AUBURN, Ala. – Since Gus Malzahn has been the head coach, Auburn has made three trips to Ole Miss. The Tigers won all three games and averaged 275 rushing yards per game.
With another trip to Oxford coming Saturday, the Auburn rushing attack will once again be a point of emphasis, and the Tigers are starting to hit their stride on the ground with back-to-back 200-yard performances against Arkansas and South Carolina the last two weeks.
The offense and the offensive line, in particular, would love to make it three straight games over 200 yards.
Next Game:
Ole Miss
10/24/2020
11:00 AM
TV: SEC Network
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
"I know the o-line loves to run the ball," Auburn center Nick Brahms said. "We're always telling them we want to run the football. I think that's a big part of our offense. Once we start running the football, it kind of opens other things up, too."
The emergence of freshman running back Tank Bigsby has played a major role in the improved rushing attack for Auburn. He's gone over 100 yards in each of the last two games. But credit also goes to Brahms and the offensive line. The Tigers have started the same five up front for two straight games, and that stability has made a difference.
Auburn is also getting healthier in the running back room. Shaun Shivers is close to returning after sitting out the last three games. D.J. Williams, who has played through injury for most of the season, is close to being 100 percent. And per Malzahn, Mark-Antony Richards is coming off his best week of practice he's had since he's been here.
The Tigers knows how important Saturday's game is. This week – whether it be in the running game or the passing game or the defense – it's been all about playing good, hard-nosed, blue-collar Auburn football.
"Obviously when you lose a game, you have to bounce back," Malzahn said. "Our guys understand that. The big picture of this thing is we need to win, get some momentum, and we need to play good Auburn football. That will be our mindset."
Auburn and Ole Miss will kick off at 11 a.m. CT from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The game will be televised on SEC Network with Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic on the call. You can also listen to Andy Burcham, Stan White and Ronnie Brown who will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the TuneIn app.
THREE QUESTIONS WITH … C NICK BRAHMS
Q: What was the message after Saturday's game?
A: It was a tough loss. The message was that we got better as a team overall, and we need to keep taking that step forward and just keep improving. Yes, we lost. We should've won that game. It hurts really bad that we lost, but we can't do anything about it now. We just have to look to the future and keep winning games. We want to win. Everybody on the team is a competitor. I can tell you that right now. We're not going to fold. Everybody is too tough for that, I promise.
Q: How have you seen Bo Nix bounce back this week?
A: I rode the bus home with Bo, and I could just tell – that guy is a competitor. He talked to us after the game, and he felt really down about himself. It was our job to pick him up as his teammates. We know he's a competitor, he's going to freaking fight until the end. That's what I love about him. I love that guy. I don't care what anybody says about him. He's a great teammate. He's a great kid. I just love him. He's going to bounce back. He's so positive. I don't think he lets the noise get to him, honestly. So I see him bouncing back.
Q: What's been the most impressive thing about Tank Bigsby?
A: I could tell he was special in fall camp. He has the right mindset. He's got a natural leadership ability to him, and as a freshman, that's really rare coming into a big school like Auburn to have a freshman like that kind of lead some guys. You can see – he can burst. He runs hard. I love blocking for him because that dude, he's positive, he brings us up, he's just fun to block for.INSIDE THE SERIES: OLE MISS
Gameday Program
Auburn leads 33-11 all-time against Ole Miss. The Tigers have won four straight in the series, outscoring the Rebels 135-82 in those games. They were 20-14 winners last year at Jordan-Hare Stadium and posted a 31-16 victory the last time they visited Oxford in 2018.
Eleven of the last 16 games in the series have been decided by double digits; Auburn has a 9-2 record in those games. Prior to the last 15 games, the previous five games were decided by eight points or fewer.
Auburn has had some huge rushing performances in the 10 meetings against Ole Miss with Gus Malzahn on the Tigers' staff (2009-11 OC, 2013-present HC). Auburn's leading rushers in those games have averaged 157.3 yards on the ground (1,573 combined rushing yards) and have scored a total of 11 rushing touchdowns. In eight of those 10 games, the Tigers' leading rusher has gained at least 138 yards. Auburn is 9-1 in those games.
Series: Auburn leads 33-11
At Auburn: Auburn leads 16-3
At Oxford: Auburn leads 12-3
At Neutral Sites: Tied, 5-5
Most AU points: 41 (2010)
Current Streak: Auburn, W4BY THE NUMBERS
100: With 111 yards and his first career touchdown at South Carolina, Tank Bigsby became the first Auburn freshman to rush for 100 yards in back-to-back games since redshirt freshman JaTarvious Whitlow in 2018 (122 vs. Alabama State; 104 vs. LSU). Bigsby is the first true freshman to do so and the first freshman, true or redshirt, to do it in consecutive SEC games since Michael Dyer in 2010 (100 vs. LSU; 180 at Ole Miss).
134: In 57 games under Kevin Steele, the Auburn defense has recorded 134 sacks (2.35 per game) and has been held without a sack only seven times. Auburn has recorded at least six tackles for loss in 34 of those games, including eight tackles for loss against Kentucky and seven tackles for loss against Arkansas.
3: With 696 combined career kicking points, the Carlsons (Daniel and Anders) are now third all-time in the most points scored by a duo of brothers who kicked for the same college, passing Nevada's Marty and Tony Zendejas (685 points from 1981-87).