burnette is the No. 255 overall player and No. 18 running back in the 247Sports composite ranking. The Andalusia product is also the No. 14 player from Alabama. While an injury has limited him during his senior year, Burnette has been unstoppable the past two weeks for Andalusia High School. He has rushed for 336 total yards and five touchdowns on just 28 carries, good enough for an insane 12 yards per carry. Iron bowl🔒🦅!#WDE pic.twitter.com/xXOMQFEimb — J'Marion ‘‘Phat’’ Burnette (@JMarionBurnette) October 24, 2023 Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15

5-star WR commit Perry Thompson eager to make early impact at Auburn Perry Thompson will graduate early and enroll at Auburn in January. Questions continue to arise for Auburn on offense in 2023. The play of the receivers has been a critique and the rotating quarterback situation continues to be an issue. But 5-star wide receiver Perry Thompson, the crown jewel of Auburn's 2023 class, isn't concerned by it. All he's focused on is the future and changing that when he arrives at Auburn in January.

247sports.com Auburn Opponent Preview Mississippi State defense Jason Caldwell 4–5 minutes Auburn faces another aggressive defense this weekend in Mississippi State. On Saturday, the struggling Auburn offense will face a Mississippi State defense that is allowing 25.7 points and 367.3 yards of total offense per game, but the Bulldogs are coming in with plenty of confidence after shutting down the Arkansas Razorbacks on the road last Saturday. Dominating the Hogs in a 7-3 win, Mississippi State limited them to just 2.9 yards per play. It was the lowest for an Arkansas team since 2018. The Bulldogs have definitely caught the eye of Auburn’s Hugh Freeze. “This team you’re playing this week, they are really, really chaotic on defense and it’s really, really hard to consistently run the ball on them and it’s also really, really hard to protect,” Freeze said. “We’ve got a lot of things facing us for sure.” The strength of the Mississippi State defense is in the front seven, led by its linebackers. Veterans Jett Johson and Nathaniel Watson have combined for 148 tackles this season and three interceptions after totaling 228 a year ago. A native of Maplesville, Watson is having a monster final campaign for the Bulldogs with a team high 7.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for a loss. Johnson has added four sacks for a defense that has 21.5 on the year. Redshirt freshman Donterry Russell rounds out the starting linebackers for Mississippi State. Up front, the Bulldogs are a veteran group with seniors Nathan Pickering, Jaden Crumedy and De’Monte Russell anchoring things in the middle. The trio has combined for 77 tackles and five sacks this season. On the outside, sophomore Deonte Anderson is the starter for the Bulldogs with graduate Jordan Davis behind him. In the secondary, graduate Shawn Preston Jr. has been the playmaker for the Bulldogs with three interceptions while also adding 36 tackles and 4.5 tackles for a loss. Senior cornerback Decamerion Richardson is third on the team with 43 total tackles. Senior DeCarlon Nicholson and junior Corey Ellington round out the starters for the Mississippi State defense. DE 91 Deonte Anderson (6-3, 260, So.) 6 Jordan Davis (6-4, 275, Gr.) NG 22 Nathan Pickering (6-4, 305, Sr.) 92 Eric Taylor (6-4, 290, So.) DT 94 Jaden Crumedy (6-5, 305, Gr.) 9 De’Monte Russell (6-4, 280, Sr.) SAM 36 Donterry Russell (6-4, 220, R-Fr.) 37 John Lewis (6-3, 240, So.) MIKE 14 Nathaniel Watson (6-2, 245, Gr.) 26 J.P. Purvis (6-1, 255, Sr.) WILL 44 Jett Johnson (6-2, 230, Gr.) 0 DeShawn Page (6-2, 235, Sr.) CB 3 Decamerion Richardson (6-2, 195, Sr.) 34 Brice Pollock (6-1, 190, Fr.) S 7 Shawn Preston Jr. (6-0, 205, Gr.) 20 Isaac Smith (6-0, 205, Fr.) S 10 Corey Ellington (6-3, 200, Jr.) 27 Chris Keys (6-0, 190, R-Jr.) 17 Jordan Morant (6-0, 210, R-Jr.) S 1 Marcus Banks (6-0, 190, Sr.) 21 Hunter Washington (5-11, 190, R-So.) CB 4 DeCarlos Nicholson (6-3, 195, Sr.) 2 Esaias Furdge (6-0, 185, Gr.)

