Game Primer: Ole Miss at Missouri

			OLE MISS (3-3, 2-1 SEC) at MISSOURI (4-1, 1-0 SEC) Saturday, Oct. 12 • 6 p.m. • Columbia, Mo. Memorial Stadium (62,621)
Watch • Live Stats • Listen • Buy Tickets Ole Miss Game Notes (PDF) • Missouri Game Notes (PDF) • SEC Game Notes (PDF)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• This is the eighth meeting all-time between Ole Miss and Missouri and just the second-ever meeting as SEC foes.
• The Tigers hold a 6-1 series lead, with the Rebels' lone win a 10-0 triumph in 1974.
• This is the first time they will meet in Columbia, Missouri since 2006 ... Mizzou holds a 3-0 advantage in those games.
• Since the SEC started divisional play in 1992, Ole Miss is 32-38 (.457 winning percentage) vs. the Eastern Division.
• 83.3 percent of Ole Miss' offense (2,189 of 2,628 yards) have come from freshmen, the most by any team in the country.
• The Rebel offense is coming off a week in which it rushed for 413 yards vs. Vanderbilt ... It was the most rushing yards against an SEC opponent since 1979 (Vandy, 443).
• Six different freshmen have started at least one game this season for the Rebels.
• Ole Miss has forced at least one turnover in five of its six games this season.
• The Rebels lead the conference and rank 18th in the NCAA with just 5.2 penalties per game.
• Ole Miss has held four of its last five opponents to under 70 yards rushing.
• The Rebels' 309.7 yards rushing per game in SEC contests leads the conference.
• NT Benito Jones leads the SEC in tackles for loss with 1.3 TFL per game.
• RB Scottie Phillips is second in the SEC in rushing touchdowns (five).
• 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.

MISSOURI HEAD COACH BARRY ODOM
Barry Odom (Missouri, 1999) is in his fourth year as Missouri's head coach and has a 23-20 record with the Tigers, including a 4-1 mark so far this season. After a 4-8 campaign in his first year in Columbia, Odom is seeking to lead Mizzou to its third straight bowl game. In 2018, Odom's Tigers finished an exciting regular-season ranked No. 23 in the College Football Playoff poll (No. 24 in the Associated Press poll) with eight wins. He is only the fourth coach in Mizzou history to reach bowl games in two of his first three seasons at MU, joining College Football Hall of Fame Coach Dan Devine in that category, as well as former coaches Al Onofrio and Warren Powers. Odom served as Missouri's defensive coordinator in 2015 prior to taking over the reins for the Tigers. A Maysville, Oklahoma, native, Odom played at Mizzou and starred as a linebacker from 1996-99. He ended his playing career with 362 tackles, which still ranks as seventh-most in school history. Odom was a captain for his senior year of 1999, and was a key figure on the Missouri teams which reached bowl games in 1997 and 1998, ending a 14-year postseason drought for Tiger fans.

TIGER SCOUTING REPORT
Missouri is 4-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play and has won four straight contests entering this week's game vs. Ole Miss. The Commodores are averaging 457 yards of total offense per game, with 264 coming through the air and 193 yards per game on the ground. In its first five games, the Mizzou offense has been led by Clemson transfer Kelly Bryant. Bryant has completed 64.8 percent of his passes on the season for 1,246 yards and 11 touchdowns. Bryant is third in the SEC in points responsible for with 72. Missouri's receiving corps has seen 12 different Tigers haul in at least one catch on the season. Junior tight end Albert Okwuegbunam is an elite weapon in the Tigers' passing attack, especially in the red zone. A finalist for the Mackey Award last season, nearly half of Okwuegbunam's receptions this season (12) have gone for touchdowns (five). Larry Roundtree leads the Mizzou rushing attack, with 446 yards on 82 carries and five touchdowns. Statistically, the Mizzou defense ranks in the top 10 nationally in total defense (227.2), team defensive passing efficiency (83.46), red zone defense (.667), passing yards allowed (138.4) and first downs allowed (61). The Tigers lead the nation with five defensive touchdowns, nearly double more than any other team in the country. Linebacker Cale Garrett, who was injured in the Tigers' last game vs. Troy, is No. 1 in the SEC with 8.4 tackles per game, while defensive lineman Kobie Whiteside leads the SEC with 1.0 sacks per game. Garrett also leads a ball-hawking Mizzou defense with three interceptions.

