Game Primer: Ole Miss vs. Auburn

			OLE MISS (1-3, 1-3 SEC) vs. AUBURN (2-2, 2-2 SEC) Saturday, Oct. 24 • 11 a.m. • Oxford, Miss. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
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WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• This is the 93rd Homecoming game at Ole Miss since 1924 ... The Rebels are 70-15-2 all-time (after vacated wins) and have won 21 of their last 23 on the field.
• This is the 45th meeting all-time between Ole Miss and Auburn dating back to 1928.
• The Tigers lead the all-time series 33-10 and are 12-2 in Oxford ... Original record is 33-11 in favor of Auburn, but Ole Miss' win in 2012 was vacated due to NCAA ruling.
• The Rebels rank top 10 in the country in four separate categories: total offense (540.3 ypg), completion percentage (.698), kickoff return defense (15.0) and team passing efficiency (174.4).
• Ole Miss ranks No. 13 nationally in passing yards per game (335.5 ypg).
• The Ole Miss defense forced seven Arkansas punts on Saturday ... The Rebels forced five punts by the opposition over the first three games prior to its Week 4 game.
• WR Elijah Moore is second in the nation in both receiving yards per game (143.8) and receptions per game (10.5).
• Moore is the only receiver in Ole Miss history to tally 10 or more catches in four straight games.
• QB Matt Corral ranks eighth nationally in passing efficiency (172.1).
• Kenny Yeboah's 88.8 receiving yards per game are the third-most in the NCAA amongst tight ends.
• Yeboah's 23.7 yards per reception ranks No. 5 in the NCAA and second in the SEC.
• Two Rebels rank in the top 10 in the SEC in all-purpose yardage: Elijah Moore (148.5 ypg) and Jerrion Ealy (131.8 ypg).

OLE MISS HEAD COACH LANE KIFFIN
Lane Kiffin (Fresno State, 1998) is in his first season at Ole Miss, taking the reins for the Rebels as the 39th head coach in program history. Kiffin, who won two Conference USA titles in three seasons at Florida Atlantic, has more than 10 years of head coaching experience, including eight years at the NCAA level where he has posted an all-time record of 62-37. In December 2016, Kiffin took over an FAU program that had won a total of nine combined games over the previ- ous three seasons. Kiffin proceeded to take the Owls to new heights over the last three years, including two conference titles and two 10-win seasons. In his head coaching stops at USC, Tennessee and FAU, Kiffin has shown a propensity in helping turn programs around. In his first season at all three locations, Kiffin's team improved in win differential (+3.33), scoring (+10.2), passing (+34.5 ypg) and rushing (+51.3 ypg). Kiffin graduated from Fresno State in 1998 after play- ing quarterback for three seasons (1994-96) for the Bulldogs. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Fresno State under Pat Hill in 1997 and 1998. He moved on to Colorado State in 1999 as a graduate assistant. He spent the 2000 season as defensive quality control assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars under Tom Coughlin.

AUBURN HEAD COACH GUS MALZAHN
Gus Malzahn (Henderson State, 1990) is in his eighth season as the Auburn head coach and is 2-2 in 2020. He owns a 64-33 record as the Tigers' head man and a 73-36 mark in eight seasons as a college head coach overall. Last year, he directed Auburn to an 9-4 record and an appearance in the Outback Bowl. In 2017, the Tigers reached as high as No. 2 in the College Football Playoff Poll and played in the SEC Championship Game for the second time in five seasons, knocking off No. 1 Georgia and No. 1 Alabama in November, the first time in poll history that a program has defeated two top-ranked teams during the same regular season. In 2013, he led the Tigers to one of the biggest turnarounds in NCAA history, guiding them all the way to the BCS national championship game, which they lost 34-31 to Florida State. Auburn was SEC champion, and Malzahn earned numerous SEC and national coach of the year honors. Prior to taking the Auburn job, Malzahn had a 9-3 record (and Sun Belt Conference title) in one season at Arkansas State. Malzahn was the Broyles Award winner when he was offensive coordinator for Auburn's national championship team in 2010.

