Game Preview: Ole Miss vs. Auburn

OXFORD, Miss. Ole Miss faces its third top-25 opponent Saturday in 23rd-ranked Auburn Saturday at 5 p.m. CST at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The game is available on pay-per-view, and fans should contact their local cable or satellite providers for more information.

The Rebels (2-6, 0-5 SEC) are looking for their first conference victory and are matched with up with a Western Division foe for the third straight game. Ole Miss suffered a 44-8 setback to Arkansas Saturday.

“We are very excited to go down to Auburn to play a very strong football team,” said Rebel head coach Ed Orgeron. “We had a great battle against them last year, and we are going to be excited to get back to playing some good football.”

Senior running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 85 yards against the Razorbacks and has remained a steady force in the Ole Miss offense. The New Orleans native ranks fourth in the SEC rushing at 98.1 yards per game with three 100-yard performances.

Despite season lows in completions (9) and yards (79) on Saturday, senior quarterback Seth Adams remains the starter behind center for the Rebels. He has five 200-yard outings and is averaging 215.0 passing yards per game.

Junior receiver Mike Wallace hauled in his 10th pass of 30 or more yards this year with his 37-yard touchdown grab against Arkansas. It was his team-high sixth TD of the year and second from Brent Schaeffer, who was 5-of-13 for 103 yards in relief of Adams Saturday. Wallace tops the SEC in yards per catch (21.8) and is third in yards per game (81.8).

On the defensive line, sophomore end Greg Hardy and junior tackle Peria Jerry have been wreaking havoc. Hardy tops the conference in TFLs with 16.0, sacks with eight and forced fumbles with three, while Jerry boasts 7.5 TFLs and 22 total tackles in the last four games.

Auburn (5-3, 3-2) had its four-game win streak snapped Saturday with a last-second 30-24 loss at fifth-ranked LSU. The balanced Auburn offense is averaging 157.0 yards on the ground and 173.2 through the air.

Sophomore tailback Ben Tate leads the rushing attack with 76.8 yards per game with four touchdowns, while redshirt freshman Mario Fannin adds a 41.2-yard average with a team-high five TDs.

Senior quarterback Brandon Cox has completed 112-of-188 passes for 1,263 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions. Junior receiver Rodgeriqus Smith has easily been the top target with 33 receptions for 453 yards and four scores.

The Tiger defense is third in the SEC in rushing defense with just 116.8 yards allowed, and they surrender 305.1 total yards per game. Junior linebacker Chris Evans boasts team-high 47 total tackles, while sophomore end Antonio Coleman has registered 10.0 TFLs and four QB sacks. Senior end Quentin Groves has seven TFLs, three sacks and 18 QB hurries.

Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville will be facing his old club for the ninth time and has a 6-2 record against the Rebels. Tuberville posted a 25-20 mark in four seasons as the head coach at Ole Miss from 1995-98.

Overall, the Tigers hold a 23-8 advantage in the series and a 10-2 edge in games played in Auburn, although the teams have split the last four encounters on the Plains. The Tigers pulled out a 23-17 victory last year in Oxford.

 

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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