This weekend, Ole Miss will take on Texas A&M for the sixth time since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012. Ole Miss has won the last three matchups, but with both teams’ head coaches hoping to keep their jobs at the end of this season, this game could prove interesting.
Texas A&M has weapons on both sides of the ball and an excess of young talent, but it is currently sitting at 6-4 overall with a 3-3 record in the SEC. The Aggies have drastically underperformed this season, and as a result, head coach Kevin Sumlin is sitting on the hot seat coming into the weekend.
Fresh off an impressive 55-14 win over New Mexico, Sumlin’s offense will be tested against a Rebel team that has slowly turned around its defense throughout the course of the season.
The biggest threat on the Texas A&M offense is wide receiver Christian Kirk, who was recently placed at No. 20 on Mel Kiper’s Big Board for the upcoming NFL draft. Kirk has accounted for 2,512 yards on 209 catches for 22 touchdowns in his three years thus far. He is also tied for the ninth-most career punt return touchdowns with six, making him a threat on special teams.
Texas A&M also boasts a stout defense, one that depends on generating big plays in crucial moments. In contrast to previous years, defensive coordinator John Chavis pulled a 180-degree turn, and in his third year in the position, the maroon and white rank first in sacks in the SEC, which does not bode well for the Rebels.
On the opposite side of the ball, Ole Miss’ offense has exploded and is ranked No. 16 in the nation with more than 4,000 yards. Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu lights up opposing defenses and has thrown for at least 350 yards in each of his two starts, making him the second Ole Miss QB to accomplish such a feat. When combined with the efforts of now-injured quarterback Shea Patterson, Ole Miss is ranked No. 6 nationally in total passing offense, in large part due to the Nasty Wide Outs, a nickname given to the Rebel wide receivers. The corps has certainly made the transition easier for Ta’amu. Ole Miss is one of only two schools in the country to have at least three receivers with six or more touchdowns this season.
A.J. Brown, a member of the Nasty Wide Outs, has dominated all season long and is ranked No. 1 in the SEC for receiving touchdowns and No. 7 nationally for receiving yards per game with 101.5. However, the Aggies have a talented secondary that is capable of going up and high-pointing the ball alongside receivers. A&M safety Armani Watts has four interceptions, the most in the SEC, and is second on the team in tackles.
On the ground, Rebel running back Jordan Wilkins may be averaging 6.2 yards a carry this season, but A&M’s resilient defensive line and linebacker combination can shut down the run before it gets started. Inside linebacker Otaro Alaka has recorded 11 tackles for loss this season, which places him at second in the SEC. Fellow linebacker Tyrel Dodson leads the defense in total tackles with 84 and is fifth in the conference at 10 tackles for loss.
Ole Miss’ prolific offense will go to battle with A&M’s fireplug defense at 6 p.m. Saturday in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
