As Auburn football heads to Starkville this weekend to renew its longstanding SEC rivalry with Mississippi State, it's time for another edition of Behind Enemy Lines. This recurring feature highlights key stats and storylines from the Tigers' opponent, straight from the perspective of a local beat writer.

This week, we reached out to James Murphy, Mississippi State beat writer for The Daily Journal, for the inside scoop on Auburn's Week 11 opponent, the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs enter Saturday's game in the midst of a rough spell. Mississippi State began the season 4-0 and climbed as high as No. 16 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, but has not recovered from its Week 5 loss to Alabama. Mississippi State's current five-game losing streak began in Starkville on Oct. 3 with a loss to the Crimson Tide, and Jeff Lebby's squad hopes to end it Saturday with a win over Auburn.

This week's conversation with Murphy highlights the Bulldogs' recent loss to Vanderbilt, how the team has responded following Kamario Taylor's injury, sacks, and much more. Here is this week's Behind Enemy Lines featuring James Murphy of The Daily Journal.

Mississippi State lost a tight game to Vanderbilt last Saturday. What were several factors that led to the loss?

JM: "I think Jeff Lebby's play-calling was... let's say sub-optimal. I don't think he did a good enough job of putting A.J. Swann in positions to succeed. As a result, he struggled, and Vanderbilt never respected the pass, allowing them to load the box and keep the run game from getting going. More specifically, State had 1st and goal late in the fourth quarter down by eight and had to settle for a field goal. I think those three play calls were just bad. I also wasn't a fan of the play call on the game-tying two-point conversion attempt."

It is easy to blame Kamario Taylor’s injury for Mississippi State’s four-game losing streak, but what else has changed for the Bulldogs during this skid?

JM: "His is not the only injury that State has suffered from. They lost their top tackler, Jalen Smith, in the Alabama game. The linebacker core has been banged up all season and has had to rely on underclassmen as a result. Probably the biggest injury outside of Taylor has been safety Isaac Smith. He's the captain of the defense and, in a lot of ways, the whole team. Not having him out there, I have to imagine, is hurting their morale a bit.

Those injuries have shown that the depth that Lebby felt good about this season really has not shown up. Again, these injuries are nothing to sneeze at, but if you're going to say this is the deepest team you've had at MSU and then you play like this for a month? That's a bad look." 

Auburn QB Byrum Brown has been sacked an SEC-leading 35 times this season. Which Mississippi State pass rushers should Auburn’s offensive line be aware of on Saturday?

JM: "Will Whitson has been what State fans were hoping he would be after missing most of last season with injury (ex: his scoop-and-score against Vanderbilt). I don't think Jaray Bledsoe gets quite enough credit for the work he does up front. He may not necessarily be a "pass rusher" because he plays more up the middle, but his ability to push the pocket from up the middle creates opportunities for his teammates (and can stop the run). 

I like what Zach Arnett's done with Amaree Williams. In this 3-3-5 scheme, he's kind of like a queen on the chessboard, moving around depending on what the defense needs in that moment.

Also, don't be shocked to see some people on the back end come in on a blitz. Last week, Kelley Jones was sent on a CB blitz and got a sack, but the play was called back by a penalty on MSU. I get the feeling that's a sign of things to come." 

How much do you anticipate Fluff Bothwell being a problem for Auburn’s defense?

JM: "I don't know how much it matters if Auburn doesn't respect MSU's passing game and can simply stuff the box like it's Election Day, but if Swann DOES do enough to keep the defense honest, I think he could have a great day." 

Mississippi State beats Auburn if… 

Murphy's keys for Mississippi State:

• It not only pressures Byrum Brown, but keeps strong lane integrity so that he can't scramble

• Limits big plays on defense, especially deep balls

• Tackles in space and limits yards after the catch

• Jeff Lebby does a better job of putting A.J. Swann in positions to succeed, AND Swann takes advantage

• MSU can establish and maintain a strong run game

• Win the turnover battle