Everything Auburn Head Coach Gus Malzahn is Saying about Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin

The Auburn Tigers will be facing off against Ole Miss this weekend. Here's everything Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn is saying about Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss going into the week.

Auburn fans aren't exactly happy with Gus Malzahn.

After a 2-2 start and coming off a 30-22 loss at South Carolina this weekend, the Auburn Tigers will come to Oxford, Miss. unranked after opening the season as the nation's No. 8 team. 

Bo Nix seems to have regressed from his freshman to sophomore season. Their offense ranks No. 42 nationally by SP+, however the defense is actually playing really well. Defensively, the Tigers are No. 22 nationally by SP+ and held South Carolina under 300 yards in last week's loss.

Regardless, the 2-2 Tigers will be facing off against the 1-3 Rebels this weekend. Here's everything Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn is saying about Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss going into the week. 

Opening Statement on Ole Miss:

We're looking forward to going to Ole Miss and playing those guys on the road. Both teams are coming off tough road losses. When you look at them, they're a better team than their record. They could've won a couple of those games and had opportunities. When you look at their offense, they have one of the best offenses, statistically up to this point. They've played some good defenses, too. What stands out to me is that they're able to run the football. They're able to throw it. You look at their quarterback who has thrown 11 touchdowns, their leading receiver, we're really impressed with him, and then of course their running back, [Jerrion] Ealy, we know all about him; he's a very explosive guy. Then their defense -- they've played some of the best offenses. We know we have our work cut out for us.

Does the Ole Miss offense have similarities to what Lane Kiffin did at Alabama? 

I think it's been a while, but there are some similarities. Obviously, what really stands out to me is that they're very balanced. They've been good at both. That's really the thing that stands out. They're not just one of the best offenses statistically, but they're good at running the football and throwing the football. That's the biggest challenge that you have when you defend someone that can do both well.

Coming off of a tough loss, is this a must win game?

It's a very important game. I'll tell you that. Obviously when you lose a game, you have to bounce back. So yeah, it's a very important game. Our guys understand that. The big picture of this thing is we need to win, get some momentum, and we need to play good Auburn football and that will be our mindset. Like I said earlier, you're playing a team that's better than the record. They've shown they've almost beat some really good teams. Our focus is to get better, find a way to get a victory and come back and get momentum. That's what's on our mind.

On Ole Miss tight end Kenny Yeboah:

He's one of the leaders in production at tight end. You're talking about a guy that can run, make plays, and I think they've done a good job figuring out ways to get the ball to him, too. We'll definitely need to be aware and know where he's at.

Have you talked offensive philosophy with Lane Kiffin?

We've not talked any football in the past. I've got respect for him as a coach, there's no doubt about that. But we use different styles and we're from different families, so we've not talked about that.

More From The Grove Report:

How Will Ole Miss Attack Defenses That Emulate the Arkansas Plan?

Early Line Movement Towards Ole Miss Against Auburn this Weekend

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