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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
LSU
Game Primer: Football Preps for Matchup vs. LSU
10/20/2022 | Football
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#7 Ole Miss (7-0, 3-0 SEC) at LSU (5-2, 3-1 SEC) Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 • 2:30 p.m. CT • Baton Rouge, La. Tiger Stadium  |
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| Ole Miss Game Notes (PDF) • LSU Game Notes (PDF) • SEC Game Notes (PDF) | ||||||||
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• LSU holds a 64-41-4 advantage in the series, including a 42-24-1 mark in Baton Rouge.
• The home team has won eight of the last 10 meetings on the field between the Rebels and Tigers.
• The Rebels check in at No. 7 in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll.
• 56 of the 125 players (45 percent) on the Rebel roster are newcomers and are in their first season at Ole Miss.
• Ole Miss is tied with Georgia and Michigan for the FBS lead in total rushing touchdowns (24), and rank in the top 15 in the FBS in total rushing yards (1,898), yards per game (271.1), total attempts (330) and yards per rush (5.75).
• The Rebels are averaging 20.5 seconds per play this season, the third-fastest average in FBS behind only Indiana (18.6 spp) & SMU (19.5 spp).
• Ole Miss ranks first in the SEC and No. 3 nationally converting on third downs 55.2 percent of the time.
• The Rebels are third in the FBS allowing just 0.43 sacks per game.
• The Rebels have forced a turnover in 27 of the 30 games during the Lane Kiffin era.
• Quinshon Judkins (720) and Zach Evans (605) are the only pair of teammates in the country with more than 600 yards rushing on the season.
• Judkins leads all freshman nationally in both rushing touchdowns (10) and rushing yards per game (102.9).
• WR Jonathan Mingo leads the SEC and ranks No. 4 in FBS in yards per reception (23.05).
• QB Jaxson Dart is seventh in the FBS in passing yards per completion (14.9).
• S Ladarius Tennison ranks third nationally with two fumble recoveries on the season.
• DT KD Hill was awarded the Chucky Mullins Courage Award and will wear No. 38 throughout the 2022 season.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH LANE KIFFIN
Lane Kiffin (Fresno State, 1998) is in his third season at Ole Miss and helped lead the Rebels to back-to-back bowl appearances in his first two years in Oxford. Kiffin guided the Rebels to a 10-3 record in 2021, the first 10-win regular season in school history. That included a perfect 7-0 mark at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, part of an ongoing 14-game home win streak for Kiffin's teams. The Rebels finished the season ranked No. 11 in both the AP and AFCA Coaches Poll; its highest final ranking since 2016. Ole Miss ranked top-20 in the FBS in nine different offensive categories in his first season, including having the No. 3 team in the country in total offense, shattering the school record with 555.5 yards per game. Kiffin is in his 11th year at the NCAA level and has posted an all-time record of 76-42. In December 2016, Kiffin took over an FAU program that had won a total of nine combined games over the previous 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. Kiffin graduated from Fresno State in 1998 after playing 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.
LSU HEAD COACH BRIAN KELLY
Tiger head coach Brian Kelly currently sits at 5-2 in his first season at the helm of the LSU football program, including starting 3-1 early-on in the team's SEC conference schedule. Under Kelly the Tigers have bolstered an offense that ranks in the top 50 in total offense (No. 37 - 443.0 yards/game), pass offense (No. 44 - 269.6 yards/game) and rush offense (No. 49 - 173.4 yards/game) in the country. Kelly has also brought a defensive prowess to LSU, with the Tigers now ranking as the No. 31 scoring defense in the nation, as well as ranking No. 29 in total defense. Prior to his move to Baton Rouge, Kelly served 12 seasons as the head coach of Notre Dame, helping to lead the Fighting Irish to a 92-40 record under his guidance. Kelly's time in South Bend is highlighted by hm leading the team to an appearance in the 2021 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl.
TIGERS SCOUTING REPORT
The Tigers play host to the Rebels with five wins to their name in 2022, coming off of a high-scoring 45-35 win over the Florida Gators in Gainesville. The Tiger offense hinges heavily upon the dual-threat capabilities of junior quarterback Jayden Daniels, who currently leads the team in passing yards (1,564) and rushing yards (403) on the year, along with tallying 16 total touchdowns both on the ground and through the air. Daniels will look to target his favorite receiver, sophomore Malik Nabers, who has brought in team-highs in receptions with 32 and receiving yards with 418 along with one score for the Tigers. The team's defense will rely on leading-tacklers Micah Baskerville and Greg Penn III, with the two linebackers accounting for a combined 73 total tackles in 2022. The Tigers' defensive line is headlined by BJ Ojulari, as his team-leading four sacks on the year currently ranks fifth overall in the SEC.
