Game Primer: Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M

			OLE MISS (3-4, 2-2 SEC) vs. RV/RV TEXAS A&M (3-3, 1-2 SEC) Saturday, Oct. 19 • 6:30 p.m. • Oxford, Miss. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (64,038)
Watch • Live Stats • Listen • Buy Tickets • Gameday Info Ole Miss Game Notes (PDF) • Texas A&M Game Notes (PDF) • SEC Game Notes (PDF)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• Ole Miss and Texas A&M will be meeting for the 12th time in a series that started in 1911.
• Texas A&M leads the all-time series vs. Ole Miss 8-1 ... The original record is 8-3 in favor of A&M, with wins in 2014 and 2016 by Ole Miss vacated due to NCAA ruling.
• Ole Miss holds a 3-1 edge in games played in Oxford, Mississippi.
• 84.9 percent of Ole Miss' offense (2,606 of 3,068 yards) have come from freshmen, the most by any team in the country.
• Six different freshmen have started at least one game this season for the Rebels.
• Ole Miss has forced at least one turnover in six of its seven games this season.
• The Rebels' 283.2 yards rushing per game in SEC contests leads the conference.
• QB John Rhys Plumlee's 470 yards rushing on the season are a program record by an Ole Miss freshman QB.
• Plumlee is the only Ole Miss quarterback in school history to rush for 100 yards in three straight games ... He's the first Power 5 QB to rush for 100+ yards in each of his first three starts since Nebraska's Taylor Martinez and Michigan's Denard Robinson in 2010.
• NT Benito Jones leads the SEC in tackles for loss with 7.5.
• DB A.J. Finley leads the SEC and is No. 5 nationally in fumble recoveries with two.
• RB/KR Jerrion Ealy is the first player since 2012 (Jaylen Walton) to record a rushing, receiving and return touchdown in the same season.

OLE MISS HEAD COACH MATT LUKE
Matt Luke (Ole Miss, 2000) is in his 12th season at Ole Miss and third season at the helm, taking the reins of his alma mater as the 38th head coach in program history. He was born a Rebel as his family has ties to Ole Miss that span three generations. During his 25 years as a player and coach at the collegiate level, Luke has risen through the ranks while learning from a number of successful veteran coaches. He has worked alongside national champion Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer, Duke head coach David Cutcliffe and former Ole Miss head coach Tommy Tuberville, among others. Luke, a four-year center for the Rebels (1995-98), spent five seasons as the team's co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach before being promoted to interim head coach for the 2017 season. During his first stop in Oxford (2002-05), he served four seasons coaching the Ole Miss tight ends and offensive line under Cutcliffe. Following his playing career, he served as a student assistant coach at Ole Miss in 1999, helping the Rebels to an 8-4 mark with regular-season wins against Auburn, South Carolina, LSU and Arkansas as well as a 27-25 triumph over Oklahoma in the Independence Bowl. He graduated in May 2000 with a degree in business administration. His father, Tommy, was a defensive back at Ole Miss in the 1960s while his brother, Tom, quarterbacked the Rebels from 1989-91. Tom is also on the Ole Miss football staff as assistant athletics director for player development.

TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH JIMBO FISHER
Jimbo Fisher (Salem College, 1990) is in his second season as the Texas A&M head coach and is 3-3 in 2019. He owns a 95-30 mark in 10 seasons as a college head coach overall. Fisher was hired at Texas A&M on Dec. 4, 2017 after eight successful seasons at Florida State, which included the 2013 BCS National Championship. In his first season in College Station, Fisher led the Aggies to a 9-4 record, including a 52-13 win in the 2018 Gator Bowl. Prior to taking the job at Texas A&M, Fisher led the Seminoles to an 83-23 record, winning three Atlantic Coast Conference championships, four Atlantic Division titles and five bowl games. Twelve of Fisher's FSU players earned consensus All-America honors, with quarterback Jameis Winston winning the Heisman Trophy in 2013. The 2013 Rawlings College Football Coach of the Year, Fisher has twice been a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award (2013, 2014) and was a finalist for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award in 2014.