OLE MISS-MISSOURI SERIES HISTORY
• This is the eighth meeting all-time between Ole Miss and Missouri.
• It's just the second-ever meeting as SEC foes.
• The Tigers hold a 6-1 series lead, with the Rebels' lone win a 10-0 triumph in 1974.
• This is the first time they will meet in Columbia, Missouri since 2006 • Mizzou holds a 3-0 advantage in games played in Columbia, Missouri.

REBELS VERSUS THE SEC EAST
• Since the SEC started divisional play in 1992, Ole Miss is 32-38 (.457 winning percentage) vs. the Eastern Division.
• Ole Miss is 16-23 (.421 win pct.) against SEC East schools on the road.
• The Rebels are 1-0 this season vs. East schools with a home win over Vanderbilt in Week 6.

RUN, RUN, RUN SOME MORE
Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC and 16th nationally in rushing offense, averaging 234.3 yards per game. In SEC play, the Rebels have run for a league-best 929 yards and seven touchdowns. Ole Miss has averaged over 51.6 carries per conference game, over 17 more carries per game more than the league average (34.3). Ole Miss' 692 rushing yards over the last two weeks are the most in a two-game span since at least 1998. Ole Miss' 413 yards rushing vs. Vanderbilt were the most by Ole Miss against an SEC opponent since 1979 (Vandy, 443).

FRESHMEN IMPACT
• 83.3 percent of Ole Miss' offense (2,189 of 2,628 yards) have come from freshmen, the most by any team in the country.
• 15 of Ole Miss' 20 touchdowns on the season have come from freshmen.
• In the last two games, Ole Miss freshmen have accounted for more than 88 percent of total offense in both contests.
    - Versus Vanderbilt, 452 of Ole Miss' 512 yards (88.3 percent) came from freshmen.
    - Against No. 2 Alabama, freshmen accounted for 446 of Ole Miss' 476 yards of total offense (93.7 percent), the
    highest on the season for the Rebel offense ... All four touchdowns involved freshmen as well.
• Seven of the last eight touchdowns for Ole Miss have come from true freshmen
• The 51 total freshmen (36 true, 15 redshirt) on Ole Miss' roster account for over 43 percent of the roster, the thirdmost 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).

EXPLOSIVE RUNS
Three different Rebels tallied a run of 50 yards or more against Vanderbilt: Snoop Conner (84 yards), Jerrion Ealy (78 yards), John Rhys Plumlee (54 yards). Ole Miss only had one carry of 50 yards or greater through the first five games of the season prior to breaking off three long runs vs. the Commodores. Conner's 84 yard scamper tied for the seventh longest run in school history and was the longest rush by an Ole Miss player since 2014 when Jaylen Walton tallied a 91-yard TD run against Mississippi State. It marked the first time in school history that the Rebels have tallied two rushes of 75 yards or more in the same game.

BIG MAN IN THE MIDDLE
NT Benito Jones tallied a career-high six pressures (one sack, five hurries) vs. Vanderbilt. Aside from the career day in the pass rush, Jones dominated in run defense as well. Jones had three total tackles against the run at an average depth of three yards behind the line of scrimmage. He was destructive against the run all day long, earning a career-high 90.8 run defense grade, the highest of any FBS interior defensive lineman in Week 6. Jones' 86.9 overall grade ranked fourth among all interior linemen in the SEC.

