Golesh says Auburn's second-half fade at Ole Miss is the first time he's seen it this season

Auburn was still in the game at Oxford midway through the third quarter. Ole Miss then scored the last 28 points, the Tigers lost 45-15, and Alex Golesh left the stadium with a new problem. He said Auburn had not failed to finish like that at any earlier point this season.

"That's the part that's making me sick is the lack of finish," Golesh said after the game, according to Roundtable Sports. The outlet reported that Auburn was outscored 31-6 after halftime. Athlon Sports reported that a Byrum Brown rushing touchdown cut the deficit to 17-15, and that Ole Miss controlled the game from there.

Auburn's running game failed in a matchup that looked like an opening. Roundtable Sports reported that Ole Miss came in allowing 161 rushing yards per game, the most in the SEC, and Auburn gained 63. Golesh said his staff tried outside zone, gap schemes and quarterback runs, and Auburn still averaged about three yards on first down. That left the offense in long third downs all afternoon. Athlon reported that Golesh credited the Rebels' interior and said effort was not the issue. It also noted that Jeremiah Cobb averaged 5 yards per carry but got no more chances after Brown's score.

Golesh also changed his offensive line. Wilson Zierer moved to right tackle, Stanton Ramil started at left tackle, Kenneth McManus moved to the left side and Jacobe Ward got a chance to play. Golesh said the group protected the passer well for most of the game. The self-inflicted mistakes were harder for him to accept. A kick-return mix-up involving Cobb pinned Auburn at its own 1-yard line, and Golesh said that one was on the staff. Auburn also had eight penalties for 67 yards. He told the players they need to work harder and told his assistants to play the players they trust to finish.

What it means against Arkansas

The loss leaves Auburn at 4-4 overall and 2-4 in the SEC, according to Athlon. The Tigers have dropped two in a row since winning 27-24 at then-No. 1 Georgia, and the defeats were lopsided: 38-17 against LSU and now 45-15 at Ole Miss. Auburn needs two wins from its last four games to become bowl-eligible in Golesh's first season. Arkansas visits Saturday on SEC Network, and that is the most realistic of those two wins on paper. Both Auburn wins at home since September were close: 17-16 over Baylor and 21-15 over Vanderbilt.

The market still trusts Auburn at home. The Tigers are 10.5-point favorites at Novig, priced at -108 on each side, and -376 on the moneyline. The 12 venues on this site's board are close together. The longest Arkansas number is +11.5 at -110 at Hard Rock Bet, a point more than Novig. The best Arkansas moneyline is +340 at theScore Bet, against +335 at Novig. Novig has the total at 50.5. theScore Bet has it at 51.5, and sportsbook hold on the game runs from 3.8% to 6.2% on the moneyline.

Ole Miss moves to 6-2 and hosts No. 2 Georgia on ABC. On that board, Georgia is favored by 3.5 and is -163 on the moneyline at Novig, with the total at 56.5.