Despite not facing each other since 2012, Auburn and Vanderbilt have had one of the most competitive rivalries in the SEC. As a matter of fact, the Commodores have won the last two matchups and lead the all-time series 21-20-1.

And while Auburn (6-2) has won five straight games, Vanderbilt (4-4) comes into Saturday’s contest at Jordan-Hare Stadium having won two in a row. The improvement the Commodores have made this season under head coach Derek Mason is not lost on Auburn counterpart Gus Malzahn.

“(We) have a Vanderbilt team that’s hot right now,” Malzahn said on Wednesday’s SEC teleconference. “They had an off week, two weeks to prepare for us.

“They play very good defense. Their running game is very good, and they’re very good on special teams, too. So we know we’re going to get their best. We need to play well. Our full attention is on them.

“It’s an early kick, at 11 o’clock. We’ve played another 11 o’clock game, so hopefully that will help us be prepared. And we’re playing at home, so that should help.”

What will also help is if Auburn’s defense keeps playing the way it has this season. The Tigers took a lot of punches from Chad Kelly and Ole Miss last week, but overall, Malzahn is pleased with the way his defensive players have performed under first-year coordinator Kevin Steele.

“He was like a breath of fresh air when he came in,” Malzahn said of Steele. “He just did a good job, took up the relationships with our players, and you know, our players have a lot of confidence in him. He’s been very consistent. And, you know, he’s done a super job.

“He came in with a great attitude and tried to really help the players by keeping a lot of the same terminology. Didn’t want to come in and change everything that they had already built upon. Because, of course, the bowl game (Auburn’s 31-10 Birmingham Bowl victory over Memphis last December), we played extremely well on defense.

“(He) just worked hard to develop relationships with the defensive players. He believes in them, and they know that.”

Under Steele, Auburn has held five straight opponents without a rushing TD. And since surrendering 231 rushing yards to Texas A&M and 220 to LSU in back-to-back games, AU has yielded only 233 rushing yards combined in its last three contests.

Auburn will need to continue that type of performance against Ralph Webb. Second in the SEC in rushing yards (855) and rushing yards per game (106.9), Webb had 9 carries for 125 yards in the Commodores’ last game, a 35-17 home victory over Tennessee State on Oct.22.

Most of Auburn’s game planning will focus on how to stop Webb, especially since Vanderbilt’s passing game led by sophomore quarterback Kyle Shurmur, is the worst in the SEC. The Commodores are averaging only 145.8 yards through the air.

Auburn’s biggest concern on Saturday will likely be how to contain Vanderbilt linebacker Zach Cunningham. The junior leads the SEC with 85 tackles – 14 more than Kentucky’s Jordan Jones – and is second in the conference with 13.5 tackles for loss, trailing Tennessee’s Derek Barnett by one.

Cunningham has definitely caught Malzahn’s attention.

“He’s one of the better defensive players in our conference,” Malzahn said of the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder from Pinson, Ala. “I love his motor. Really what stands out to me, he sheds blocks extremely well and comes off and plays extremely hard, and he can flat out run. So he’s fun to watch on film.”

Saturday’s matchup is one of two games Vanderbilt still needs to win to clinch bowl-eligibility. After leaving The Plains, the Commodores have to travel to Missouri before finishing the regular season with home games against Ole Miss and Tennessee.