Ole Miss vs. Auburn: Grading the Tigers Win Against the Rebels

Auburn flexed their muscles against the Ole Miss Rebels, but we learned a lot about the Tigers after this one. Many questioned how they would come out at home in a night against a Rebels squad that has not even won a game in the SEC yet.

However, the experts did not see a blowout on the horizon, and yet Auburn did just that. Let's break down the offense, defense, special teams and coaching staff, as well as an overall perspective on where exactly the state of Auburn football will be when the season comes to a close. 

Offense

Boy, did Clint Moseley take his fair share of licks and lumps against the Bayou Bengals last weekend in their 45-10 loss.

Many questioned if Auburn could bounce back against an Ole Miss team that does not make you geared up to play. However, Moseley went bonkers in the air thanks to stud wide receiver Emory Blake (ankle) who hauled in five passes for 71 yards and a touchdown.

In fact, the offense ranked 106th in the nation in passing offense, and yet Moseley was extremely productive, going 12-for-15 with 160 yards and four touchdowns.

Plus, the rushing attack was as productive as it has been all season, totaling for 256 yards on 50 attempts. Michael Dyer has all-world talent and he backed it up rushing for 187 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.

Grade: A

Defense

Ole Miss came into the game with just awful stats and production. Any way you looked at it they were the worst in both passing and rushing numbers. 

They ranked 107th in rushing (108 YPG) and 107th in passing (160 YPG). They have not found an identity, and any coach will tell you how vital it is to find some type of identity on offense.

The Tigers pinned their ears back and got after Rebels quarterback Randall Mackey. Eltero Freeman picked up two sacks on Mackey and even T'Sharvan Bell notched a sack.

Ole Miss was able to move the ball when it needed, totaling 382 yards on the night, but they turned it over three times against Ted Roof's opportunistic and bend-but-don't-break defense.

They were gashed at times by Jeff Scott, allowing 220 total rushing yards against the Rebels, but they could not find much running when they got into Auburn territory. 

Give some credit (and some blame on Ole Miss) to Auburn, who forced Ole Miss to cough it up twice on fumbles, on top of forcing an interception. This was a tie-ballgame at half, but the Tigers clearly took it up a notch in the second half.

All in all, the defense gave up a chunk of yards, but they were able to make the necessary stops when they needed to. Auburn will get a much needed bye week before they go to Athens against the scorching hot Georgia Bulldogs.

Grade: C

Special Teams

The special teams was legit as always for Auburn, as place kicker Cody Parkey had two straight touchbacks to start off the game before he added another one towards the end of the game.

Outside of a near-loss fumble by Robenson Therezie, the Tigers' special teams unit was solid. Tre Mason came into the game in the top 25 in kick-off return yardage (27.2 yards per attempt).

Cody Parkey went 2-for-2 as he is now 11-for-13 on the season.

Grade: A

Coaching

Gene Chizik continues to impress me as a coach, despite winning a BCS National Championship with Auburn last season. He made one hell of a decision going with Clint Moseley (like he had a choice), and he delivered his finest ball game in his young career, throwing for four touchdowns and 160 yards (no INTs).

Chizik never seems to have his team come out flat (they started out fine vs. LSU), and despite being tied with the Rebels, he kept with it by running the ball down the throats of Ole Miss. Did I mention it paid off? Auburn ran for 254 yards and could not be stopped offensively. It just came down to the defense making a few stops, and they did just that by shutting out Ole Miss until a garbage touchdown was scored on the final play of the game.

Grade: B+

Overall

Overall, these Tigers still have a ton of work ahead of them if they expect to reach a New Year's Day Bowl. However, I love their moxie and their ability to bounce back when all the chips are down.

They have Georgia on the road after their bye week upcoming, but they of course have Alabama at home in the Iron Bowl to close out the season. The Tigers would love nothing better than to possibly spoil the BCS National Championship hopes of their hated rivals.

Projected Finish Rest of Season: 1-2

Projected Bowl: Cotton Bowl

Projected Finish: 8-5 (Counting W in Cotton Bowl)