collegefootballnews.com Mississippi State vs Auburn Prediction Game Preview Pete Fiutak 3–4 minutes Mississippi State vs Auburn prediction, game preview, how to watch, lines. Saturday, October 28 Oct 21, 2023; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Jordan-Hare Stadium. © John Reed-USA TODAY Sports Mississippi State vs Auburn How To Watch Date: Saturday, October 28 Game Time: 3:30 ET Venue: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL How To Watch: SEC Network 2023 Record: Mississippi State (4-3), Auburn (3-4) Pete Fiutak on X | CFN on X College Football News on Facebook Mississippi State vs Auburn Game Preview Why Mississippi State Will Win Auburn’s offense isn’t exactly a well-oiled machine. It starts with an offensive line that’s having issues in pass protection and has been just okay for the ground game. It all leads to the biggest problem - the Tigers just aren’t moving the chains. They’ve been awful on third downs, they’re not going on enough long marches, and the passing attack is dead last in the SEC. It’s not like the team has been getting rolled in every game, but it can’t come up with the right play or drive in the key moments. That will all suit Mississippi State just fine because … Predicting Every Remaining Game AAC | ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | CUSA | IND MAC | MWest | Pac-12 | SEC | Sun Belt Every Team's Bowl Status Why Auburn Will Win Mississippi State has hit a wall. It won two in a row, but the pass defense struggled in the win over Western Michigan, and the offense didn’t show up in the puzzling 7-3 win over Arkansas. The ground game isn’t good enough, the passing game is all over the place, and like it is for Auburn, third down conversions are like pulling teeth. Yes, Auburn is having a hard time in this four game losing streak, but it’s not like there’s a dud in the bunch - at Texas A&M, Georgia, at LSU, Ole Miss - and the Tigers held their own against everyone but LSU. Just hit the short range passes. Auburn is having a rough time even getting to the 60% mark passing, but Mississippi State has allowed a 70% completion rate in five of the seven games, and … - CFN Rankings 1-133 | Bowl Projections Recommended for You Mississippi State vs Auburn Who Will Win Mississippi State is 0-3 when allowing teams to get to 74% passing, 4-0 when it doesn’t. Auburn isn’t going to get to 74% passing, but it’ll be far sharper than it’s been over the last month. Be shocked if this isn’t a grind. It might not be the MSU-Arkansas game in terms of yuck, but this will hardly be a back-and-forth firefight. Auburn won’t be perfect, but this is the first time it’s playing an SEC team it’s supposed to beat. - Week 9 Schedule, Previews, Predictions Mississippi State vs Auburn Prediction, Line Auburn 23, Mississippi State 17 Line: Auburn -6.5, o/u: 43.5 ATS Confidence out of 5: 1.5 Must See Rating (out of 5): 3

auburnwire.usatoday.com Auburn vs. Mississippi State: Five things to know about the Bulldogs JD McCarthy 4–5 minutes After four weeks against some of the most talented teams in the country, Auburn’s schedule has slightly eased up as they are set to play the Mississippi State Bulldogs this Saturday. While they have struggled so far, they just picked up their first conference win, something Auburn and Hugh Freeze are still looking to do. The Bulldogs took down Arkansas 7-3 and improved to 4-3 with the victory. The Bulldogs also have a new head coach with Zach Arnett taking over the program after the tragic passing of Mike Leach. Arnett was their defensive coordinator from 2020-22 before getting the promotion. Here are five things you need to know about the Bulldogs before their game against Auburn. Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports Mississippi State’s offensive scheme last season under Leach was extremely straightforward. They were going to run the air raid system and they were not going to run it much at all, they averaged just 22.69 carries per game. Arnett has taken the offense in a different direction with them now averaging 32.29 carries and leaning heavily on running back Jo’Quavious Marks. The senior has had a great season, averaging 5.15 yards per carry and 71.43 yards per game. Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports Rogers is one of the most decorated quarterbacks in SEC history, having completed a record 1,264 passes for 11,964 yards and 92 touchdowns in four seasons. He was forced to miss their game last week after suffering a shoulder injury against Western Michigan on Oct. 7. And while the Bulldogs were able to pick up the victory, backup quarterback Mike Wright attempted just 12 passes and struggled to get anything going offensively. The Mississippi State offense has struggled all season but if Rogers is once again unable to go then the Auburn defense can expect plenty of carries by Marks on Saturday. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) It wasn’t pretty, but the Bulldogs picked up their first SEC win of the season by beating the Arkansas Razorbacks 7-3 in Fayetteville. Their defense led the way as they held the Razorbacks to just 2.9 yards per play and forced two turnovers. Defensively, the Bulldogs were able to dominate the line of scrimmage and lived in the backfield, making 4.0 sacks and 7.0 tackles for loss. The Bulldogs defense has struggled against the more talented teams in the conference but they will be ready for an Auburn offense that is searching for an identity. Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports Auburn leads the all-time series 62-31-3 but has not been nearly as dominant in the past 10 years with the series being split 5-5. In fact, the Bulldogs are currently riding a two-game winning streak against Auburn and have won three of the past five. With a win their three game winning streak would be their longest since they won four straight from 1997-2000. Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports QB Mike Wright If Will Rogers is unable to go then it will be Wright. The veteran spent three seasons at Vanderbilt before transferring to Mississippi State this offseason. RB Jo’Quavious Marks Marks is their top offensive player and one of the better backs in the league, if Auburn can slow him down they they should be able to shut down the Bulldogs’ offense. WR Lideatrick Griffin Mississippi State doesn’t throw it much, but when they do it is likely going to Griffin, and he leads them in every major statistic. LB Nathaniel Watson Watson has had a great senior season, totaling 7.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, Auburn’s offensive line will have to pay attention to where he is and keep him out of the backfield. S Shawn Preston Jr. Preston is the player to know in the secondary, leading the team with three interceptions to go with 36 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Follow all your favorite Alabama teams at Auburn Wire and Roll Tide Wire!

