In anticipation of Saturday’s SEC East showdowns between Auburn-Mississippi State and Georgia-Missouri, Saturday Down South takes a closer look at the coaching matchup in each game. This week’s matchups include Auburn’s Gus Malzahn vs. Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen, and Georgia’s Mark Richt vs. Missouri’s Gary Pinkel.

GUS MALZAHN

  • Record as FBS head coach: 26-5 (17-2 at Auburn; 9-3 at Arkansas State
  • Previous coaching stops: Arkansas State (head coach), Auburn University (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach), Tulane University (co-offensive coordinator, assistant head coach, quarterbacks coach), University of Arkansas (offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach), Springdale (Ark.) High School (head coach), Shiloh (Ark.) Christian School (head coach), Hughes (Ark.) High School (head coach, defensive coordinator)
  • Achievements as coach: SEC championship, SEC West title, SEC Coach of the Year, Paul “Bear” Bryant Award, AP Coach of the Year, Home Depot Coach of the Year, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year.

Breakdown: Malzahn hit the ground running in his first season as Auburn’s head coach last year, winning the SEC championship and coming 13 seconds shy of a national championship. His team appears just as lethal in 2014, and his spread rushing attack has continued to fool even the best defenses the SEC has to offer. Malzahn has had another year to bring in players to fit his system, which has only added depth to his freakishly athletic team. At No. 2 in the nation, Malzahn and the Tigers have a great chance to repeat as conference champions and finish what they started last year in winning a national title.

DAN MULLEN

  • Record as FBS head coach: 41-28 (all at Mississippi State)
  • Previous coaching stops: University of Florida (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach), University of Utah (quarterbacks coach), Bowling Green State (quarterbacks coach), Notre Dame (graduate assistant), Syracuse University (graduate assistant), Columbia University (wide receivers coach), Wagner College (wide receivers coach).
  • Achievements as coach: N/A

Breakdown: Mullen went more than three years without a win against a ranked opponent, but now his Bulldogs have won back-to-back games against top 10 teams to vault to No. 3 in the most recent AP Poll. The former Florida offensive coordinator is working his magic on offense at Mississippi State as well, as his team is fourth in the league in scoring at more than 42 points per game, and third in the league in rushing, averaging more yards per game than Malzahn’s Tigers. Mississippi State is red-hot, and Mullen’s name has become much trendier on the coaching carousel as of late. However, he must continue to lead Mississippi State through a difficult SEC West schedule, with six games remaining against conference opponents.

Who’s got the edge: This coaching matchup is a push. Malzahn has experienced nothing but success at Auburn, but his team has suffered close calls this season, including a road game against Kansas State. Mullen’s team is as confident as any in the conference, but Mullen will need more than back-to-back wins to prove his team can last more than one week in the rarefied air of the top 5, a place Mullen as never been as a head coach. Both of these teams run the ball exceptionally well, and both are fast on the defensive side of the ball. These coaches are as even as their teams right now, making the game between Auburn and MSU a game of the week candidate.

MARK RICHT

  • Record as FBS head coach: 130-45 (all at Georgia)
  • Previous coaching stops: Florida State (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, graduate assistant), East Carolina (quarterbacks coach).
  • Achievements as coach: Two SEC championships, six SEC East titles, two-time SEC Coach of the Year.

Breakdown: Richt’s Bulldogs are once again in trouble off the field, as star tailback and Heisman contender Todd Gurley will miss Saturday’s game after allegedly receiving illegal benefits for his name and likeness. The longtime Georgia head man knows how to deal with roster shakeup on short notice, but Gurley is more than just an average starter in the SEC. The Bulldogs are deep at tailback, but have not thrown the ball well this year, making Gurley’s absence all the more glaring and Richt’s job that much tougher. Richt has positioned Georgia to remain the frontrunner in the East since the loss to South Carolina, but he’ll face his biggest test yet Saturday against Mizzou.

GARY PINKEL

  • Record as FBS head coach: 179-101-3 (73-37-3 at Toledo, 106-64 at Missouri)
  • Previous coaching stops: University of Toledo (head coach), University of Washington (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, tight ends coach), Bowling Green State (wide receivers coach), Kent State (wide receivers coach, graduate assistant).
  • Achievements as coach: MAC championship, MAC Coach of the Year, three MAC East titles, three Big 12 North titles, SEC East title.

Breakdown: The bottom could have fallen out on Missouri’s season after a home loss to Indiana, but Pinkel guided the Tigers out of a 13-point deficit on the road at South Carolina the following week, righting the ship heading into last week’s bye. His Mizzou team is the defending East divison champs, and with two weeks to prepare Pinkel knows what’s at stake in this one. The head coach is sure to have a few tricks up his sleeve Saturday, and if the Tigers can top Georgia, they’ll remain in the driver’s seat in the East. Mizzou remains the only East team without an SEC loss, and Pinkel is the perfect man at the helm under those circumstances.

Who’s got the edge: Richt has the more talented team, but Pinkel has the edge in this one. Missouri has the superior quarterback in Maty Mauk, and Pinkel knows exactly how to use him in order to expose the SEC’s fourth-worst scoring defense. Richt will no doubt have a plan to compensate for Gurley’s absence, but that plan could be spoiled by Pinkel’s star defensive ends Shane Ray and Markus Golden. It took Pinkel only two years to climb to the top of the SEC East as he led Missouri from the Big 12 to the SEC, and he has a history of winning big games with modest talent. Richt, however, has a history of reaching big games with a ton of talent, and then losing those games (four losses in SEC championship games). Neither coach has ever shied away from the big stage, but Pinkel is the coach with all the momentum heading into Saturday’s showdown in Columbia.