Another SEC game is on tap for the Auburn Tigers this weekend. Auburn travels to Mississippi State on Saturday, looking to push its winning streak to two games and to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2023.
One factor that could plague Auburn in this game is the early kickoff. Saturday's game will be Auburn's third-straight early kickoff, and they are 1-1 in previous games that began before noon CT.
"This is a tough travel," Auburn head coach Alex Golesh said Monday of the Tigers' upcoming trip to Starkville.
Mississippi State is also 4-5 entering the game and has lost five straight games. Despite Mississippi State's rough patch, Golesh respects the Bulldogs enough to know his team must play at a high level to earn a win on Saturday.
"This is not a team that you can lollygag around because they have the ability to put points at a high clip," Golesh said.
Vegas points to Auburn as the favorite, but the Tigers can not take Mississippi State lightly. Here are five factors that could cause Auburn to struggle at Mississippi State on Saturday.
Mississippi State QB AJ Swann has another big game
Mississippi State's quarterback situation has been inconsistent since losing Kamario Taylor to a season-ending toe injury before Week 7's game at LSU, with Parker Puckett and AJ Swann splitting time at the position over the last five weeks.
In Mississippi State's Week 10 game against Vanderbilt, Swann caught fire by completing 63% of his passes for 254 yards and a touchdown in a losing effort. If Swann repeats those numbers on Saturday, it could be an issue for Auburn's defense, which ranks No. 15 in the SEC in pass defense.
Auburn's run game never gets going
Auburn made several adjustments in the second half of its Week 10 win over Arkansas; one of those was to the run game. The Tigers gained 165 yards on the ground in the final 30 minutes after mustering just 18 yards in the first half.
Auburn has struggled to run the football this season, and Mississippi State is in the upper half of the SEC at stopping the run. Auburn could struggle if it does not build a sustainable run game on Saturday.
Mississippi State consistently pressures Byrum Brown
Auburn's offensive line played arguably its best game in Week 10 against Arkansas by allowing just nine quarterback pressures in 77 snaps. However, Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown has still been sacked an SEC-leading 35 times, which is an alarming number just nine games into the season.
Auburn's offensive line must keep Brown clean on Saturday and protect him from Bulldog blitzers Jaray Bledsoe, Will Whitson, and Dealyn Evans.
Linebacker depth causes the defense to struggle
The linebacker unit has been one of Auburn's strong points this season, but its depth has taken a hit in recent weeks. Bryce Deas stepped in for Xavier Atkins, but his role was short-lived as he suffered a season-ending injury in practice before the Tigers' game against Arkansas.
True freshman Shadarius Toodle was the "next man up" last week, and he answered the call by recording 11 tackles and three sacks in relief of DeMarcus Riddick, who left because of his own injury.
Despite being without two strong linebackers, Auburn is in a good spot at the position with Elijah Melendez, Shadarius Toodle, DeMarcus Riddick, and Michael Matthews-Canty leading the charge. However, if the lack of depth becomes a concern, it will be interesting to see how Mississippi State responds.
Mississippi State controls the tempo of the game
Auburn remains the lowest-ranked team in the SEC in average time of possession at 26:53 per game. Mississippi State is not much better, with an average of 27:29. Auburn must control the clock and take advantage of every opportunity on Saturday to get out of Starkville with a win.
Taylor Jones is the lead writer for Auburn Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) and BlueSky. FollowAuburn Wire on X andFacebook.
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Five reasons why Auburn could struggle with Mississippi State in Week 11