AGGIE SCOUTING REPORT
Texas A&M is 3-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play entering this week's game with Ole Miss. The Aggies are averaging over 420 yards of total offense per game, with 288 coming through the air and 132 yards per game on the ground. Junior signal-caller Kellen Mond ranks third in the SEC with 1,597 passing yards on the season. Mond is completing 63.2 percent of his passes on the season, with 12 TDs and four interceptions. He's also run for three scores on the season. Mond's top target has been his high school teammate Jhamon Ausbon. Aubon has hauled in 37 catches for 506 yards and two touchdowns. Wideout Quartney Davis leads the receiving corps with four TD receptions. True freshman running back Isaiah Spiller is the Aggies' leading rusher, averaging 5.5 yards per carry on 51 carries for 282 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, the Aggies are allowing 324 yards per game, giving up 116 rushing yards per game and 208 through the air. Junior linebacker Buddy Johnson leads Texas A&M in tackles, averaging 6.3 stops per game. Five different Aggies have tallied interceptions for Texas A&M, including two from DBs Myles Jones and Roney Elam. Texas A&M possesses two dangerous weapons on special teams as well. Senior punter Braden Mann is No. 3 in the country, averaging 48.6 yards per punt. Kicker Seth Small is 10-for-12 in field goal attempts, including a long of 50 yards.

OLE MISS-TEXAS A&M SERIES HISTORY
• Ole Miss and Texas A&M will be meeting for the 12th time in a series that started in 1911.
• Texas A&M leads the all-time series vs. Ole Miss 8-1.
• The original record is 8-3 in favor of A&M, with wins in 2014 and 2016 by Ole Miss vacated due to NCAA ruling.
• Ole Miss holds a 3-1 edge in games played in Oxford, Mississippi.

TEXAS REBELS
The Ole Miss roster features seven players who hail from Texas: DE Ryder Anderson (Houston), WR Miles Battle (Houston), DB Jaylon Jones (Dallas), RB D'Vaughn Pennamon (Houston), QB Grant Restmeyer (McKinney), LB MoMo Sanogo (Plano), QB Grant Tisdale (Allen).

RUN, RUN, RUN SOME MORE
Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC and 19th nationally in rushing offense, averaging 230.0 yards per game. In SEC play, the Rebels have run for a league-best 1,133 yards and nine touchdowns. Ole Miss has averaged 50 carries per conference game, over 15 more carries per game more than the league average (34.7). Ole Miss' 413 yards rushing vs. Vanderbilt during Week 6 were the most by Ole Miss against an SEC opponent since 1979 (Vandy, 443). With at least five games left in the season, Ole Miss is just 390 yards shy of being the first Rebel team since 1979 to surpass the 2,000-yard rushing mark.

REBEL-AGGIE CONNECTIONS
• Rebel DE Ryder Anderson and A&M kicker Seth Small were teammates at Katy HS in Katy, Texas.
• Ole Miss RB D'Vaughn Pennamon was teammates with Texas A&M's Derrick Tucker, Jalen Preston, Brian Johnson, Deneric Prince and Layden Robinson at Manvel HS in Manvel, Texas.
• Rebel WR Miles Battle and A&M freshman OL Grayson Reed both played at Cy Creek HS in Cypress, Texas.
• Texas A&M linebackers coach Bradley Dale Peveto served in the same capacity at Ole Miss in 2017.
• Texas A&M defensive line coach Terry Price was a member of two different Ole Miss staffs from 1995-98 and 2009-11.

WE WERE MERELY FRESHMEN
• 84.9 percent of Ole Miss' offense (2,606 of 3,068 yards) have come from freshmen, the most by any team in the country.
• 19 of Ole Miss' 24 touchdowns on the season have come from freshmen.
• Ten of the last 12 touchdowns for Ole Miss have involved freshmen.
• The 51 total freshmen (36 true, 15 redshirt) on Ole Miss' roster account for over 43 percent of the roster, the third-most in the SEC.
• Six different freshmen have started at least one game this season for the Rebels.
• 23 freshmen (14 true, nine redshirt) have seen action for Ole Miss at least once during the first six games of the season. Those freshmen include: WR Miles Battle (RS), DE Quentin Bivens (RS), OL Nick Broeker (True), ILB Ashanti Cistrunk (RS), RB Snoop Conner (True), QB Matt Corral (RS), DE LeDarrius Cox (True), OL Jalen Cunningham (RS), RB Jerrion Ealy (True), DB A.J. Finley (True), WR Demarcus Gregory (RS), DB Jakorey Hawkins (RS), DT KD Hill (RS), WR Dannis Jackson (True), WR Jadon Jackson (True), DB Jalen Jordan (True), OLB Luke Knox (RS), NT Patrick Lucas, Jr. (True), WR Jonathan Mingo (True), QB John Rhys Plumlee (True), DB Deantre Prince (True), DB Jay Stanley (True), QB Grant Tisdale (True).

