Not surprisingly, Tommy Tuberville's focus this week has been on getting his team to come out strong in the second half. Auburn has led at halftime in every game this season, blowing double-digit leads in all four its losses.

So how do the Tigers combat coming out flat?

"We might go scrimmage at halftime," Tuberville joked.

"No, I don't know. There's really no answer to it other than the fact we need something to happen to us when we first go out there. We've gone back and looked and it looks like we're waiting for things to happen instead of making things happen -- coaching and playing. We've got some things in mind that we want to try to do if the situation arises.

"There's no miracle formula. We've just got to go out and play and coach better for four quarters."

In other news:

• Both Auburn and Ole Miss are 4-4 this year. It's safe to say the teams' respective fan bases are taking things very different. "It's all relative to what you've done in the past and what you're doing now," Tuberville said. "Everybody looks at us saying something's wrong that we've lost four games. You look back and we've won 50 games in the last five years. It's hard for us to take. You think the fans it's hard to take. It's harder for the players and coaches to take it than it is for the fans. It eats at us because we know we're better than how we've played."

• Tuberville said it's been hardest for the seniors. "This is the last time most of them will ever play football," he said. "We play the Iron Bowl 30 days from today and it will be the last time they put on pads. Their time is coming to an end." I'm going to assume Tuberville was not giving up on the possibility of making a bowl game. It is funny how he phrased it, though.

• On the injury front, NG Tez Doolittle (groin) practiced Thursday and is expected to play.
  
  
• CB Neiko Thorpe (ankle) won't play. Jerraud Powers (hamstring) practiced Thursday and should be fine for Saturday.
  
  
• RB Ben Tate (hamstring) is not quite 100 percent, but he took snaps all week long.