Auburn football hits the road this week to play another important SEC game against No. 12 Ole Miss, which means it is time for another edition of Behind Enemy Lines, a weekly feature that highlights storylines and key stats from Auburn's opponent through the eyes of a writer who covers the team.
This week, we reached out to Sam Hutchens, the Ole Miss beat reporter for The Clarion-Ledger
, for the inside scoop on Auburn's Week 9 opponent, the Ole Miss Rebels.This week's conversation with Hutchens focuses on the Rebels recent loss to Texas, the loss of a key player, former Tigers who are shining in Oxford, and much more. Here is this week's Behind Enemy Lines featuring Sam Hutchens of The Clarion-Ledger.
What was your biggest takeaway from Ole Miss' recent loss to Texas?
SH: "Ole Miss isn't good enough to dig itself
out of huge holes. The Rebels were close to doing it in Austin, but Pete Golding was correct when he said they need to be more consistent."
Kewan Lacy will not play on Saturday. What does the Ole Miss run game look like without him?
SH: "There's a chance it's still pretty good. Makhi Frazier and JT Lindsey have been serviceable backups all year. Look for young Shekai Mills-Knight, who absolutely could be a future RB1 in the SEC, to get more carries too"
A handful of former Tigers are with Ole Miss now, including Horatio Fields and Jay Crawford. How much impact have they made since joining the team? Do you expect either of them to dictate the outcome of Saturday's game?
SH: "Both players have been solid transfer portal adds. Fields has been a little bit of an unexpected bright spot. He has the second-most catches on the team among receivers, behind Deuce Alexander. Going into the year, he wasn't the player many projected as the WR2."
Which Tigers have your attention ahead of the game?
SH: "Byrum Brown is the player I'm most excited to see. The Ole Miss rushing defense has been vulnerable at times this season, and the Rebels haven't generated pressure consistently. Maybe a recipe for Brown to shine."
Ole Miss wins on Saturday if....
SH: "It turns the ball over one time or less. The Rebels are fantastic in home games over the past few seasons. They don't need a perfect game to win, but they must avoid self-inflicted errors."
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: Behind Enemy Lines: Auburn-Ole Miss preview with Sam Hutchens
