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Flipping The Script: In Pass-Heavy Era, Ole Miss is Changing the Narrative on the Ground in 2022

Posted by | Oct 17, 2022 |

Flipping The Script: In Pass-Heavy Era, Ole Miss is Changing the Narrative on the Ground in 2022

OXFORD, Miss. – In an era where college football has increasingly become a pass-first league, where so-called “Air Raid” offenses are the trend and quarterbacks get all the love, Ole Miss is flipping the script in 2022.

The Rebels have, for the most part in recent years, been one of those pass-first teams.

Former Ole Miss quarterbacks like Bo Wallace, Chad Kelly, Jordan Ta’amu, and Matt Corral have headlined the offense for the last eight years. Transfer quarterback Jaxson Dart was the most heralded player to make his way to Oxford during the offseason, and reports suggested he did so, in part, because of Ole Miss’ wide-open offense.

But head coach Lane Kiffin has never been one to keep the status quo. Also making their way to Oxford during the offseason were running backs Zach Evans and Ulysses Bentley IV, transferring from TCU and SMU, respectively.

Entering the ranks as a true freshman came running back Quinshon Judkins, who on Monday was named SEC Freshman of the Week, yet again.

Nobody was talking about Ole Miss being a run-heavy offense at the beginning of the season. But they are now.

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

Over the course of a typical SEC season, Alabama gets most of the attention in the running back room, with Georgia jumping into that conversation in recent years.

Even with running backs like Jerrion Ealy, Snoop Conner and Henry Parrish Jr. last season, Ole Miss was not typically discussed as having one of the best running back groups in the country.

That’s all changed this year.

We got a sneak peak of what the Rebels’ rushing attack was going to be capable of right from the start when the Troy Trojans came to town on opening day.

Then it was Zach Evans’ turn to get going in week two.

But both backs had a coming-out party on the road in Atlanta, when the Rebels took on Georgia Tech.

Ulysses Bentley IV would also add a pair of rushing touchdowns in the 42-0 shutout of the Yellow Jackets, but an unfortunate early season injury has had him sidelined.

Tulsa would prove no match for the duo of Judkins and Evans either, with Judkins finding the endzone twice and Evans once in the victory.

After a win over the Golden Hurricane, the Rebels, and their dynamic running back duo, would face their first big test with then No. 8 Kentucky coming to town.

The two did not disappoint.

The Rebels would go on to defeat Vanderbilt in Nashville a week later to get to 6-0, a game that was highlighted by a record-setting day from receiver Jonathan Mingo.

The Rebels were bowl eligible and feeling good, but due up this past Saturday was an Auburn team that had won six consecutive games against the Rebels and was looking to upend a promising season.

Judkins and Evans would not let that happen.

Both backs would eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark, with Judkins finishing the day at 139 yards and Evans finishing with 136.

Both backs collected their first receiving touchdowns of the year, and Judkins added two more on the ground to Evans’ one.

With quarterback Jaxson Dart also eclipsing the 100-yard rushing mark, the Rebels finished with a total of 448 yards on the ground. Evans spoke about the rushing attack following the win.

“We’ve got a lot for everybody. We’re almost the complete team we’re trying to be. Three 100-yard rushers speaks for itself. The o-line did great today. Watching them put it together during practice and put it with the game plan, couldn’t be much sweeter.“

Ole Miss running back Zach Evans

Move Over ‘Bama, the Rebels’ Running Backs are Here to Stay

Through seven weeks, Ole Miss now has two of the top four running backs in the SEC. Judkins has totaled 720 yards, good enough for second in the conference, but his ten rushing touchdowns are first in the league.

Zach Evans sits at fourth in the SEC with 605 rushing yards, and his seven rushing touchdowns are good enough for a four-way tie for second.

Ole Miss as a team has 1,900 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns, both good enough for first place in the league. (Georgia is tied with the Rebels on rushing TD’s with 24.)

Lane Kiffin couldn’t contain his excitement after the big win over Auburn, particularly with the rushing attack.

“When everyone gets together and you play as a team and you run block, you do your assignments as receivers and everything, you have 69 carries for 460 yards. Not one hundred-yard rusher, not two hundred-yard rushers, three hundred-yard rushers.”  

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin

The Road Gets Tougher 

With the Rebels now 7-0, 3-0 (SEC) and currently in sole possession of first place in the SEC West after Alabama’s loss to Tennessee, there’s no rest for the weary.

Ole Miss now must travel to Baton Rouge and take on a different set of Tigers at LSU.

The Bayou Bengals have allowed just 1019 rushing yards through seven games and only nine total rushing touchdowns. That’s good enough for giving up an average of just 145.6 rushing yards per game.

Coming off of a 45-35 victory over Florida, the Tigers would like nothing better than getting revenge on last season’s loss to Ole Miss and upending the dream season the Rebels are having.

One thing is for certain. With Judkins and Evans manning the backfield, Ole Miss won’t be going quietly.

Up Next:

The contest with LSU will kick off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and will air on CBS. SEC Nation has also announced they will be headed to Baton Rouge for the game. It will mark the second time the Rebels have been involved in the show this season, with the previous time being when Kentucky came to Oxford.

Austin Eldridge

Austin Eldridge

Austin has more than ten years in sports media, including sports talk radio, play-by-play broadcasting and journalism. He has followed Ole Miss athletics for his entire life and has covered the Rebels and the rest of the SEC while working in the Memphis media market. Outside of sports media, Austin is a musician and outdoorsman. Before a serious accident forced him to be medically discharged, he was a multi-media journalist with the Mississippi National Guard.

About The Author

Austin Eldridge

Austin has more than ten years in sports media, including sports talk radio, play-by-play broadcasting and journalism. He has followed Ole Miss athletics for his entire life and has covered the Rebels and the rest of the SEC while working in the Memphis media market. Outside of sports media, Austin is a musician and outdoorsman. Before a serious accident forced him to be medically discharged, he was a multi-media journalist with the Mississippi National Guard.

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