QB Film Room: On the ground or in the air, Ole Miss offense can do it all
OXFORD, Miss. — What an entertaining game it was between Auburn and Ole Miss. If you love offense, there was plenty to be had. If you like comebacks, there was a bit of that, too.
The Ole Miss offense is just so balanced, and not necessarily in yards gained. An offense is balanced when it can move the ball with equal efficacy on the ground and in the air.
For a team to score 48 points and its top two receivers (Jonathan Mingo and Malik Heath) not even touch the ball, folks, the Rebs are 100% dangerous. Ole Miss has a mission this week at LSU to become only the second Rebel team in history to start a season 8-0.
The Rebs ARE HOT! Let’s keep this free-birding going!
First up, Lane Kiffin. He gets his GameDay wish and now Ole Miss sits atop the SEC West.
After an AJ Finley interception, Jaxson Dart gets to play eenie-meenie-miney-mo with his receivers.
Here, we have two deep crossing patterns, a back bluffing a block and slipping into the flat, and lo and behold, a fourth wide-open receiver on the deep post. That would be the transfer-portal-
The Rebs have such a well-schemed play here, it should be enshrined in Atlanta.
Let’s say we put the tight end on the right for some pass protection, cover him up with a wide receiver (it’s hard for defenders to see the TE is actually an ineligible receiver), put Watkins in the backfield Elijah-style, put our Freshman All-American running back out wide to the left, motion him in for a fake handoff, and then slip Watkins out on a wheel route down the right sideline while the defenders are all flocking to the decoys. Sound good?
This play contains some wonderful basketball principles.
Remember when Michael Jordon would send all his teammates off to the left so he could one-on-one the poor sucker guarding him? It’s the same thing here.
The Rebels go unbalanced with the second receiver up top actually ineligible because of alignment. Jaxson has a back to his right who bluffs the cornerback before scooting down the sideline. The left guard and H-Back pull playside while the right tackle goes for the inside linebacker, a perfect 3 yards downfield. If he goes any further, it’s an ineligible receiver penalty.
This play resembles a speed option except the “pitchback” is already 15 yards downfield when the option occurs. Watch Auburn’s poor No. 4 get caught in no man’s land.
On this play, Ole Miss lines up in a tight “Trips” formation to the right, all bunched up, and Judkins goes in motion behind the quarterback for another wheel route. The throw is spot-on for another six.
Do they have scout teams at Auburn?
As a former convert myself to the triple option in college, I get a kick out of watching the handoff reads now taking place from 5 yards back. Here, Jaxson does an outstanding job of reading the DE’s reaction to take the RB, and then sweeping around the edge.
Announcer: “The best team in the SEC on third down.” Yeah, buddy. Not everyone can run the counter-trey with their QB but it’s hardly the case with this offense.
Watch the left guard and tackle pull to their right and slam into the two playside defenders, and the down-blocks by the playside linemen open a huge hole for Jaxson.
Onside kicks, touchdown dives, fist pumps, and leg kicks. Now that’s quality football.
(Feature image credit: Kiana Dale, Ole Miss Athletics)
David Walker
David Walker was named Louisiana’s High School Player of the Year at just 16 years old and, at 17, became college football’s first quarterback to earn Freshman of the Year honors. He remains the NCAA’s youngest-ever starting quarterback, a distinction that has stood for decades.
Transitioning from a wide-open high school offense to Emory Bellard’s renowned wishbone triple option, Walker excelled as a dual-threat quarterback. He graduated as Texas A&M’s all-time winningest quarterback and served as a two-time team captain, helping to transform a program that had endured 15 losing seasons in the previous 16 years.
After his playing career, Walker coached and taught algebra at six Texas high schools before moving into private business. In 2011, he published his memoir, “I’ll Tell You When You’re Good,” a title inspired by the coaching philosophy of Shannon Suarez, the Sulphur High and Louisiana High School Hall of Fame coach who was a significant influence on Walker’s life and career.
Walker’s compelling storytelling in his autobiography reflects the breadth of his experiences in high school and college football, and it is an undeniable fact that he saw more action than any athlete in the history of the NCAA. Since 2013, he has contributed to The Rebel Walk, sharing his insights and expertise with readers.
