Mississippi State is on the road for the second consecutive week as the Bulldogs (4-3, 1-3 Southeastern Conference) travel to Auburn (3-4, 0-4) for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday on SEC Network.
The Tigers have lost their last four games after winning their first three, though they did play both No. 1 Georgia and No. 13 Ole Miss tight, losing to each by seven points at home. MSU defeated Auburn in dramatic fashion in 2021 and 2022, rallying from a 25-point first-half deficit two years ago and outlasting the Tigers in overtime last season.
To learn more about this Auburn team, the Commercial Dispatch chatted with Matt Cohen, who covers the Tigers for AL.com.
Editor’s note: This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
The Commercial Dispatch: Now that we’re more than halfway through the season, what are the main things you’ve learned about this Auburn team?
Matt Cohen: It can’t throw the ball. It doesn’t take much analysis to figure that out, but that’s the clear and obvious problem within the context of this season. There are a variety of reasons why Auburn can’t throw the ball, including inconsistent quarterback play, offensive linemen missing the correct protection and receivers running the wrong routes at times. It’s been an all-systems failure passing the ball, and it’s wasting what has been a great Tigers defense thus far.
But Auburn has also learned quite harshly that this is a multi-year rebuild. Recruiting wins are starting to pile up for Auburn, with a highly-ranked 2024 class that is expected to grow further and a hot start to 2025 recruiting. The rewards of that recruiting won’t be felt for years down the line, but the Tigers have not been shy about going after top-ranked receivers which will, eventually, help Auburn throw the ball.
The Dispatch: Where do things stand right now with the quarterback situation? Are Hugh Freeze and the coaching staff still confident that Payton Thorne is the guy?
Cohen: Payton Thorne is still above Robby Ashford on the depth chart, technically speaking, and is the quarterback the Tigers generally feel more comfortable with. But Auburn is going to use both. This is effectively a two-quarterback system at this point, though Thorne will likely see a majority of the snaps. Both quarterbacks have their own package of plays and Hugh Freeze has called it a very different style of offense with each.
It’s not quite fair to say Thorne is Auburn’s passing quarterback and Ashford is Auburn’s running quarterback, but Thorne is certainly the player Auburn feels better about on passing downs. Ashford did “start” the game against Ole Miss, but that was purely just out of a package of plays Auburn scripted for its first drive and not a change on the depth chart. Freeze has outwardly expressed confidence in Thorne, but has also noted, and correctly so, that Thorne is not the only issue here.
The Dispatch: Quarterbacks aside, what will be the biggest challenges Mississippi State’s defense will face on Saturday?
Cohen: So while Auburn can’t pass, it definitely can run. The Tigers’ rushing offense is top 30 in the nation based on yards per game and top five in the SEC. Auburn rushed for more than 200 yards against Georgia. Both quarterbacks are running threats, starting running back Jarquez Hunter had his best game of the year last week against Ole Miss with over 100 all-purpose yards, USF transfer Brian Battie has been great and Auburn may well get its top backup, Damari Alston, back this week from a shoulder injury. If the Tigers have their full stable of running backs — Hunter, Alston, Battie and freshman Jeremiah Cobb — then Auburn could have a big day running the ball even against Mississippi State’s rushing defense, which is in the top 50 nationally.
If all four running backs are healthy, the Tigers will use all four of them. They each have a bit of a different skill set.
The Dispatch: What do you make of this Tigers defense right now, and what does it need to do to slow down the Bulldogs’ offense?
Cohen: The stats don’t really indicate how well this defense has played. Auburn has fallen to 10th in the SEC in total defense after four straight losses, but there’s a bit of context hidden in that.
For most of Auburn’s games — last week’s loss to Ole Miss being a good example — the Tigers’ defense has played really well for the first three quarters to keep the offense with a chance to stay in games. But eventually, being on the field for so long has its consequences and the defense has looked worn out in the fourth quarter. Ole Miss had the ball for about nine more minutes than Auburn in last week’s game. That’s significant. The Tigers’ defense is good, but it is exhausted.
The Dispatch: Auburn will win if…
Cohen: Auburn can win if it finally finds a way to clean up its repetitive mistakes in the passing game. The Tigers are favored in this game despite having a worse record. But the key reason why Auburn is favored is because it has been much better at home. The crowd will be key, too.
The Dispatch: Auburn will lose if…
Cohen: The Tigers get down early and are forced to throw. If that happens, it means the defense fell apart early and Auburn will be forced to be one-dimensional in the one thing it can’t do: pass.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 28 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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