Matt Luke and the Ole Miss football team will return to the gridiron after last week’s open date to face the Auburn Tigers at 6 p.m on Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The Rebels are coming off of two consecutive SEC losses and will need their best performance of the season along with some luck, as Auburn is favored by nearly three scores.
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn’s squad enters the game ranked No. 11 in the nation and is looking to bounce back from its hard-fought loss to LSU. Auburn lost by just three points after having failed to convert two first-and-goal situations into touchdowns.
This season has been a tale of two quarterbacks for Ole Miss. Both Matt Corral and John Rhys Plumlee possess undeniable talent, but the rotation system and play-calling employed thus far have prevented either from getting into a rhythm for longer than a few consecutive offensive series.
After undergoing minor surgery on his left knee during the bye-week, Plumlee said he’ll be ready to play on Saturday.
“I feel a lot better,” Plumlee said on Wednesday. “Moving around a lot today felt really good. I feel great and excited about Saturday.”
Plumlee and Corral will have to deal a rugged Auburn defense that has been nothing short of disruptive this season, leading the SEC in forced fumbles, with 11, and registering the second-most sacks, with 23.
The Tigers are considerably weaker against passing than against rushing, having registered the second fewest interceptions in the SEC, and allowed the fifth most passing yards. These statistics and the fact that Ole Miss is likely to be playing from behind could indicate a potential game script more in line with Corral’s skill set than with Plumlee’s. Corral has had his share of struggles this season, but Plumlee hasn’t been a real threat through the air this season.
“Defensively, it’s one of the top defenses we’ve faced since I’ve been here,” Luke said. “They’re good in the interior and the secondary and very physical at linebacker. We’re going to have to do a good job of not getting negative plays and protecting the ball. These guys get turnovers. When you drop back, they pressure the passer and create turnovers with their physicality. We’ll have to play well on the road against a very good team.”
Auburn also has freshman quarterback Bo Nix, who has struggled at times to throw the ball effectively.
The Rebels are, however, third in the SEC in sacks with 22, and Auburn has seen some recent volatility on its offensive line. After an ill-timed snap, Auburn benched starting center Kaleb Kim and subbed in Nick Brahms for the remainder of the game during its loss to LSU.
The Rebels hope to keep up the pressure on Nix and force him to make mistakes. Former JUCO standout Sam Williams has a two-game sack streak, and will look to keep it going.
The story of this game will likely be how the run-heavy offense implemented by Rich Rodriguez will cope with Auburn’s stout run-stoppers, and if the Ole Miss quarterbacks will step up to fill in where the run game may struggle. According to Pro Football Focus, Jerrion Ealy has the highest elusive rating of any SEC running back, and has made the most out of a minimal workload, turning only six carries into 80 yards and a long touchdown run against Texas A&M.
The Auburn game will be a tough test for the team, but if they are able to pull out an upset, it would be a huge win for Luke, who has come under fire this season for a lack of execution in winnable games.