STRONG AGAINST THE RUN
The Ole Miss defense currently ranks 20th in the NCAA in rushing defense, allowing just 99.3 yards per game. Ole Miss has held four of its last five opponents to under 70 yards rushing, including limiting the Commodores to just 62 yards on the ground in the Rebels' last game. 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.

TACKLE 'EM IF YOU CAN
RB Jerrion Ealy earned a 90.8 rushing grade after gaining 97 yards and a TD on just four carries, including a long run of 78 yards. Ealy gained 86 of those 97 rushing yards after contact, which was third best among all SEC RBs. Even though Ealy only had four carries, he was still dominant enough to rank third among SEC backs this week with five avoided tackles at a rate of 1.25 forced avoided tackles per carry. One of the running backs ahead of Ealy in yards after contact this week was fellow Rebels player Snoop Conner. Conner earned a 77.3 rushing grade this week after posting a similar stat line to Ealy's – five carries, 91 yards (92 YAC) and one TD. Between Ealy and Conner, they combined for 178 yards after contact and broke seven missed tackles.

ROBINSON DISRUPTING FIGURE IN OPPONENT'S BACKFIELD
DE Austrian Robinson had the best outing of his career vs. Vanderbilt. The senior earned a career-high 87.6 overall grade after making plays in both the pass rush and run defense facets of the game. The highlight of his career afternoon came in the pass rush, though. Robinson earned a career-high six total pressures (one sack, one hit, four hurries), and an additional two pass rush wins. Robinson's six pressures tied for the lead among all Power 5 interior defensive lineman and ranked third among all SEC defenders, regardless of position. Robinson's pass rush win rate of 33.3 percent led all Power 5 interior defensive linemen and tied for third best among all SEC defenders. In run defense, Robinson chipped in three total tackles, including one for a loss.

RUN-JRP
QB John Rhys Plumlee put forth a very solid performance in the Homecoming win over Vanderbilt, particularly on the ground. Plumlee lead all FBS quarterbacks in Week 6 with 165 rushing yards on 22 attempts. His yardage total also led all SEC players in Week 6. 123 of his rushing yards came after contact, which also led the SEC and ranked fourth among all FBS players. Plumlee proved to be a difficult player to tackle on Saturday, forcing five missed tackles (tied for third among all FBS QBs in Week 6). An area in which Plumlee was very effective running the ball this weekend was on RPOs. He had five total attempts on RPO plays that went for 57 yards and a TD.

RPOs KEY IN OLE MISS OFFENSE
No offense in the SEC this year is using RPO (run-pass option) concepts more than Rich Rodriguez and Ole Miss. Ole Miss has used an RPO on 36.6 percent of their offensive plays this year, most in the SEC. The Ole Miss offense also led the SEC in RPO rate last year (41 percent). Ole Miss has gained 719 rushing yards using RPO concepts this year, most in the SEC. On 124 RPO rush attempts this season, Ole Miss has gained 5.8 yards per carry and scored three rushing TDs.

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.

NO FLY ZONE
FS Jalen Julius stood out in the back end of the Rebels defense vs. Vandy. Julius posted a season-high 78.5 overall grade this week, making him the second highest graded safety in the SEC in Week 6. Vanderbilt actually moved backwards when targeting Julius this weekend. On the four targets that went Julius' way, they completed two passes for minus 1 yard and a 56.3 passer rating. Julius also had his best outing of the year in run defense in Week 6. He tallied four total tackles, one defensive stop, and earned a season-high 72.1 run defense grade, second highest among SEC safeties this week.

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 Vanderbilt game when stand was set up outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

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

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).

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 641-527-35 (.547 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.

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 five 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.

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Players Mentioned

Quentin Bivens

Nick Broeker

Mac Brown

Ashanti Cistrunk

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

Jalen Jordan

Jalen Julius

Luke Knox

Jonathan Mingo

Royce Newman

D'Vaughn Pennamon

Scottie Phillips

John Rhys Plumlee

Deantre Prince

Austrian Robinson

Jay Stanley

Sam Williams

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