Mississippi State TV info, key matchups

[aubiefifty 17,488]

No. 17 Auburn vs. Mississippi State TV info, key matchups, what to watch for

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

4-5 minutes

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Head 2 Head: Auburn vs Mississippi State

No. 17 Auburn (6-3, 3-2 SEC) vs. Mississippi State (5-4, 3-3)

When: 11 a.m. CT, Saturday

Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn

TV: ESPN

Line: Auburn -5.5

This game will determine...

Whether Auburn can bounce back from a tough defeat at the hands of Texas A&M and stay in the mix for the SEC West title. The Tigers will need to win out and have the Aggies drop one of their remaining two SEC games to have a chance to claim the division crown. How Texas A&M fares is out of Auburn’s control, but the Tigers must handle business on their end.

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Can Auburn stop Mississippi State QB Will Rogers?

Three things to look for...

1. Can Auburn’s offense snap out of its rut? The Tigers have gone six quarters without an offensive touchdown, and the team is coming off its worst offensive showing in years. Auburn will try to get back on track against Mississippi State, needing better execution, more explosive plays and a better early-down success to set up more manageable third-down situations.

2. Can Auburn’s defense keep it up? Auburn’s offensive struggles have aligned with a resurgence from the Tigers’ defense, which has not allowed a touchdown in the last six quarters of play yet wasn’t satisfied despite a stalwart performance in a losing effort last week. Now the unit will try to ground Mississippi State’s pass-happy Air Raid attack.

3. How will Auburn’s offensive line shake out? Auburn saw more rotation along the offensive line amid last week’s struggles, with starting left guard Brandon Council sidelined with an undisclosed injury. That thrust Alec Jackson into a spot start at guard, though the Tigers continued to rotate personnel in the trenches. Bryan Harsin indicated Council could return this week, which would put Auburn’s offensive line back to full strength. If he can’t go, though, it will be interesting to see if the Tigers stick with the same five from last week or switch things up in search of more success at the line of scrimmage.

Key matchup

Auburn’s pass defense against Mississippi State’s Air Raid offense. Mississippi State passes the ball more than any team in the country, with 491 attempts on the season. The Bulldogs also complete more of their passes than anyone else, with quarterback Will Rogers boasting a 75.2 percent completion rate this year while throwing for 3,309 yards (third among FBS quarterbacks) and 23 touchdowns. It will be a handful for Auburn’s secondary, which ranks 105th in the country in opponent completion rate (64.3 percent) and 65th in team passing efficiency defense.

By the numbers

75.2 — Mississippi State’s 75.2 percent completion rate this season is the best among FBS teams.

Key injuries

Auburn — DT Jeremiah Wright (ACL) out, OL Brandon Council (undisclosed) questionable, DB Zion Puckett (lower body) questionable, WR Malcolm Johnson Jr. (undisclosed) questionable, DE Caleb Johnson (undisclosed) questionable, EDGE Romello Height (undisclosed) questionable.

Mississippi State — QB Jack Abraham (concussion) out, WR Trip Wilson (legal problems) out.

Mississippi State player to watch

Emmanuel Forbes, cornerback. The sophomore defensive back is the SEC’s active career leader in interceptions with eight and is tied for the FBS lead since the start of last season. He’s also the SEC’s active leader in defensive touchdowns (three). Though none of those scores have come this season, Forbes has 41 tackles, with 3.5 for a loss, to go with three interceptions, four pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

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