CORRAL GOING DEEP
QB Matt Corral saw his first action since Week 4 and performed quite well coming off the bench. Despite the lack of action in recent weeks, Corral had no problem looking downfield against Missouri. Of Corral's passing yards, 63.9 percent came through the air, as opposed to after the catch, and that was his highest rate of air yardage this season. Going hand in hand with air yardage, Corral's 11.9 yard average depth of target was also the highest he has had this season. On throws of 10 or more yards in Week 7, Corral went 3-for-6 for 72 yards. It was the third time this season Corral hit the 50 percent completion mark when throwing for 10 or more yards, and his 12.0 yards per attempt were his highest on these throws in 2019.

MOORE DOMINATING THE SLOT
WR Elijah Moore was back to his very productive ways in Week 7. His rapport with Matt Corral was back on display as the two of them formed an efficient duo this week. When Corral targeted Moore, it resulted in four catches on five targets for 51 yards and a 109.2 passer rating, with all of his catches between the numbers. With John Rhys Plumlee throwing to Moore this week, there were 10 targets for four catches, 51 yards, one TD, and a 90.0 passer rating. Among all Power 5 receivers, Elijah Moore ranks second in receiving yardage as a slot receiver, with 562. When targeted between the numbers, specifically, Moore has earned an 84.4 grade and has more contested catches (6) than any other SEC WR (tied for second most among Power 5 receivers).

STRONG AGAINST THE RUN
The Ole Miss defense currently ranks 34th in the NCAA in rushing defense, allowing 118.4 yards per game. Ole Miss has held four of its last six opponents to under 70 yards rushing, including limiting the Commodores to just 62 yards on the ground in the Rebels' during Week 6. In Weeks 2, 3 and 4, the Rebels held their opponents to 61, 66 and 60 yards respectively. It was the first time since 1999 that Ole Miss had allowed 70 or less rushing yards in three straight games.

RUN-JRP
In just four appearances and three career starts, QB John Rhys Plumlee has put up some record-breaking numbers on the ground. Plumlee has carried the ball 73 times for 470 yards and four touchdowns. His 470 yards on the season are the most ever by an Ole Miss freshman QB and just 74 yards shy of setting the school record, regardless of year. Plumlee is the only Ole Miss quarterback in school history to rush for 100 yards in three straight games. He's also the first Power 5 QB to rush for 100 or more yards in each of his first three starts since Nebraska's Taylor Martinez and Michigan's Denard Robinson in 2010. Through four SEC games, Plumlee leads the conference in both yards (417), attempts (70) and rushing touchdowns (four).

THE PROTECTOR
OL Royce Newman had the most impressive performance in pass protection of his career this week against Missouri. He totaled 39 total pass blocks and went through all of them without surrendering a pressure or losing a single matchup, and this is the second time this year he has accomplished that. Newman earned an 86.0 pass blocking grade, which is a new career high, and that ranked fourth among all SEC guards in Week 7. With four conference games now in the books, Newman has done a solid job pass blocking against SEC defenders. His 2.4 percent pressure rate in conference games ranks ninth among 30 qualifying SEC guards this season.

A SPECIAL WEAPON
Through the first five games of the season, P Mac Brown has averaged 44.7 yards per punt. Eight of Brown's 30 punts this season have been more than 50 yards. Brown, a member of the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List and Ray Guy Award Watch List, only had six punts that surpassed 50 yards last season.

LOCK DOWN
DB Keidron Smith has been very hot the last two weeks. After being targeted twice a week ago without allowing a completion, he repeated that feat this week with the four passes thrown his way. Smith has broken up three passes in the last two weeks and earned an 83.9 coverage grade in the process. During that time, Smith has been targeted six times in coverage and has allowed zero receptions with a passer rating when targeted of 39.6. Smith's coverage grade over the last two weeks of 83.9 ranks No. 1 in the SEC among CBs. Smith has played in 56.8 percent of his team's defensive snaps this season.

COATNEY A KEY COG IN DEFENSIVE UNIT
DE Josiah Coatney has been a very consistent player for the Rebels defense this season, and that was the case in Week 7 against Missouri. Coatney pitched in three total tackles, including two tackles for loss while adding a pair of QB hurries. He is currently the third highest graded defender on the team (77.9 overall) and the only player on the Ole Miss defense with at least 20 total tackles and 10 or more pressures through Week 7. Coatney has 13 defensive stops on the season, fourth most among SEC interior defenders, and his 13 solo tackles vs. the run are tied for fourth most.

