This is about the upcoming LSU and Auburn game,  but since it gives an overview of Auburn, it should be relavent since Auburn is the next Ole Miss opponent.

Getting to know Auburn

The LSU Tigers are heading back home after taking down Missouri, now preparing to take on the new look Auburn Tigers.

Auburn hired former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze this offseason and he is off to an ok start at 3-2. They are coming off a bye week after playing it close against Georgia the week before.

LSU was 3-2 against Ole Miss while Freeze was in charge, with the teams trading wins each season.

The offense has a two-quarterback system led by Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne and supplemented by the running ability of Robby Ashford.

Auburn has not particularly filled up the stat sheet this season as they have 119th ranked passing offense in the country, averaging just 156.6 yards per game. Thorne has 643 passing yards with a 62.8 completion rate and four touchdowns with four interceptions. Ashford has a touchdown through the air without having thrown an interception but is completing just 44.4% of his passes.

The biggest receiving threats on the team this season have been sophomore receiver Jay Fair, with 18 catches for 196 yards and two touchdowns, and tight end Rivaldo Fairweather who has 14 catches for 145 yards and a score.

LSU has struggled against passing offenses this season, but this could potentially be a confidence building week as Auburn has just not been much of a threat through the air. On the flip side, if they struggle again, this would be the most embarrassing performance to date.

Auburn’s offense is focused through the ground game, which is top 20 in the country with 202 yards per game. It’s been spread out throughout a few guys without one guy blowing everyone out of the water. Jarquez Hunter leads the team with 202 rushing yards, and they have five players over 100 rushing yards, including both quarterbacks. Ashford leads the team with five rushing touchdowns.

Their redzone offense, ranked 91st in the country, is almost exclusively rushing focused as they have 10 rushing touchdowns to two passing touchdowns within it.

The offensive line has left a lot to be desired, allowing seven tackles for a loss per game and three sacks, ranking as a bottom-30 unit in all of the FBS.

Overall, this is a game that the LSU defense needs to take over. The only FBS defense that has allowed Auburn to score at will was Massachusetts, which is one of the worst units in the country.

The LSU offense, however, is in for a tougher matchup than they’ve seen so far this year as the Auburn defense is having a nice season.

The defense is led by coordinator Ron Roberts, who is a former Southeastern Louisiana head coach and University of Louisiana-Lafayette defensive coordinator. His most recent job before this was the Baylor defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach for Dave Aranda. They run a base nickel 4-2-5 defense with a JACK linebacker and a STAR defensive back.

Safety Jaylin Simpson has been off to a great start, tied for the NCAA lead with four interceptions this season. The only game he hasn’t had an interception this season was against Texas A&M. Linebacker Eugene Asante leads the team in tackles and total QB pressures this season.

The pass rush has ranked around the middle of the league with two sacks per game, the front is a little bit better in total tackles for a loss with around six per game.

SOURCE: Sanders, Dylan. "Getting to know Auburn." 247Sports.com - Inside the Rebels, October 11, 2023, https://247sports.com/college/ole-miss/article/lsu-football-auburn-2023-game-preview-matchup-keys-217817914/