Ole Miss football score prediction vs Auburn for Lane Kiffin vs Hugh Freeze
OXFORD — The bucket of storylines is overflowing as Ole Miss football prepares to head east for a game at Auburn.
It is, of course, Lane Kiffin's first trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium after weeks of media reporting had connected him with the head coaching vacancy on The Plains last fall.
On the opposite sideline will be Hugh Freeze, the man who coached Ole Miss for five seasons, bringing it as high as No. 3 in the national polls, before resigning in 2017 after a university investigation found a "pattern of personal misconduct." Freeze already has taken on Ole Miss once since his departure, losing in Oxford as Liberty's coach in 2021.
With a more micro-focused view, it's a pivotal matchup that will help define what the rest of the season looks like for both teams. Ole Miss certainly is still a factor in the race for the SEC West, but that dream would fade with a loss. Auburn, having lost its first three SEC games, is looking for a win that can provide a foundation in pursuit of bowl eligibility.
Here's what to know when the Rebels (5-1, 2-1) meet the Tigers (3-3, 0-3) on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN).
Ole Miss football vs. Auburn: Setting the pace
After Auburn took a 48-18 thrashing from LSU last weekend, Freeze spoke frankly about the state of his offense.
"I don't know that we're built to be in a scoring match with LSU or Ole Miss next week, who are both extremely talented and good offensively," he said after the LSU defeat. "Tempo is something that we are debating. Do we say we're going to be a tempo offense and know what will cost us more plays on defense, which is very, very thin and doesn't have much depth? That's a tough decision."
There is no debate about how Ole Miss would like to play: fast, fast, fast.
The Rebels have not always been able to do so this season. In five games against FBS opposition, they are averaging 70.8 offensive plays per game, tied for 50th nationally.
When Alabama slowed Ole Miss to a 65-play effort in Week 4, Kiffin attributed that to a lack of rhythm from a dysfunctional run game and the team's struggles on third down.
If Auburn does indeed look to slow the game down on Saturday, the Rebels' third-down success rate will be one of the most decisive statistics in the box score.
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Ole Miss football preparing for two Auburn quarterbacks
The Tigers are sporting the worst offense in the SEC, managing just 27.7 points per game. Freeze has stuck with Payton Thorne as the starter despite the offense's ineffectiveness.
Thorne, a Michigan State transfer, has completed 60.7% of his passes for 745 yards, four passing touchdowns and four interceptions.
Though Thorne's grip on the starting role hasn't loosened, Freeze has gotten backup Robby Ashford involved regularly. Ashford has played at least 10 snaps in each of the six games this season.
His impact has tended to come on the ground. Ashford has attempted 22 passes but 32 rush attempts, which have yielded 153 yards and five touchdowns.
Ole Miss linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste said on Tuesday that the dynamic doesn't alter the way the Rebels are preparing.
"We got the same game plan that'll be in," he said. "We're gonna stop both guys. Whoever (they go with), we'll stop them, for sure."
Ole Miss score prediction vs. Auburn
Ole Miss 27, Auburn 24. Ole Miss is the better team. The Rebels' path to losing this game begins with failing to handle the environment that will be awaiting them at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Take care of that — and the football, which they have done well all season — and the Rebels should leave with a win.
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss football score prediction vs Auburn, Hugh Freeze in SEC play
