The Auburn Tigers have a big-time matchup coming up this Saturday against Ole Miss, as they look to prove their blowout loss to LSU was simply a fluke brought on by the high emotions following their massive upset win against Georgia the prior week.

However, the Tigers didn’t simply lose to the Bayou Bengals last week; they were utterly dominated. They’ll need to be able to flush that game from their minds and bring their best game to Oxford, as the No. 12 Rebels are not known for taking it easy on teams for any reason, let alone teams that just lost to one of their most bitter rivals.

Offensive inefficiency haunted the Tigers throughout last week’s matchup with Lane Kiffin’s squad, and a few key players will need to step up if the Tigers want to avoid a repeat of what was, statistically, their worst loss at home in program history.

Byrum Brown - Quarterback

We saw against Georgia that if Brown can rush the ball effectively, the Tigers’ entire offense opens up, creating opportunities across the field for the majority of the game. Then, we saw against LSU that if Brown is shut down, the Tigers can barely muster any kind of offense to speak of.

Brown had -16 total rushing yards on designed quarterback rushes against the Bayou Bengals, and despite turning in a 34-yard rush in the second quarter, the senior finished his day with just 20 rushing yards due to tackles for loss and sacks. 

To beat the Rebels, Auburn will need to get a bit more creative with blocking for Brown’s rushing, while also being open to letting him sling the ball downfield at times. After all, he did not record a passing touchdown against LSU, the first time he’s missed out on that stat since the Baylor game.

Jeremiah Cobb - Running Back

The Tigers have not been leaning heavily on Cobb this season, but he still leads the Tigers’ non-quarterbacks in rushing yards this season with 320, though he’s turned in just two touchdowns this season. The Tigers barely utilized their running backs against LSU, handing Cobb, Omar Mabson and Bryson Washington the rock a combined 11 times over the course of the game, and with Brown also struggling to rush, the offense collapsed.

The Tigers’ best bet against the Rebels will be to establish the run by any means necessary, which means that, especially if Brown is struggling, Cobb will likely see quite a few more touches in Oxford this weekend. A big game from the senior could make all the difference for the Tigers’ offense, which thrives when the run is keeping the defense in check.

Keshaun Singleton - Wide Receiver

It was a quiet showing for the Tigers’ receiver room last week, as the Tigers’ leading receiver in that game, Keshaun Singleton, was only able to manage 64 yards of production. This season, though, Singleton has been Brown’s favorite target, leading fellow USF transfer Chas Nimrod by three receptions.

When the Tigers are able to establish the rushing attack, openings tend to spring up in the passing game, and Singleton is often the first to take advantage. He scored the Tigers’ first touchdown against Georgia on a double-coverage pass from fellow USF transfer receiver Christian Neptune, and he may need to bring some of that magic to Oxford to help the Tigers out.

So, if the Tigers are able to get their rushing attack going (and even if they can’t), keep an eye out for Singleton on quick routes and, more notably, deep shots that could prove to be the difference in the game.