From the Other Sideline – Mississippi State

Andrew Miller is a Mississippi State graduate who covers the Bulldogs for Mississippi State at the Voice of College Football and The Underdog Tribune. An Air Raid enthusiast (RIP to The Pirate), his biggest football obsession is in the schematics of the game. You can find him on Twitter/X at @alestate2020. His story about live-describing the Kick Six to an Alabama fan at Disney is enough to give him a shot.

1. What is a Mississippi State fan’s current thoughts on Auburn football?

I think Auburn football is seeing what having John Cohen as your athletic director does not only to your football program but to your athletic department as a whole. You’ll have a great time come baseball season, but everything else will leave you in tears. Thanks for hiring him, by the way.

2. What’s the vibe like in Starkville after the post-Kamario losing streak?

Well prior to Wednesday’s news that Kamario Taylor is in fact returning to Starkville in 2027 with State going “all-in” around him, the vibes were pretty horrific. The fanbase is fed up with the state of the program in year three under Jeff Lebby with most everyone ready to see a change. Obviously losing Kamario had to lower expectations, but falling from playing at a legitimate Top 15 level to looking totally incompetent after losing him is an indictment on the job Lebby has done building this roster. There just hasn’t been the progress needed at this point.

That said, the announcement of Taylor’s return made it clear Lebby will remain in charge. Though that’s not a popular move, going all in on a guy who looks like he’s our Cam Newton and not risking wasting that by going through a coaching change is the smartest thing to do. Right at this moment, sights are now onto 2027. That said, if State looks pitiful in these closing weeks, the focus will turn right back to yelling about Lebby.

3. How many cowbells do you have, which is your favorite, and why?

I own two. My favorite is my first, a larger bell gifted to me by my cousin, a fellow State-grad, when I graduated high school. State tradition is that your first bell must be gifted to you. My second was bought on a gameday as a student because the ringer broke and went flying out my first bell while at SEC Nation (I don’t think any was injured by the flying hunk of metal).

4. Who are your two favorite Auburn Tigers of all time and why?

One is a coach, and that’s Gus Malzahn. I’ve always been interested in the Xs and Os of football, and Malzahn’s system was one of the first offenses I really dove into learning about. The way they operated in 2013 was mesmerizing to watch. For a player, I’ll stick with that same year and say Chris Davis because he gave me a fun personal football memory, which was telling an Alabama-fan cousin of mine over the phone that the Kick Six happened in real time because he was in line for a ride at Disney World and couldn’t watch. He hung up in disgust. It was fun.

5. Name two relatively unknown Bulldogs that Auburn fans should lookout for.

Amaree Williams plays the Jack Linebacker spot for State and has emerged as a nice piece for the defensive front. He isn’t the normal terrorizing edge rusher you’d prefer at that position, but they’ll move him around and let him blitz from different gaps, which he does well. And he’s typically been the Bulldog tasked with spying running QBs, something else he’s done well at and is notable facing Byrum Brown. I’ll give a wildcard of sorts for the other, and that’s freshman RB JJ Hill. The backup RB spot behind Fluff Bothwell has left a lot to be desired this year, but there’s a lot of belief that Hill could be the answer. He offers a similar skillset to Fluff, has had nice flashes, and has seen more reps lately. State has to get their run game going, and it can’t all be Fluff. Hill could get more involved this week.

6. Name the two Auburn Tigers that worry you the most.

Byrum Brown is the easy answer. I mentioned Amaree Williams has done a good job of spying QBs, but that’s not always his role. And Zach Arnett’s defenses have a history of struggling to contain scramblers consistently. That can especially be true on 3rd downs, as Arnett’s tendency is to send pressure and play man. If the rush lane integrity isn’t maintained (a struggle for this team), there’s space for QBs to run. I’ll go with Jared Smith for the other. State’s tackles have been liabilities in pass protection all year with any decent edge rusher having success against them. There’s a good chance he’s in for a good day.

7. Where do you see each team having an advantage over the other?

If Alex Golesh wants to try and challenge State through the air, don’t go after the corners. Kelley Jones and Jett Jefferson are firmly in the conversation as the top CB duo in the SEC (State’s pass defense rankings are a pretty rough reflection on everyone else, both in terms of coverage and pass rush). Where Auburn could have the edge on offense is using their QB run game and RPO/play-action game to put State’s linebackers and aggressive safeties into conflict. On the other side of the ball, State’s offensive line is simply not an SEC-caliber unit, and Auburn’s front, though not as ferocious as in years past, should be able to win plenty of battles in the trenches. I do like State’s wideouts to find opportunities downfield though.

8. What’s your analysis and score prediction for this game?

State’s offense post-Kamario Taylor is abysmal. They had a chance to right some wrongs last week against a bad Vanderbilt defense and didn’t. I don’t think that changes this week. Defensively, the Bulldogs have played more respectably in recent weeks, but Auburn’s offense seems to have at least found enough competence to do enough to win. Auburn 26-16.

9. Where do you see Auburn and Mississippi State ending up this season?

The Tigers are bowl-bound, and the Bulldogs are not.

10. Lastly, what do you think of Alex Golesh.

I loved the hire of Alex Golesh. He’s a bright offensive mind and seems to have a good vision for program building. I appreciate the adjustments he’s made offensively during this season to piece things together with talent that’s not up to the ideal level. Jokes about John Cohen aside, he made a good hire and so long as he invests like he must for football, I can see Auburn getting back to a respectable level under Golesh.