TIGER SCOUTING REPORT
Auburn dropped out of the polls for the first time this season after a 30-22 road loss to South Carolina. The loss dropped Auburn to 2-2 on the season as the Tigers head into Oxford. The Tiger offense ranks 10th in the SEC with 366.8 yards of total offense, with 217 yards through the air and 150 rushing yards per game. Sophomore Bo Nix has thrown for 869 yards with five passing TDs and four interceptions. True freshman Tank Bigsby leads the Tigers on the ground, averaging 76 rushing yards per game. Bigsby averages just over six yards a carry, second-best in the SEC. Wide receiver Anthony Schwartz has hauled in 27 catches for 256 yards and one TD. Auburn is holding its opponents to 390 yards and are third in the SEC in scoring defense (24.5 ppg). Linebacker Zaokby McClain ranks sixth in the nation with 11.3 tackles per game. McClain is sixth in the NCAA with 6.8 solo tackles per game. Kicker Anders Carlson has made 89 percent of his field goal attempts this season, and leads the SEC with 2.0 field goals per game.

OLE MISS-AUBURN SERIES HISTORY
• Ole Miss and Auburn will be meeting for the 45th time in a series that started in 1928.
• Auburn leads the all-time series vs. Ole Miss 33-10.
• The original record is 33-11 in favor of Auburn, with Ole Miss' win in 2012 vacated due to NCAA ruling.
• The Tigers hold a 12-2 edge in games played in Oxford ... Original record is 12-3 in Auburn's favor.

HOMECOMING AT OLE MISS
• This is the 93rd Homecoming game at Ole Miss since 1924.
• The Rebels are 70-15-2 (.810 winning pct.) in Homecoming games (after vacated wins).
• Ole Miss has won 21 of their last 23 Homecoming matchups on the field.
• Ole Miss defeated Auburn 41-20 on Homecoming in 2012.
• The last Homecoming loss was a 27-7 defeat to Louisiana Tech in 2011.

REBEL DEBUTS
Fourteen different Rebels have made their Ole Miss debuts during the first four games of the season: Marc Britt (DB), Kentrel Bullock (RB), Carter Colquitt (OL), Lakevias Daniel (DB), Jalen Denton (DB), Daylen Gill (LB), Cedric Johnson (OLB), Deane Leonard (DB), Brandon Mack (OLB), Henry Parrish Jr. (RB), Jamar Richardson (DB), Tavius Robinson (OLB), Chase Rogers (TE), Kenny Yeboah (TE).

FIRST-TIME STARTERS
Eleven different Rebels have started their first game in an Ole Miss uniform this season: Nick Broeker (OL), A.J. Finley (FS), Daylen Gill (LB), Jakorey Hawkins (CB), KD Hill (NT), Jeremy James (OL), Reece McIntyre (OL), Hal Northern (DT), Tavius Robinson (Buck), Caleb Warren (OL), Kenny Yeboah (TE). QB John Rhys Plumlee, who started eight games at quarterback in 2019, registered his first career start at wide receiver in season opener vs. Florida.

ALABAMA REBELS
The Ole Miss roster features 15 players who hail from Alabama, the second-most of any state other than Mississippi (47): DL LeDarrius Cox (Mobile), OL Jalen Cunningham (Odenville), DB A.J. Finley (Mobile), DB Jakorey Hawkins (Montgomery), TE Jonathan Hess (Vestavia Hills), NT KD Hill (Eufaula), OLB Cedric Johnson (Mobile), Jacquez Jones (Tuscaloosa), NT Patrick Lucas Jr. (Prattville), OLB Brandon Mack (Montgomery), OL Sam Plash (Mobile), DB Jamar Richardson (Alicebille), DB Ty Rocconi (Mobile), TE Damarcus Thomas (Whatley), OLB Sam Williams (Montgomery).

