Ole Miss HC Pete Golding Outlines Several Emphasis Points in Matchup With Auburn Tigers

As the Auburn Tigers finish out their October filled with ranked opponents, Ole Miss has a gameplan in place to make the finish difficult.

Oct 17, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Pete Golding looks on during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

They say the SEC is a gauntlet, and the Auburn Tigers are experiencing that firsthand in October, facing their fourth-ranked opponent of the month on Saturday in the No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels. 

Similar to Auburn’s last game, a loss to No. 18 LSU, the Rebels are also coming off a loss at Texas last weekend, despite a valiant comeback late in the game by Ole Miss. Now, head coach Pete Golding will look to respond with College Football Playoff hopes on the line. 

Many opposing coaches have had their focus on the Tigers fall on the man under center, transfer quarterback Byrum Brown. Similarly, Golding is putting a lot of focus on slowing down the dual-threat standout. 

“The offense runs through the quarterback,” he said. “Dual-threat guy, leads the SEC in quarterback run game, so you got to be able to account for him on base downs.”

Golding also brought up the fast offense that Auburn head coach Alex Golesh brings with each game. The Tigers are one of the fastest teams in the country in terms of seconds per play, and Ole Miss will have to be ready for lots of snaps in small amounts of time. 

Fortunately for the Rebels, that’s the type of structure they play against in practice each day. 

“Obviously, we get to go against tempo every day, but that’s that system,” Golding said. “They’re going to get their cleats on the ground really fast.”

The first-year head coach also mentions the spread offense that Auburn likes to run when it is passing the ball, saying that every defender will need to win their matchup if the Rebels want to avoid a scary Halloween upset. 

“The spacing of the receivers splits you out of the ballpark, which creates a numbers issue,” Golding said. “So, you load the box, you’re going to create some one-on-ones outside. So with that being said, you’ve got to be able to play man-to-man.”

Ole Miss’s leader is also a notable fan of defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, with the two being around the SEC for quite some time. Although the Tigers allowed 31 first-half points against LSU last weekend, just because the Rebels have Trinidad Chambliss at quarterback doesn’t mean it’s a sure thing for it to happen again. 

Golding believes his group will be ready for it. 

“I think Durkin’s always done a really, really good job everywhere he’s been,” he said. “Obviously, a lot of familiarity with the system, have gone against it several different times.”

However, the keys to success for Ole Miss are simple in Golding’s eyes: limit the run game, win the turnover margin and get the Auburn offense frustrated, as we’ve seen in similar weeks. 

Although it’s easier said than done, if the Tigers fall into that game script, it could be a long Halloween day for them. 

“The key to the drill, to me, is you got to eliminate the quarterback run game,” Golding said. “You got to create some negative yardage plays early to get them to obvious passing downs.”

Kickoff is set for 11:45 a.m. Central, and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network. 

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