Behind Enemy Lines: Mississippi State expert shares thoughts on Auburn’s matchup vs Bulldogs

We take a peek at Auburn’s week nine competition by reaching out to a Mississippi State expert.

The Auburn Tigers are actively preparing for their week nine matchup against the Mississippi State Bulldogs which will kick off on Saturday October 28 at 2:30 pm CT at Jordan-Hare.

The Tigers are coming off a 4-game losing streak having yet to clinch a victory in SEC play. At this point the Tigers are desperately looking for a win.

In preparation for this contest, we reached out to Mississippi State expert Crissy Froyd of Cowbell Corner to answer some questions from behind enemy lines. 

With starting QB Will Rogers out due to injury how much confidence do you have in backup QB Mike Wright against Auburn’s secondary?

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Froyd: It has been weeks straight that Mississippi State fans have been calling for Mike Wright. Though it is under unfortunate circumstances, they finally have what they wished for. While the offense overall was nothing flashy, Wright was efficient in his first game as the MSU starting quarterback. With steady improvement as a passer, he could become a truly dangerous dual-threat quarterback.

Does playing at Jordan-Hare add an additional layer of difficulty for the Bulldogs?

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Froyd: Any SEC environment, for the most part, will do that. There is always a certain added level of difficulty to making a road trip and playing somewhere outside of your home stadium. And it’s hard to forget about the hostility of Jordan-Hare and the pure grit MSU had to show in the famous comeback on The Plains in 2022.

What are the most important matchups that Mississippi State must capitalize on to win the game against Auburn?

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Froyd: The Auburn offense isn’t anything to write home about, but the Tigers’ defense is enough to make you perk up and keeps them competitive. Mike Wright, if he starts as many anticipate, will face a tough test against the Auburn secondary. That may be the biggest storyline to watch in this entire game. Auburn held Texas A&M and Georgia to 27 points, allowing 425 total yards against Ole Miss. Their biggest asset is a strong passing defense which ranks 50th in the nation.

Who do you expect to be the breakout performer for the Bulldogs in this contest?

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Froyd: He’s not exactly underrated or not talked about enough by any means, but running back Jo’quavious Marks should be in for a big game here against Auburn’s 89th-ranked rushing defense. Marks truly is the best of both worlds as a rusher, having played both in Mike Leach’s Air Raid and Kevin Barbay’s pro-style offense.

What mistakes must the Bulldogs avoid at all costs during this game?

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Froyd: It’s going to come down to not turning the ball over and finding some type of a rhythm on offense. The Bulldogs usually have some strong bright spots within their defensive showing as linebacker Nathaniel Watson is one of the best players on that side of the ball in the nation. Hence all of the national recognition he received before the season and during it. But playing complementary football, especially against any competition of note, has not been their strong suit. And even the defense as a whole has not even nearly what it once was, outside of last week’s 7-3 win over Arkansas, since the coaching staff changes.

How would you grade Coach Zach Arnett performance thus far in his inaugural season as head coach?

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Froyd: Plainly put, it’s been abysmal. Mississippi State has struggled to maintain consistent strength in any phase of the game since Arnett took over and isn’t exactly lighting it up on the recruiting trail, either. The Bulldogs rank particularly low in several offensive categories, and I think Arnett has learned a big lesson in immediately firing just about all of Mike Leach’s coaching staff right after his death. It’s fair to give him another year, but he looks completely in over his head.

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