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Auburn Football: Ole Miss Rebels Injuries and LSU Review

By Collin Dillard

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Week nine of college football in the SEC did not disappoint. Overall there were close games in almost every in-conference matchup.

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What I found most surprising was the lackadaisical ending to the Ole Miss – LSU game. Sure the game was in Death Valley, but that is no excuse for poor coaching in the last 0:09 seconds of the game. All that Hugh Freeze had to do was get a quick shot at some yards and kick a field goal to tie the game at 10. Instead Bo Wallace throws a familiar late interception to close the game.

Among poor coaching decisions, there were a handful of injuries to the Ole Miss team this Saturday.

In the first quarter of play, linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche fractured his ankle. This is a huge blow to the Rebels stout defensive unit. Nkemdiche had 26 tackles and one sack leading up to the LSU game last Saturday. He will miss the rest of the 2014 season due to ankle surgery.

The injury woes do not stop there for the Rebels unfortunately. Defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche and safety Cody Prewitt are also listed “day-to-day” on the defensive side of the ball. The injuries to these players came late in the game. On the offensive side, tackle Laremy Tunsil and center Ben Still are also listed as “day-to-day.” Ben Still missed Saturday’s game at LSU and is going to progress through the week.

What does this mean to the Tigers in the upcoming week ten matchup? It means that opportunities may have a chance to present themselves early and the Auburn football team may be able to use the injuries to their advantage this Saturday. Having an athlete listed “day-to-day” is a mixed bag. The Tigers are in a great position to be traveling to Oxford.

The Rebels coaches will also have to make sure Bo Wallace is ready to play. The Auburn secondary must remain solid throughout four quarters. Teams like Ole Miss and Alabama make a living off of poor execution in the secondary.

The Tigers’ secondary got eaten up against the Gamecocks. Poor tackling and being late on routes were among the biggest issues. Dylan Thompson was 5-for-6 on fourth down conversions. Spurrier challenged our coverage and almost won the battle.

Auburn has made some big plays in the past two games despite poor coverage. The Tigers defense has come up with three interceptions in each of their last two games.

Most of these interceptions came from Jonathan Jones. He has had two interceptions in each of the past two games! We need that elevated level of play against the Rebels.

Overall the matchup looks to be another great SEC West battle. Auburn has to be prepared for the strengths of the Ole Miss team. They are not a team that is going to lose determination after one loss.

Next: Auburn at Ole Miss Preview and Predictions

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