Friday, October 28, 2005
AU Preview: Ole Miss
The #19 Auburn Tigers (5-2, 3-1 SEC) try to recover from last week's blooper reel loss at LSU against Ole Miss (3-4, 1-3 SEC) on the plains. Ole Miss is coming off their first SEC win of the season in a 13-7 squeaker against Kentucky. The game will be televised on JP Sports at 11:30am central time.
Tommy Tuberville has already said that he won't hesitate to go to kicker John Vaughn in a game-deciding FG situation, in spite of his struggles last week.
Given what is essentially a complete mismatch between the two teams, ESPN.com is really reaching for some matchups this time.
1. Auburn LT Marcus McNeil vs. Mississippi RDE Corvelli Haynes
Haynes is relentless, quick and athletic, but he will struggle to hold his own working against McNeil. McNeil takes good angles to his blocks, he has the explosive first step to get into position quickly and he's big enough to engulf Haynes at the point of attack. He also has the lateral mobility and long arms to keep Haynes at bay when Auburn drops back to pass.
2. Mississippi WR Mario Hill vs. Auburn Patrick Lee
Hill is a reliable possession receiver that runs good routes but he doesn't have great speed and it will cost him working against Lee. Lee has good size for a corner, he shows adequate burst coming out of his backpedal and he can afford to be aggressive because he knows he can recover if Hill gets behind him. He doesn't miss many open-field tackles, either, so he should be able to limit Hill's production after the catch.
3. Mississippi's interior offensive line vs. Auburn NT T.J. Jackson
Don't expect Jackson to make much of an impact rushing the passer, because he doesn't have great closing speed or athletic ability. However, he is a powerful interior run stuffer that should be able to clog up the middle working against a Mississippi interior offensive line that lacks ideal size. Jackson is quick enough to beat blockers to the point of attack, he plays with good leverage and he has excellent lower body strength.
This is the 2nd straight week where the matchups have given good reviews of Lee's defensive abilities, but I for one haven't noticed him much during the games. Is he doing such a good job that the opposing QB doesn't even throw the ball to that side of the field, as we saw with Carlos Rogers last year, or were some actual blown coverages by him overlooked due to the LSU WRs not being able to catch any better than ours did last week? Something to keep an eye on.
Assuming that the team (and coaching staff) shows up with their heads in the game instead of...well, you know where...this should be a cakewalk, even though Ole Miss gave Bama a scare in their matchup two weeks ago. First, Ole Miss was at home, and secondly, Bama's offense has completely fallen apart since they lose their #1 WR to injury. Even a remotely competent performance should lead to a win my multiple scores, unless Ole Miss finds some well of ability that they have not really shown so far this year.
Prediction - Auburn 20, Ole Miss 3
Tommy Tuberville has already said that he won't hesitate to go to kicker John Vaughn in a game-deciding FG situation, in spite of his struggles last week.
Given what is essentially a complete mismatch between the two teams, ESPN.com is really reaching for some matchups this time.
1. Auburn LT Marcus McNeil vs. Mississippi RDE Corvelli Haynes
Haynes is relentless, quick and athletic, but he will struggle to hold his own working against McNeil. McNeil takes good angles to his blocks, he has the explosive first step to get into position quickly and he's big enough to engulf Haynes at the point of attack. He also has the lateral mobility and long arms to keep Haynes at bay when Auburn drops back to pass.
2. Mississippi WR Mario Hill vs. Auburn Patrick Lee
Hill is a reliable possession receiver that runs good routes but he doesn't have great speed and it will cost him working against Lee. Lee has good size for a corner, he shows adequate burst coming out of his backpedal and he can afford to be aggressive because he knows he can recover if Hill gets behind him. He doesn't miss many open-field tackles, either, so he should be able to limit Hill's production after the catch.
3. Mississippi's interior offensive line vs. Auburn NT T.J. Jackson
Don't expect Jackson to make much of an impact rushing the passer, because he doesn't have great closing speed or athletic ability. However, he is a powerful interior run stuffer that should be able to clog up the middle working against a Mississippi interior offensive line that lacks ideal size. Jackson is quick enough to beat blockers to the point of attack, he plays with good leverage and he has excellent lower body strength.
This is the 2nd straight week where the matchups have given good reviews of Lee's defensive abilities, but I for one haven't noticed him much during the games. Is he doing such a good job that the opposing QB doesn't even throw the ball to that side of the field, as we saw with Carlos Rogers last year, or were some actual blown coverages by him overlooked due to the LSU WRs not being able to catch any better than ours did last week? Something to keep an eye on.
Assuming that the team (and coaching staff) shows up with their heads in the game instead of...well, you know where...this should be a cakewalk, even though Ole Miss gave Bama a scare in their matchup two weeks ago. First, Ole Miss was at home, and secondly, Bama's offense has completely fallen apart since they lose their #1 WR to injury. Even a remotely competent performance should lead to a win my multiple scores, unless Ole Miss finds some well of ability that they have not really shown so far this year.
Prediction - Auburn 20, Ole Miss 3
