Mississippi State Football: Friends with the enemy vs. Auburn
By Landon Young
Mississippi State football is back home to take on the Auburn Tigers this Saturday night. The game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi. The Bulldogs come into this game 5-3, and the Tigers at 3-5.
To learn more about the Auburn Tigers, I met up with Andrews Hughes from flywareagle.com.
Hello Maroon and White Nation, my name is Andrew Hughes and I’m the expert for Fly War Eagle, FanSided’s Auburn site. I’ve been covering the Tigers since the end of the Gus Malzahn era, and look forward to beginning the (likely short-lived) Cadillac era until the AU brain trust lands on a permanent head coaching candidate. Let’s dive in!
Are your fans confused? How do you know whether to purchase gear with eagles or tigers on it?
Man has jokes! Anybody that has been to a game at Jordan-Hare Stadium since 2000 understands the significance and power of the eagle flight, and most fans know the origins from the 1892 Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry game against Georgia when a war veteran’s pet eagle he found on the battlefield began flying down the field as Auburn simultaneously drove into Georgia territory to win the game. That said, there are plenty of recruits that call Auburn the ‘war eagles,’ and it is funny absolutely every time that happens.
Well… let’s talk about John Cohen for a second. What are your thoughts on the new athletic director?
John Cohen’s arrival immediately led to the pulling off of the Bryan Harsin band-aid, so his presence is definitely a noteworthy one. With that said, I’m reserving full judgment until there is a permanent head coaching hire. So far so good, though.
Can you do me a favor and hire Lane Kiffin?
Brother, I’d do it in a second, even if Ole Miss would counter by bringing Deion Sanders up to the big leagues. Lane Kiffin would potentially bring over Quinshon Judkins, a Montgomery, Alabama product who was Bryan Harsin’s to lose during the 2022 recruiting cycle. We’ve seen him rebuild an SEC program quickly, and Auburn’s ceiling will always be higher than the Rebels’.
Mississippi State hasn’t lost a home game this season. What would need to happen for Auburn to change that?
The implementation of Cadillac as head coach can slow this game down and keep the time of possession for Will Rogers and co. low. If the secondary can have its best game of the season, AU can have a chance at the two-touchdown upset.
Tank Bigsby is probably the most talented player on this year’s Auburn roster. How many yards would he need to rush for to come out of Starkville with a win on Saturday night?
Tank needs to exceed 100, if not 150 yards rushing, and either Jarquez Hunter or Robby Ashford has to surpass 75 themselves. If Bigsby can open up the passing game and Ashford can have a similar showing to his final three quarters against ole Miss, there’s a similar chance the offense can do enough to hang with the air-raid.
Who leads the Auburn defense?
The three pillars of the Auburn defense are Derick Hall, Colby Wooden, and Owen Pappoe. The losses of Roger McCreary and Smoke Monday make the secondary a weak spot, which is not ideal when facing a Mike Leach offense…
Give me your score prediction and analysis of Mississippi State vs. Auburn.
I’m leaning towards a 35-24 spread-covering loss for Auburn, likely knocking them out of contention for bowl eligibility.