Auburn football will face the #10 Ole Miss Rebels this weekend in Jordan-Hare Stadium, and they’re going to need to be firing on all cylinders to beat this SEC opponent. With Matt Corral leading a productive offense, the Tigers’ defense will need to be at the top of their game.
The defense has been hindered as of late with injuries or other issues keeping key defensive players off the field, namely TD Moultry and Owen Pappoe. Marquis Burks was injured after the Arkansas game, but it doesn’t seem to be anything that would keep him from this Saturday’s matchup.
Though first-year head coach Bryan Harsin remained tight-lipped as usual, he did indicate to the press that there were no players with season-ending injuries with the exception of sophomore defensive tackle Jeremiah Wright, who suffered a knee injury.
However, according to sophomore defensive end Colby Wooden, Auburn football’s defense will have some major players returning to the game this weekend:
Colby Wooden says, with a big smile, that Auburn got some "key members back on defense" during the bye week ...
— Nathan King (@NathanKing247) October 26, 2021
It seems highly likely that junior linebacker and team captain Owen Pappoe, who has not taken the field since the Penn State whiteout, will return this weekend versus Ole Miss. As for the others that Wooden may be referring to, things are uncertain.
One defensive player that could return is TD Moultry, though whether or not he will play again is up in the air due to compliance issues relating to driving a booster’s vehicle. However, if the issues have been sorted out it would be a huge break to have the veteran defensive lineman back in orange and blue.
Auburn football fans will have to wait until Saturday for confirmation of who returns and who is still out, but Colby Wooden’s statement is enough to plant hope for all of us.