REBEL-TIGER CONNECTIONS
• Rebel freshman Keidron Smith and Auburn's Traivon Leonard were teammates at Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida.
• Rebel RB Snoop Conner was teammates at Hattiesburg HS in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with Auburn's Jaren Handy.
• Rebel OLB Brandon Mack and Auburn's Alec Jackson were teammates at Jefferson Davis HS in Montgomery, Alabama.
• Braylon Sanders attended Callaway High School in Georgia with Auburn's Keiondre Jones, Tank Bigsby and Tate Johnson.
• Jacquez Jones and Auburn freshman Cam Riley both attended Hillcrest HS in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
• Rebel DB C.J. Terrell and Auburn's J.J. Pegues both went to at Oxford HS.

TACKLIN' FUEL
Senior Ryder Anderson tallied a career-high 13 total tackles in Saturday's game at Arkansas. Anderson became the first Rebel defensive lineman to tally 13 or more tackles in a game in four years. Fadol Brown was the last Rebel to accomplish that feat with 14 tackles vs. Georgia Southern in 2016.

RETURN OF THE MAC
Punter Mac Brown is no stranger on Rebel special teams. The senior from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has appeared in 32 career games for Ole Miss and continues to be a special weapon for the Rebels. Brown is averaging 45.8 yards per punt, with five punts greater than 50 yards.

MOORE OF THE SAME
After leading Ole Miss in every statistical receiving category in 2019, WR Elijah Moore is continuing his assault on opponents' secondary. Moore is the only receiver in the country to register 10 or more receptions in every game this season. He is the first receiver in Ole Miss history to accomplish that feat in four straight contests. Moore ranks top 3 in the SEC in four different receiving categories: receiving yards per game (1st, 143.8), receiving yards (1st, 575), receptions per game (1st, 10.5) and all-purpose yards per game (3rd, 148.5).

BIG PLAY POTENTIAL
Four games into the 2020 season, Ole Miss leads numerous explosive play categories. The Rebels are averaging 20 plays a game greater than 10 yards. In total, the Rebels have 80 plays of 10 or more yards. Ole Miss also ranks No. 5 in the country with nine plays greater than 40 yards.

MINGO WAS HIS NAME-O
Just four games into the 2020 season, WR Jonathan Mingo has already matched his receiving totals from last season. The sophomore from Brandon, Mississippi, has hauled in 11 catches for 170 yards and three touchdowns this season, including a 21-yard TD reception Saturday at Arkansas. His three receiving touchdowns rank No. 7 in the SEC.

OKAY, CORRAL
Despite a tough game at Arkansas, QB Matt Corral is amongst the national leaders in several passing categories. Corral ranks top 3 in the SEC in passing TDs (10), total offense per game (362.5) passing efficiency (172.1), yards per completion (46.7), points responsible for (68) and yards per attempt (10.2). Corral has tallied multiple TDs passing in four straight games for the first time in his career.

CHUCKY MULLINS COURAGE AWARD
DB Jaylon Jones became the 30th 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. Jones wears the No. 38 jersey in Mullins' honor this season.

STRONGER TOGETHER INITIATIVE
During the 2020-21 academic year, college and university athletics programs in Mississippi will incorporate a special logo on their uniforms, equipment, warm-up gear or bags. The logo will serve as a visual representation of the state's schools coming together and will feature school-specific branding with the words "Stronger Together" inside the outline of Mississippi. Alcorn State, Blue Mountain College, Delta State, Jackson State, Millsaps College, Mississippi College, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Southern Miss, Millsaps College, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi Valley State, Rust College, Tougaloo College and William Carey University are among the schools that will take part in the "Stronger Together" initiative.

