Auburn coach Gus Malzahn previews the Mississippi State game at his Tuesday news conference (excerpts courtesy of Auburn Sports Information):
Opening Statement: "We have a big game this week with Mississippi State. The last three times that I have personally coached against them it went down to the last play. Last season was no different; it went down to the very end.
“They have a dynamic offense. Their quarterback is one of the better quarterbacks in football. He is like a running back. His accuracy has been extremely impressive this year especially on play-action. Their offensive line is an experienced group. Their wide receivers are big and long and they have made some one-on-one plays. Their defense is one of the better defenses that we play; they have nine starters back. They are a veteran group and they tackle well. They are very physical, so we have our work cut out for us in that area.
“Obviously the atmosphere will be a very good atmosphere. We are hoping that our experience this year going to Kansas State will help the group. Last year, we were fortunate to play really good games. We have a lot of experience back dealing with the noise and everything else that goes with playing a road game.”
The progression of quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Nick Marshall: "For Nick personally, he was still learning the offense when we played them last year. It was a little bit ugly on the offensive side and their defense had a little bit to do with that. Nick is light years ahead of where he was last year. And if you look at their quarterback, he's very impressive when you break him down."
Last season vs. Mississippi State: "We were still trying to figure out who we were. We were trying to figure out our quarterback's strengths. They were very good on defense and they had a lot to do with it. We had to find a way to win. Looking back to last year, that was a really big game for us and the season, because we hadn't won an SEC game at home in a really long time. For us to win that game the way we did at the very end really gave us momentum."
Preparing for a big game: The best thing for us from a player and coach's standpoint is we have been in some big games that have been very important. It is not going to be a shock to our system. At this point in our season, in the (SEC West), they are all big."
Play of receiver Sammie Coates vs. LSU: "It was really big for us not only to get Sammie on track, but early in the game. To hit a deep shot down the field just kind of opened everything else up, and now that Sammie is getting healthier it's a really good thing for us moving forward."
On running back Cameron Artis-Payne: "He's starting to establish himself as a guy we can get the ball to a lot. He was fresh in the second half, and we already knew even from last year that as the game goes on, he actually gets stronger."
On hurry-up offense paired with good defense: "That's where the game is going – spreading people out, playing fast – but if you can effectively run the football, you're going to go against your defense in the spring and they've got to stop the run. So I think that's what's happening."
Confidence in Nick Marshall: "We're very confident in Nick to run our entire offense. He can run the ball, throw the ball, run the zone read and all that."
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