AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -It’s starting to look like 2008 for both No. 24 Mississippi and Auburn, for better or worse.
The Rebels (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) have shown signs of another midseason turnaround heading into Saturday’s visit to Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers (5-3, 2-3) have dropped three straight and sparked painful memories for fans who witnessed the team fall apart last season.
Ole Miss would love to make the comparisons hold up after finishing last season with a six-game winning streak and a Cotton Bowl romp over Texas Tech.
“There are a lot of similarities,” Rebels coach Houston Nutt said. “It is a different year and I think the teams we are getting ready to play are probably a little better than last year. They all seem to be doing pretty well and have good athletes. It does have a familiar look to it, but it is one day at a time. We need to go to work, keep improving and keep the blinders on.”
as won back-to-back games over UAB and Arkansas and shown signs of an offensive resurgence behind quarterback Jevan Snead and the versatile Dexter McCluster. The Rebels are off to their best start since 2003 but were nursing even higher ambitions after rising as high as No. 4 in the rankings before suffering a couple of SEC losses.
The Tigers have insisted all week that there are only superficial similarities to last year’s team that dropped six of its final seven, taking the opposite trajectory to Ole Miss.
But a sputtering offense and beleaguered defense both face big challenges from the Rebels.
The Tigers haven’t fared well against shifty, speedy backs like the 5-foot-9, 170-pound McCluster. West Virginia’s Noel Devine and Arkansas’ Michael Smith combined to rush for 273 yards and four touchdowns against Auburn, slipping out of numerous tackles.
“He’s just like Noel Devine,” Auburn defensive end Antonio Coleman said of McCluster. “That’s how I look at it. He’s short, speedy. It’s going to be another big week for stopping the run.”
McCluster offered a reminder of just how dangerous he can be last week. He ran for 123 yards and had another 137 receiving against Arkansas, and the 553 yards total offense was the most for the Rebels in five years.
player, but now it’s not just Wildcat (formation) and it’s not just receiver. Now all of a sudden he is your dotted-I tailback a lot of the time. If he hits a crease, he’s gone. That’s an added weapon right now that I think they have hit on.”
Plus, the league’s 11th-rated defense has to contend with Snead’s hot hand. He has averaged 286 yards passing over the past two games – against teams rated 111th and 120th out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Auburn is 35th.
Chizik calls Ole Miss the most balanced team Auburn has faced, and the Tigers are coming off a visit to No. 9 LSU.
The Rebels are a difficult team for quarterback Chris Todd to try to get going after three rough outings. Ole Miss has allowed only three passing touchdowns and ranks third nationally in pass efficiency defense.
The Rebels also have 16 sacks over the last five games. Linebacker Patrick Trahan, an Auburn transfer, has four sacks.
“They’ve got a very good defense,” Auburn center Ryan Pugh said. “Their front seven is as good as anybody in the country. They can run, they’re big, they’re athletic. It will be another good test this week to see how good we are on offense.”
An Auburn team that started 5-0 is looking for a confidence boost. The Tigers fell behind LSU 17-0 at halftime last week, and linebacker Craig Stevens thinks a strong start is important to get things turned around especially at home.
“That’s always important to get that momentum early, build a little confidence within the team,” Stevens said. “I feel like once you do that, you’re able to build on that as the game goes on.”
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