Mississippi State gets no break after toppling the Texas A&M Aggies and moving to No. 3 in the polls. Following their big win, the No. 2 Auburn Tigers roll into town for the biggest game of the week, with ESPN’s College GameDay coming to Starkville for the occasion. Auburn is fresh off a 41-7 shellacking of LSU last weekend.

Here are some of the top Auburn Tigers that LSU fans should get acquainted with before Saturday’s primetime matchup.

  • QB Nick Marshall: Auburn’s senior quarterback runs the show for Gus Malzahn’s fast-paced attack. He’s a threat to both run and throw and can hurt Mississippi State either way. They’ll have to contain him when he decides to keep the ball on zone-read plays, or he’s capable of breaking a big one.
  • WR Sammie Coates: Coates is healthy after struggling with a hamstring injury, giving Marshall a second option when he looks to throw downfield. At 6-foot-2, Coates has the size to go up for jump balls, as he did in ripping down a 50-plus yard touchdown against LSU. Paired with D’haquille Williams, the Tigers have the tools to exploit Mississippi State’s biggest defensive weakness and beat them deep.
  • RB Cameron Artis-Payne: Marshall’s running mate has been effective this season, at 5.4 yards per carry, and he’s averaging a touchdown per game. Artis-Payne and Marshall both went over 100 yards a week ago.
  • DE DaVonte Lambert: A junior college transfer, Lambert took over the starting role at defensive end early in the season and has been tearing it up since then. He leads the team in sacks and plays the run nearly as well.
  • DB Joshua Holsey: Holsey has been a do-it-all defensive back this season, helping shore up the Tigers’ last line of defense. He’s fourth on the team in tackles after shifting to safety when Jermaine Whitehead was suspended, but he’s a solid cover man at cornerback as well.