247sports.com Why the Tigers have 'Plankton Mentality' entering winnable stretch Nathan King 5–6 minutes Auburn’s midseason All-American safety certainly doesn’t lack personality. Jaylin Simpson battle-rapped at his high school. He nicknamed his own play style “Slime Time” because of the green mouthguard he wears. He taught Hugh Freeze how to dance to NBA YoungBoy. And this week, he created his own slogan for his mindset on the rest of Auburn’s season. He calls it Plankton Mentality. “I thought of it myself,” Simpson said while beaming with pride Tuesday. Alright, so what does that mean? For the uninitiated, Plankton is the primary antagonist in the long-running kid’s show, Spongebob Squarepants. His goal since 1999 has been to steal his business rival’s recipe for his popular hamburgers — that being Mr. Krabs’ “secret formula.” On Monday night, Simpson posted a picture of Plankton on his Instagram with the caption: “Plankton Mentality.” “Since I've been knowing Plankton, dude’s just got one goal, man: Get that Krabby Patty formula,” Simpson said, to the backdrop of reporters cackling. “He don't stop, no matter what. Every episode, he’s on it. We’ve got to get that Plankton mentality every game. We’ve got to get that formula every game.” The Tigers don’t really care how it happens: They need a win Saturday against Mississippi State. They’re already off to their worst start in conference play since 2012, winless in four SEC games. Simpson and other leaders on this Auburn roster don’t believe there is any shortage of confidence, though, even with the four straight losses. After all, many were here last season, when the Tigers lost five in a row and fired their second-year head coach. Things feel different this time around — more unified, linebacker Eugene Asante said this week. Still, the coaching staff wants to get out ahead of any issues that may arise. “A lot of it came from Coach Freeze yesterday, the talk he had with us,” Simpson said. “It was — we were kind of on it before he even talked to us, like in our little group chats and stuff, but just basically saying flat out: Don't disengage, and basically, just don't quit on us. Just keep going, having that Plankton Mentality. Just keep going. Whatever. Doesn't matter. Just don't quit.” Freeze echoed much of that same language Wednesday on the SEC coaches teleconference, when he said the team had productive meetings early this week. "The challenge and temptation that most people have when they have an unmet expectation or a closed door is they become disengaged,” Freeze said. “Therefore they implode or don’t get better. My challenge to our staff and to our players this week is let’s get 1 percent better. Let’s clear the fog and play free." There are no moral victories in college football, but Auburn has had the No. 3 strength of schedule in the country thus far this season. As Freeze pointed out Monday, the Tigers’ last three games have all come against teams ranked in the top 15 in this week’s AP poll. In the win-loss department, Auburn’s load gets a lot lighter over the next four weeks. The team’s next three SEC opponents — Mississippi State, Arkansas and Vanderbilt — have a combined conference record of 1-12 this season. Then there’s the New Mexico State matchup before the Iron Bowl at home. There are five games remaining for Auburn to grab three more wins and secure bowl eligibility — something players said Tuesday is important to them. “I think it would mean a lot,” Asante said. “I think it will set the foundation for especially the young guys coming in — recruits, the freshmen that are here now — just understanding that that's the standard every year. A bowl game, and then eventually growing upon. Each goal is set, and then you develop upon that goal. It goes from a bowl game, then it goes for double-digit wins, and then it goes to — we want to compete for SEC championships. So we understand that. “... We want to just continue to lay the foundation and let the young guys understand that. So whenever the seniors are out of here, we want to leave a foundation that is unbreakable.” Simpson remembers the feeling of sitting home during bowls and watching other teams continue their seasons, while Auburn missed out for the first time since 2012 with a 5-7 record. “I just want to go to a bowl game because I just like to play,” Simpson said. “It's just important because if you don't go to a bowl game you have to sit and watch everyone play. You feel like the season wasn't a success or something like that. That's really it, we just want to get a bowl game so we can feel some kind of success for the season because right now I feel like a lot of people ain't feeling that right now. “So we get this first win and keep it rolling, get a bowl game, I feel like it won't be such a failure for everybody.” *** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more ***