MAC BROWN RAISES OVER 100K FOR ALS RESEARCH
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 over $100,000 raised by Brown and his friends for ALS research. The Awesome Lemonade Stand is held on a late day in June, and this year's fundraiser raised more than $30,000 alone.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
• The Rebels rank top 10 in the country in four separate categories: total offense (540.3 ypg), completion percentage (.698), kickoff return defense (15.0) and team passing efficiency (174.4).
• Ole Miss ranks No. 13 nationally in passing yards per game (335.5 ypg).
• The Rebels are No. 19 in the country in third down conversion percentage (.475).
• Ole Miss ranks No. 5 in the NCAA with nine explosive plays of 40 yards or more.
• Five different Rebels have made their first career starts on offense this season: Nick Broeker (OL), Jeremy James (OL), Reece McIntyre (OL), Caleb Warren (OL), Kenny Yeboah (TE)
• Five offensive players have made their Ole Miss debut in 2020: Kentrel Bullock (RB), Carter Colquitt (OL), Henry Parrish Jr. (RB), Chase Rogers (TE), Kenny Yeboah (TE).
• WR Elijah Moore is second in the nation in both receiving yards per game (143.8) and receptions per game (10.5).
• Moore is the only receiver in Ole Miss history to tally 10 or more catches in four straight games.
• QB Matt Corral ranks eighth nationally in passing efficiency (172.1).
• Kenny Yeboah's 88.8 receiving yards per game are the third-most in the NCAA amongst tight ends.
• Yeboah's 23.7 yards per reception ranks No. 5 in the NCAA and second in the SEC.
• Two Rebels rank in the top 10 in the SEC in all-purpose yardage: Elijah Moore (148.5 ypg) and Jerrion Ealy (131.8 ypg).

DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Six different Rebels have made their first career starts on defense this season: [A.J. Finley (FS), Daylen Gill (LB), Jakorey Hawkins (CB), KD Hill (NT), Hal Northern (DT), Tavius Robinson (Buck)]
• Nine defensive players have made their Ole Miss debut this season: [Marc Britt (DB), Lakevias Daniel (DB), Jalen Denton (DB), Daylen Gill (Star), Cedric Johnson (OLB), Deane Leonard (DB), Brandon Mack (OLB), Jamar Richardson (DB), Tavius Robinson (OLB)].
• DB Keidron Smith ranks seventh in the SEC in solo tackles per game (6.0).
• With his 13 tackles Saturday vs. Arkansas, Ryder Anderson became the first Rebel defensive lineman to tally 13 or more tackles in a game since 2016 (Fadol Brown, 14).
• The Rebels have forced at least one turnover in all three games this season, including back-to-back games in which they've forced a fumble on the goal line.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• P Mac Brown is averaging 45.8 yards per punt.
• Five of Brown's 13 punts have gone for 50 or more yards.
• The Ole Miss defense forced seven Arkansas punts on Saturday ... The Rebels forced five punts by the opposition over the first three games prior to its Week 4 game.
• K Luke Logan currently sits fifth in the Ole Miss career record books in both points kicking (218) and PATs (107).

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Ryder Anderson

Nick Broeker

Mac Brown

Kentrel Bullock

Carter Colquitt

Snoop Conner

Matt Corral

LeDarrius Cox

Jalen Cunningham

Lakevias Daniel

Jalen Denton

Jerrion Ealy

AJ Finley

Daylen Gill

Jakorey Hawkins

Jonathan Hess

KD Hill

Jeremy James

Cedric Johnson

Jacquez Jones

Jaylon Jones

Deane Leonard

Luke Logan

Patrick Lucas Jr.

Brandon Mack

Reece McIntyre

Jonathan Mingo

Elijah Moore

Hal Northern

Henry Parrish Jr.

Sam Plash

John Rhys Plumlee

Jamar Richardson

Tavius Robinson

Ty Rocconi

Chase Rogers

Braylon Sanders

Keidron Smith

CJ Terrell

Damarcus Thomas

Caleb Warren

Sam Williams

Kenny Yeboah

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