Observations: Auburn 31, Ole Miss 20

A game that seemed primed for chaos never got there — and Auburn showed why it was the better team on both sides of the ball.

LB Zakoby McClain (Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics)

The night before Halloween against Lane Kiffin’s top-10 Ole Miss team seemed perfect for something weird to happen.

When Auburn raced out to an early 14-3 lead and couldn’t deliver the dagger with Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral sidelined, some inside Jordan-Hare Stadium might have feared the worst. And when the Tigers weren’t able to take full advantage of a remarkable string of defensive stops in the second half, it felt like chaos was lurking.

But this is a different Auburn football team under Bryan Harsin. While it wasn’t always pretty, the Tigers simply took care of business and proved that they were the better team — on both sides of the ball — for four quarters in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“We got a chance to play against a really good football team, and we won the game,” Harsin said. “We had some things in there that didn't go perfectly for us. We responded properly and came back and made the plays we needed to. … Overall, I'm very pr…