Auburn Football: Ole Miss Q&A With Ole Hotty Toddy

The third ranked Auburn football team will travel to Oxford Saturday for a huge SEC West matchup against the No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels. As we look ahead to the game, we sat down with Dave Bevan, the editor at Ole Hotty Toddy (@OleHottyToddy on Twitter), the Ole Miss fan site on the Fansided network. Dave was kind enough to answer some of our questions in regards to this weekend’s game.

Fly War Eagle: Despite last week’s loss to LSU, this has to be one of the most exciting seasons for Ole Miss football fans in quite some time. Can you describe how the fan base is feeling through the first two-thirds of the regular season?

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Ole Hotty Toddy: It’s been a remarkable atmosphere in Oxford lately. Our fan base is still in awe over the success to the season. The LSU loss stung a bit, but our fans still believe in our team to beat Auburn and Mississippi State, which would lead us to the first ever College Football Playoffs, and that successful of a season would be remarkable.

F.W.E.: The Rebels have one of – if not the best – defenses in the nation. But, of course, Auburn’s offense is pretty dynamic as well. How do you think Ole Miss will fare on defense Saturday?

O.H.T.: They will be successful as they have been all season. This defense is stingy in the secondary and will make it hard for Auburn’s receivers to breathe. Even with a loss in Denzel Nkemdiche at linebacker, there is still depth at that position. Auburn will have to play their best against a defense that has allowed seven touchdowns in eight games, and a team that is 62-3 against opponents in the first quarter this season.

F.W.E.: On the other hand, the Rebels are no slouch on offense and the Tigers defense has improved tremendously in 2014. How do you think Ole Miss will attack Auburn’s defense?

O.H.T.: They want to pass the ball more. There was lack in that strategy against LSU, so they will definitely look at another game plan against Auburn. I believe it is obvious our weakness is the run game, so you should know what to expect.

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F.W.E.: We know a lot of the big names like Bo Wallace, Laquon Treadwell, Robert Nkemdiche and Senquez Golson – but the Rebels have emerged as one of the best teams in the nation because of a deep roster. Who are some of the unsung heroes we should keep an eye on Saturday?

O.H.T.: Watch for huskie backup Mike Hilton and freshman defensive lineman Marquis Haynes. They have made a huge impact on defense. Hilton can cause problems with turnovers in the secondary, and Haynes leads the team and is ranked 3rd in the league with 6.5 sacks.

On offense, Cody Core and Markell Pack have been excellent receivers this season. Jeremy Liggins is a massive lineman-built quarterback that is used on converting 3rd and 4th conversions on short gains. He’s been very successful this season with that, and it could be a difference marker in this game.

F.W.E.: Oxford is a special environment for a football game, and we know this game will be a slugfest. Care to make a prediction?

O.H.T.: This game will be close until the end. It may even be more thrilling to the end than our matchups against Bama and LSU. We are not expecting a blow by any means over Auburn. It will be a tough and physical game. I will be shocked otherwise. I believe Bo will turnaround from his mistakes last weekend. He has that track record to do so. That being said, I believe it will be low scoring, but the offense will make their comeback this week. Ole Miss wins, 17-10.

Thanks for the time, Dave. We look forward to a great game in Oxford Saturday.

Next: Auburn Football: Scouting the Ole Miss Defense & Special Teams

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