Auburn Football: Scouting the Ole Miss Offense
Oct 18, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Vince Sanders (10) crosses into the end zone for a touchdown during the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
When thinking ahead to Saturday’s Ole Miss – Auburn football game, the terms “unstoppable force” and “immovable object” come to mind. Of course, that’s when comparing the Tigers’ high-octane offense and the Rebels rock solid defense. But what about when Ole Miss is on offense?
It’s more of a “talented, but flawed force” meeting a “bend but doesn’t break object” – or something like that anyway.
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The Rebels are capable of scoring in bunches and have averaged 31.9 points per game this season, which is actually an improvement over last year’s squad that scored 30 points per game. Passing certainly hasn’t been an issue as senior quarterback Bo Wallace has led Ole Miss to 268.8 passing yards on average, which ranks fourth in the SEC and 36th nationally.
However, a big difference for the Rebels on offense this season is the lack of a consistent rushing attack. In 2013, Ole Miss finished fifth in the SEC and 21st in the nation with 473.3 total yards per game. This season, they’ve gained only 418.9 yards per contest due mainly to a 50-yard average decrease in rushing.
Only once this season have the Rebels gained more than 180 yards on the ground in a game – Week 3 against Louisiana-Lafayette when they had 214 yards on 35 carries. Last year, Ole Miss averaged 190 rushing yards per game.
Ole Miss is also coming off their worst offensive performance of the season. Held to just seven points and 315 total yards, the Rebels lost their first game of the year to LSU Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. Of course, the Auburn defense has struggled similarly and allowed a season-high 535 yards last week in a 42-35 win over South Carolina.