Auburn QB Bo Nix had a much more effective game against Ole Miss than he did the previous week against South Carolina.

Coach Gus Malzahn was asked if Nix was more comfortable against Ole Miss because he didn’t throw an early interception like he did at South Carolina. Nix had a 51 percent completion percentage in the loss at South Carolina, but improved to 77 percent in the Ole Miss win.

“There was no doubt, he was definitely locked in,” Malzahn said at his Tuesday press conference. “And we were able to run the football. I think that helps everything. Helps the line, helps the quarterback, helps the receivers. That’s Auburn football, that’s what we talked about going in.”

Malzahn noted that Auburn has rushed for 200 yards for three straight games, and the Tigers need to keep building on that.

“Anytime your quarterback can be a run threat, it can open up for the running back, and just kind of makes one more stress, especially on the perimeter,” Malzahn said. “Makes them play a little more honest. I think his ability to get the ball on the edge has been really good the last couple of weeks.

Malzahn added that Nix needs to keep making the correct reads to help Auburn continue to churn big yardage on the ground.