Ole Miss vs. Auburn: Four Keys to a Rebel Win
OXFORD, Miss. — Saturday is finally here and the excitement is building as the Rebels travel to the Plains to take on Auburn with a 6:00 p.m. kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Here’s a quick look at four keys to an Ole Miss win over the Tigers and former Rebel head coach Hugh Freeze.
Contain the Auburn Rushing Attack
While Auburn’s passing offense this season has struggled (they are dead last in the league in yards per game through the air), the Tigers’ ground game has fared better. Auburn is third in the SEC in rushing yards per game with 191.5, only behind Tennessee and LSU. The Tigers are tied for fourth in the SEC with 13 rushing TDs this season.
Auburn racked up 219 yards on the ground against No. 1-ranked Georgia three weeks ago.
Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne leads his team in rushing yards with 225. The Tigers have six players with at least 20 rushes this year, meaning they take more of a “by committee” approach on the ground. They are third in the SEC in rushing yards per game with 191.5.
Filling rushing lanes and forcing Auburn to throw the ball will likely be a priority for Pete Golding and the Landshark defense.
Score early and limit penalties
Auburn’s rushing attack paces its offense, so the Rebels need to get a good lead on the Tigers early and force them to throw the ball, their weakness. In order to do that, Ole Miss will have to come out in a raucous Jordan-Hare environment firing on all cylinders. It all starts up front with the offensive line setting the tone, protecting Jaxson Dart and opening rushing lanes.
One thing Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin talked about this week when asked what his Rebs need to do to improve, is cut down on penalties.
The Rebels have amassed 42 penalties this season, ranking them No. 77 in the nation out of 132 total teams in that category.
“Overall, penalties in all three phases of the game,” Kiffin answered when pressed on what he would like to improve upon. “We’ve just had a lot of penalties. Some have been pre-snap. Some have been lack of discipline, poor decision-making. We need to get a lot better at that.”
To score early and get in a rhythm offensively, Ole Miss does not need to have long gains — or touchdowns — called back because of offensive holding penalties.
Run, Rebs, Run
Ole Miss’ only loss so far this season was in the game against Alabama where the Rebels were unable to get anything going on the ground. They finished the game against the Tide with just 56 total yards rushing on 29 attempts, for an anemic 1.9 yards per carry.
With a now-healthy Quinshon Judkins, a surging Ulysses Bentley IV, and a mobile and determined Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss seems to have turned the corner on any ground-game woes it had. The Rebels notched 317 yards rushing against LSU and 196 against Arkansas.
If Ole Miss can establish the run game against Auburn, allowing the pass game to open up, Dart and his receivers could have a field day on The Plains. Dart has thrown for 1,638 passing yards and rushed for 302 yards through the regular season’s first six games. It’s worth pointing out he threw four touchdowns against the same LSU defense Auburn’s offense struggled against last week.
Coming off a bye week, Quinshon Judkins and company have fresh legs and are primed for a big day.
Not Too High, Not Too Low
Auburn plays differently at home, where they are averaging 41.3 points a game this season. They gave No. 1 ranked Georgia a real battle on September 30 at Jordan-Hare before ultimately falling, 27-20.
It will be important for the Rebels to stay on an even keel tonight in Auburn. Limiting explosive plays when on defense will help keep the crowd out of the game, and now allow Auburn to feed off the crowd and gain momentum. If the crowd does get in the game, the Ole Miss offense will have its hands full with crowd noise and an energized Auburn defense. In such an event, look for an experienced Dart to take charge and keep the offense calm.
After the Rebels come-from-behind-win over Tulane earlier this season, Dart talked about the importance of remaining calm. “I just wanted to be the piece of our team that stays consistent throughout the game, not getting too high or too low,” Dart said.
“There’s a lot of emotions going on throughout a game, and you just have to be that way especially as a quarterback. I just wanted to a guy that the team can rely on, especially in critical downs.”
Jaxson Dart
Ole Miss and Auburn kick off at 6:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
(Feature image credit: Kiana Dale, Ole Miss)
Nick Filipich
Nick Filipich was born and raised in Biloxi, MS. He is an Ole Miss alum with a degree in Sports and Recreation Administration. A sports junkie with a great passion for all things Ole Miss, Nick played baseball and football in high school — which is where he discovered his love for sports. He is an avid Braves and Saints fan, and in his free time enjoys spending time with family, friends and his black lab, Dixie.
