Auburn Football: 8 Points of Focus for the Tigers During Ole Miss Week

The Auburn Tigers have the chance to finish the month of October with a winning record. To start the season, the Tigers were expected to barely make a bowl game, much less be in line for a possible seven to eight win season.

This weekend’s game against Ole Miss has become a crucial pivot point for the Tigers 2011 season. Auburn can finish October with a winning record and become instantly eligible for a bowl with a win, or the Tigers could falter and Ole Miss could put Auburn’s season right back into mediocre land.

Auburn has a lot of improvement and adjustments that are needed if they want to overcome the Rebels this weekend. If the Tigers want to be successful, these eight points must be addressed.

Clint Moseley Must Up His Play

Clint Moseley earned his first career start as an Auburn Tiger against one of the best defenses in the country in their house. He was thrown to the lions, and they were hungry when the Auburn team came to town.

Moseley was able to perform decently well despite being under constant duress. He finished the game completing 60 percent of his passes and maintained a level headed composure for the entirety of the game.

This week against Ole Miss needs to be a huge leap forward for Moseley. The Tigers coaches need to open up the playbook for him and allow him to attempt some big throws. Moseley also needs to be able to make decisions at the line.

For Auburn to be successful consistently on offense, the quarterback has to lead. This is Moseley’s chance to prove why the coaches put him in the driver’s seat.

Offensive Line Has to Play Aggressive

Against LSU, the Tigers offensive line looked terrible. At times, it looked like they simply allowed their man to run free instead of trying to simply slow the pursuit. The Tigers have lost a key offensive lineman to injury when Jared Cooper went down, but that is no excuse for the wholesale lack of effort.

The Tigers have a test this week, as the Ole Miss front four is no pushover. For Moseley to have success, he must be able to make plays. For Moseley to make plays, the Tigers offensive line has to be able to stop the Rebels from playing in the Auburn backfield.

Auburn has to improve this week if they plan to have any shot to control the line of scrimmage and win this SEC contest.

Contain Randall Mackey

Mackey has worked his way into the playing rotation for Ole Miss and has come on strong since the Fresno State game. The Arkansas game was the pinnacle of his performances, as he tossed 18 completions for 219 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 30 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Mackey is very similar to the type of quarterback that Jeremiah Masoli was for the Rebels. He brings a multiple attack that keeps a defense honest and forces them to play sound assignment football.

Auburn will have to work hard to contain Mackey and not fall victim to the play action. The Tigers will also need to commit to pressure while keeping Mackey contained inside the pocket. If Auburn can neutralize Mackey, then they will likely earn the win. 

Stretch the Field Offensively

With the ongoing injury to Emory Blake the Tigers have not had a consistent deep threat. The Tigers have not thrown the deep ball often, but when they have it rarely has been successful.

Auburn has to keep defenses honest and force safeties out of the box. The only way to do that would be for Auburn to stretch the field with the passing game. Moseley has proven that he has the arm and accuracy, but the Tigers have yet to have the opportunity to let him loose.

The sooner the Tigers can stretch the field, the faster the offense will be able to return to its regular form running the football consistently. Unfortunately for Auburn, every opponent knows that Auburn wants to run the ball. The Tigers need to want to throw the ball.

Dominate Special Teams

The Tigers have been quite formidable on special teams this season. In the past few games, however, there have been some struggles. For the Tigers to have an edge, they must perform well on special teams across the board. Every unit must be flawless.

Auburn has one of the best kickers in the SEC and one of the best punters in the country. Steven Clark did have some issues this past game, as he didn’t have his best game. Enabling the Tigers to win the game of field position is huge for Auburn, as the offense has been struggling lately.

Auburn has been able to use their return teams to their favor early in the season. As the competition has gotten stronger, the Tigers have not been as effective. Auburn needs to find the edge in the return game again this week. Every edge is needed against the Rebels.

Create Turnovers

With the lack of firepower that the Tigers have shown offensively, Auburn needs to find a spark in any way possible. One way that the Tigers can provide a boost of momentum is with turnovers. Auburn has been close often this season, but they haven’t always executed when it counts.

Auburn will undoubtedly find themselves in position to make plays on a ball or two in this week’s game. If Auburn can force turnovers early, they will be able swallow the Rebels early. 

Dynamic Play Calling

I am not sure what has happened with the Tigers offense this season. There is an obvious lack of playmaking at quarterback so far, and with the youth the Tigers have had upfront, it comes as no surprise to see the Tigers rushing attack underperforming.

Auburn has used some very well planned play calls in the first half of the season, but all too often, it feels as if the Tigers coaches are holding back the meat of the play calls. One argument could be for the sake of ball control, but Auburn has not been the most efficient there either.

For Auburn to defeat Ole Miss, they have to diversify the offense. The hope would be that Moseley will be much more acclimated and the playbook will open this week.

Intently Intense Defense

To start the season, Auburn looked weak defensively. They were missing tackles, and they seemed to even avoid contact at times to effort an arm tackle.

In the past two games, the Tigers have appeared to add some aggression to their play. That may have come with the younger players gaining confidence in their reads and pursuits. It also may have to do with the leadership that has taken to the defense.

Eltoro Freeman will earn a third start this season, as the Ole Miss Rebels come to town. Freeman brings a dynamic that is unmatchable. He has a passion for the game and is driven to be successful. If Auburn can grow with Freeman and continue to arrive at the ball intently and intensely, they will have success stopping the Rebels diversified attack.