Undefeated Ole Miss Looks to Stay Hot Against Auburn

Following two consecutive SEC wins, the Ole Miss Rebels (6-0) will be defending their home turf against Auburn (3-3) this Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.

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Rebs’ Offensive Firepower

This season, Ole Miss Head Coach Lane Kiffin’s offensive scheme has looked unstoppable. Ole Miss has a recent history of potent offense, but the Rebels have balanced out their attack substantially this season. They average nearly 500 yards of offense per game, and 242 of those yards come on the ground. When asked about the Rebels’ production in the running game, Kiffin vocalized that he was happy with the balanced offense.

In the ever-dangerous Ole Miss passing offense, sophomore quarterback Jaxson Dart has done a good job filling the shoes of Matt Corral, who was drafted by the Carolina Panthers. Though he struggled two weeks ago against Kentucky, he had an impressive bounce-back performance last Saturday. He totaled 448 yards through the air and 3 TDs. However, that outing was against a Vanderbilt team whose defense has been lackluster. Expect Auburn’s secondary to keep Dart on his heels more this weekend.

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The Tigers’ Woes

Auburn has had a frustrating season thus far. They currently sit second-to-last in the SEC West with a 1-2 conference record. Though they are playing .500 ball, their wins have been relatively inconsequential: Mercer, San Jose State, and Missouri. Their offense has a lot of trouble putting the ball in the endzone; they average slightly more than 20 points per game.

Head Coach Bryan Harsin spoke about how the team stays positive despite their early struggles.

On top of the struggles the team has had, starting quarterback TJ Finley went down with a right shoulder injury against Penn State, and he is still in the recovery process. He has been replaced by freshman Robby Ashford. Though Ashford is a gifted scrambler and can extend plays with his legs, completing passes has been a struggle for him. Last week against Georgia, he had a measly completion percentage of 34.2%.

He also has a lot of trouble holding onto the ball while he’s navigating the pocket; he has totaled 7 fumbles so far this season.

Auburn's quarterbacks have 10 (!!!!) fumbles this season.

Robby Ashford: 7
T.J. Finley: 2
Holden Geriner: 1

There are 108 teams in college football with less fumbles on the season than Auburn's QBs. https://t.co/c0yd2DUfmi

— Nathan King (@NathanKing247) October 9, 2022

What to Expect

SEC teams tend to play each other tough, no matter which team is better on paper. With an undefeated season on the line and a lot of momentum, Vaught-Hemingway stadium will likely be rocking Saturday afternoon. If the Rebs can jump ahead and keep their foot on the gas, the game could be over early. That being said, if Auburn can strike quickly to mitigate the crowd noise, they have the defensive strength to keep the game within reach. This game will come down to which team brings the fire out of the gate.