The Ole Miss Rebels defeated the Auburn Tigers 28-21 in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday night, marking Ole Miss’ second straight victory over the Tigers; this was also the Rebel’s first win against Auburn on the road since 2015. Here are three of the biggest takeaways from a gutsy win over Auburn.
Ole Miss defense is legit
This was a game where you knew one of the defenses had to hold strong in order to get their offense going, and Saturday night saw Ole Miss’ defense assert its dominance.
Auburn ranked dead last in passing yards this season, and passing woes continued to plague the Tigers in this game. The Rebels only allowed 275 total yards of offense, including just 120 yards through the air.
The game was tied 14-14 going into the third quarter until Ole Miss pulled away from the Tigers by outscoring them 14-7 in the second half. The Auburn Tigers only converted three third downs in 14 chances, averaging 4.9 yards per play while also giving away two interceptions.
There were a few moments during the game when the Rebels made huge stops, which helped keep Ole Miss in the game and give them opportunities to pull away down the stretch. The final score indicated a much closer game, as the Tigers scored a late touchdown to pad the scoreboard, but make no mistake: Ole Miss’ defense made plays all night when its offense was struggling.
The Rebels are continuing to find their footing
The Rebels are third in the SEC in rushing yards, averaging 189 yards per game, and they rushed for 223 yards on Saturday night. The running backs had holes to run through for the majority of the night, showing that the Rebels can be more physical than opponents at the line of scrimmage.
Thanks to its success running the ball, Ole Miss won the time of possession battle, possessing the ball for 34 minutes compared to the Tigers’ 25.
The Rebel offense outgained the Tigers 475 yards to 275 yards, had more third down conversions and averaged more yards per play. However, the most impressive stat was that Ole Miss rushed for over 200 yards as a team.
The standout of the weekend was sophomore running back Quinshon Judkins, who had 21 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown. The Rebels’ ability to run the ball proved to be a crucial aspect of their victory.
Ole Miss is a complete team
Throughout this season, Ole Miss has won games in many different ways, from offensive shootouts to, in this case, a gritty, hard-earned win.
Despite poor special team play in the first half and an offense that at times had trouble sustaining drives, the Rebels still found a way to win: establishing a run game and relying on their suffocating defense.
Ole Miss is built to play all four quarters, which is something that was not present last season. The Rebels not only scored in each quarter during this game, but they also managed to hold the Tigers scoreless for most of the second half.
When Ole Miss manages to put together a solid effort on both sides of the ball, that is a recipe for victory.