125 SEASONS OF OLE MISS FOOTBALL
This year is the 125th season of football at Ole Miss. The Rebels boast an all-time record of 641-528-35 (.546 winning percentage) after vacated wins. Ole Miss did not field teams in 1897 due to an epidemic of yellow fever, and also in 1943 when football was abolished at all Mississippi state-supported institutions by the Board of Trustees.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC and 19th nationally in rushing offense, averaging 230.0 yards per game.
• The Rebels' 283.2 yards rushing per game in SEC contests leads the conference ... In SEC play, the Rebels have run for a league-best 1,133 yards and nine touchdowns.
• Ole Miss has averaged 50 carries per conference game, over 15 more carries per game more than the league average (34.7).
• With at least five games left in the season, Ole Miss is just 390 yards shy of being the first Rebel team since 1979 to surpass the 2,000-yard rushing mark.
• 84.9 percent of Ole Miss' offense (2,606 of 3,068 yards) has come from freshmen, the most by any team in the country ... 19 of Ole Miss' 24 touchdowns on the season have come from freshmen.
• QB John Rhys Plumlee's 470 yards rushing on the season are a program record by an Ole Miss freshman QB.
• Plumlee is the only Ole Miss quarterback in school history to rush for 100 yards in three straight contest and the first SEC quarterback to do so since 2010 when Tim Tebow tallied four such games.
• He's the first first Power 5 QB to rush for 100+ yards in each of his first three starts since Nebraska's Taylor Martinez and Michigan's Denard Robinson in 2010.
• RB/KR Jerrion Ealy is the first player since 2012 (Jaylen Walton) to record a rushing, receiving and return touchdown in the same season.
• Among all Power 5 receivers, WR Elijah Moore ranks second in receiving yardage as a slot receiver, with 562 ... When targeted between the numbers, specifically, Moore has earned an 84.4 grade and has more contested catches (6) than any other SEC WR (Tied for second most among Power 5 receivers).

DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss has forced at least one turnover in six of its seven games this season.
• The Rebels currently rank 34th in the NCAA in rushing defense, allowing 118.4 yards per game.
• Ole Miss has held four of its last six opponents to under 70 yards rushing, including limiting the Commodores to just 62 yards on the ground in the Rebels' during Week 6.
• In Weeks 2, 3 and 4, the Rebels held their opponents to 61, 66 and 60 yards, respectively. It was the first time since 1999 that Ole Miss had allowed 70 or less rushing yards in three straight games.
• Six different Rebels have tallied at least one interception in 2019.
• ILB Lakia Henry ranks 13th in the SEC in tackles per game (7.1).
• NT Benito Jones leads the SEC in tackles for loss with 5.5.
• DL Josiah Coatney has 13 solo tackles vs. the run, tied for fourth most in the SEC.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• P Mac Brown is averaging 44.7 yards per punt, the 23rd-best average in the NCAA.
• Eight of Brown's 30 punts this season have been more than 50 yards ... He only had six punts that surpassed 50 yards last season.
• K Luke Logan leads the Rebels in scoring with 6.6 points per game.
• Logan had his 11 game field goal streak snapped during Week 7 at Missouri.
• KR Jerrion Ealy ranks No. 2 in the SEC in kick return average (24.9).
• A.J. Finley leads the SEC and is No. 5 nationally in fumble recoveries with two ... Both fumble recoveries have come on muffed punts.

MAC BROWN RAISES NEARLY 75K FOR ALS
When he was in seventh grade, Ole Miss punter Mac Brown had a modest goal of raising $500 for a childhood friend's dad who had been diagnosed with ALS. Along with a group of neighborhood friends, Brown started a lemonade stand, Awesome Lemonade Stand, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, to help his friend's family. Eight years later, that $500 goal has ballooned to nearly $75,000 raised by Brown and his friends for ALS research. This year alone, the Awesome Lemonade Stand has raised more than $21,000 alone, including $4,500 during the Vanderbilt game when the stand was set up outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

DEBUTS
Twenty-five players have made their Ole Miss debut so far this season: Nick Broeker (OL), Ashanti Cistrunk (DB), Spencer Cole (P), Snoop Conner (RB), LeDarrius Cox (DE), Jalen Cunningham (OL), Vernon Dash (OLB), Dontario Drummond (WR), Jerrion Ealy (RB), A.J. Finley (DB), Demarcus Gregory (WR), Casey Griffith (K), Jon Haynes (DB), Lakia Henry (OLB), Dannis Jackson (WR), Jadon Jackson (WR), Jalen Jordan (DB), Patrick Lucas, Jr. (NT), Jonathan Mingo (WR), D'Vaughn Pennamon (TE), John Rhys Plumlee (QB), Deantre Prince (DB), Jay Stanley (DB), Grant Tisdale (QB), Sam Williams (OLB).

