By This may be Mississippi State’s last chance at positioning itself to make a bowl game in 2026-27. Here are three keys to beating the Tigers.
Stop Byrum Brown
There might not be a player in college football who is counted on more to run his team’s offense than Byrum Brown for Auburn. The transfer quarterback from South Florida has run 443 plays, more than anyone in the country, and leads the Tigers in both passing yards (1,740) and rushing yards (606) to go with 19 total touchdowns. He runs an offense that will either provide him screens or deep balls while giving him designed runs that he flourishes on. His 6-foot-3, 235-pound frame makes him tough to tackle and, as No. 1 Georgia can attest, he has the ability to make game-breaking plays. The biggest thing that Mississippi State will need to do is keep him from running. Brown rushes for an average of 81.8 yards per game in wins and 49.3 in losses. Negating his ability to run, either by design or scramble, removes a foundational piece for this Tiger offense to function.
Limit explosive plays
Mississippi State did not quite have the same problems allowing big plays against Vanderbilt that it has most of the season, but as previously stated, Brown’s play-making ability challenges that once again. However, there is a formula for this defense to grow even more than it has already. Auburn has allowed an SEC-worst 36 sacks this season. If Mississippi State’s defense continues to improve the way it has been, and if the Tigers’ offensive line continues to struggle at the point of attack, creating pressure shouldn’t be much of an issue. Where issues may arise is if Brown is able to escape the pocket and take off and/or find someone deep down the field. MSU must have strong lane integrity and be sticky in the secondary if Auburn gets into a scramble drill.
Succeed on first and second downs
If there was ever a time for MSU’s offense to finally figure it out for the first time since Kamario Taylor got hurt, it’s now. The Tigers allow the most total yards in the SEC (401.9), which includes the second-most passing yards per game (244.3) and the second-most rushing yards per game (165.1). The biggest reason why the Bulldogs have not gotten it going offensively comes from its inability to consistently succeed on first and second down, thereby setting up long third downs. Jeff Lebby needs to provide A.J. Swann the types of opportunities that are conducive to keeping the ball moving. Maybe Swann can’t make the kinds of throws that Taylor can make, but maybe he can make checkdowns consistently. Swann doesn’t have the mobility that Taylor does, but maybe they can mix in play action and running back draws. It's been said before, but this could come down less to Lebby leaning into his identity and more of him doing what it takes to win.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/three-keys-mississippi-state-win-020500096.html