BROTHERLY COMPANY
Ole Miss is one of only nine FBS schools in the country to have brothers on the same coaching staff as running backs coach Derrick Nix is in his 12th year at Ole Miss and Tyrone Nix is in his fifth overall season (second stint) coaching outside linebackers. If you include support staff, Matt and Tom Luke (Assistant A.D. for Player Development), the Rebels are the only school in the country to have two sets of brothers on staff.

    • Jeff, Brian & Greg Brohm (HC, OC, Ops) - Purdue
    • Travis & Trent Greene (GAs) - Syracuse
    • Thomas & Tyquan Hammock (HC & GA) - Northern Illinois
    • Willy & Colton Korn (Co-OC & Def. GA) - South Alabama
    • Matt & Tom Luke (HC & Player Dev.) - Ole Miss
    • Joey & Kevin Lynch (AHC/OC & RB) - Ball State
    • Derrick & Tyrone Nix (RB & OLB) - Ole Miss
    • Jake & Zac Spavital (HC & DC) - Texas State
    • Matt & Luke Wells (HC & TE/IR) - Texas Tech
    • Kyle & Freddie Whittingham (HC & TE) - Utah

LANDSHARK CHAIN GETS PASSED AROUND
When the Ole Miss defense forces a turnover, they get rewarded with the Landshark Chain; an occurrence that's happened numerous times during the 2019 season. The Rebels rank sixth in the SEC with six interceptions, all of which have been by different players. Ole Miss has forced at least one turnover in all but one game this season.

FIRST-TIME STARTERS
Thirteen Rebels have made their first career starts during the first six weeks of the 2019 season: (Offense) Matt Corral (QB), Dontario Drummond (WR), Michael Howard (OL), Eli Johnson (OL), Luke Knox (OLB), Jonathan Mingo (WR), Royce Newman (OL); (Defense) Jon Haynes (DB), Lakia Henry (ILB), John Rhys Plumlee (QB), Deantre Prince (DB), Jay Stanley (DB), Sam Williams (OLB).

LUKE'S WEEKLY RADIO SHOW ON TUESDAYS
RebTalk, the official weekly radio show of Ole Miss Athletics, is moving to a new day and location for this season. Beginning Aug. 27, RebTalk will be broadcast each Tuesday this fall at Bouré in downtown Oxford from 7-8 p.m. The show, which is hosted by the "Voice of the Rebels" David Kellum and includes special guests, will air live on the Ole Miss IMG Sports Network. Ole Miss Football head coach Matt Luke and select players will join the broadcast each Tuesday throughout the season.

HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE
After the 2018 campaign, Matt Luke found himself in the market for both an offensive and defensive coordinator, and he delivered in a big way. Mike MacIntyre, a two-time national coach of the year and coaching veteran with nearly three decades of experience, will take over the reigns as the Rebels' defensive coordinator while Rich Rodriguez, considered one of the most innovative offensive minds in college football, will serve as Ole Miss' offensive coordinator. Ole Miss is one of only two teams in the nation, along with Alabama, to have three coaches with Power 5 head coaching experience.

CHUCKY MULLINS COURAGE AWARD
In the spring, senior DE Austrian Robinson became the 29th different Rebel to be awarded the Chucky Mullins Courage Award, which goes to a standout defensive player each year. The award honors the late Chucky Mullins, who had his Ole Miss career come to an end during the 1989 Homecoming game against Vanderbilt when he was paralyzed after making a tackle. After returning to his studies at Ole Miss, Mullins passed away May 6, 1991. Robinson wears the No. 38 jersey in Mullins' honor this season.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ryder Anderson

Quentin Bivens

Nick Broeker

Mac Brown

Ashanti Cistrunk

Josiah Coatney

Spencer Cole

Snoop Conner

Matt Corral

LeDarrius Cox

Jalen Cunningham

Dontario Drummond

Jerrion Ealy

AJ Finley

Casey Griffith

Jakorey Hawkins

Jon Haynes

Lakia Henry

KD Hill

Michael Howard

Dannis Jackson

Jadon Jackson

Eli Johnson

Benito Jones

Jaylon Jones

Jalen Jordan

Luke Knox

Luke Logan

Jonathan Mingo

Elijah Moore

Royce Newman

D'Vaughn Pennamon

John Rhys Plumlee

Deantre Prince

Grant Restmeyer

Austrian Robinson

MoMo Sanogo

Keidron Smith

Jay Stanley

Sam Williams

Related Videos