OLE MISS-LSU SERIES HISTORY
• This game marks the 111th all-time meeting between the Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers dating back to 1894.
• LSU holds a 64-41-4 advantage in the series, including a 42-24-1 mark in Baton Rouge.
• The original record is 64-42-4 in favor of LSU with Ole Miss' 2013 victory vacated due to NCAA ruling.
• LSU is Ole Miss' second-most played opponent behind Mississippi State, whom the Rebels will play for the 118th time on Nov. 24.
• Since the rivals started playing for the Magnolia Bowl trophy in 2008, LSU holds a 9-4 edge ... Ole Miss' win in 2013 was vacated due to NCAA ruling.
• The home team has won eight of the last 10 meetings on the field.
MAGNOLIA BOWL HISTORY
In 2008, student governments from Ole Miss and LSU worked to enhance the spirit of the football rivalry and introduced the Magnolia Bowl. After first garnering the support of the universities' athletics departments and alumni associations, student leaders set forth in April 2008 with a "Name that Rivalry" campaign for students to provide input on the name via text messaging. The student governments then voted in their respective Student Senates. LSU holds a 9-4 edge in Magnolia Bowl meetings, with Ole Miss' win in 2013 being vacated due to NCAA ruling. The Rebels prevailed 31-13 in the initial playing of the Magnolia Bowl.
REBS IN THE POLLS
• Ole Miss ranks No. 7 in both the Associated Press Poll and the Coaches Poll.
• Dating back to last season, Ole Miss has been ranked in the top 25 for 24 straight weeks, which is its longest streak since being ranked for 41 straight weeks that stretched from 2014-16.
• It's the highest rankings for the Rebels since Ole Miss was ranked No. 3 during the fifth week of the 2015 season
• The SEC boasts six teams in the top 25, including four teams ranked inside the top 10.
RUNNIN' WILD
Ole Miss' powerful rushing attack ranks among the best in the nation near the halfway mark of the 2022 campaign. The Rebels are tied with Georgia and Michigan for the FBS lead in rushing touchdowns (24), and rank within the FBS top-15 in total rushing yards (3rd, 1,898), yards per game (3rd, 271.1), total attempts (5th, 330) and yards per rush (12th, 5.75). In their win over Auburn, Ole Miss rushed for 448 yards on 69 carries. The 448 rushing yards were the most by a Rebel squad since 1962 (fifth-most all-time) and the second-most ever against an SEC opponent.
FRESHMAN SENSATION
True freshman Quinshon Judkins has made an immediate impact for an Ole Miss offense that leads the SEC and ranks No. 3 nationally in rushing yards per game (271.0 ypg). Judkins ranks top 15 nationally in rushing yards (720), rushing yards per game (102.9) and rushing TDs (10). He leads all FBS freshmen in rushing yards and touchdowns. Judkins' 45 missed tackles forced ranks fourth in FBS, according to Pro Football Focus. Judkins' 10 rushing touchdowns lead the SEC and rank No. 5 in the FBS this year, and are the most in a season by any SEC freshman since 2019. They are also the most rushing touchdowns by a Rebel freshman in an entire season since John Rhys Plumlee scored 12 times in 2019. Additionally, Judkins' 11 total TDs are also the most by an Ole Miss freshman through seven games in available game-by-game records since at least 1976. He has scored a TD in six of his first seven collegiate games, including nine in his last five games. Only one Ole Miss player since 1979 has more yards than Judkins through the first seven games of the season:
HISTORIC START
The Rebels are off to a 7-0 start to the 2022 campaign, marking just the fourth 7-0 start overall (and fifth statistically when factoring NCAA vacated wins) in the 128-year history of Ole Miss football. In the record books, this stands as the best start by a Rebel team since the national champion 1962 squad finished with a perfect 10-0 record. The 2014 Ole Miss team started 7-0 and finished 9-4 overall, but its wins were later vacated by NCAA ruling.
BY LAND OR BY AIR
The Rebels have held a fearsome rushing offense throughout the 2022 campaign, but a bombastic aerial showing against Vanderbilt put Ole Miss right into the discussion nationally as a feared passing attack as well. Ole Miss is currently the only school in the FBS with a single-game 440-yard passer (Jaxson Dart, vs. Vanderbilt, 448 yards), a 240-yard receiver (Jonathan Mingo, 247 yards, vs. Vanderbilt) and a 140-yard rusher (Quinshon Judkins, vs. Tulsa, 140 yards). Ole Miss is also currently one of just three FBS schools to have a 700-yard rusher (Judkins, 718 yards, No. 11 FBS) and a 500-yard receiver (Mingo, 507 yards, No. 43 FBS), alongside Ball State and Kent State.
THREE-HEADED MONSTER
The prolific Ole Miss rushing continued to roll full steam ahead Saturday vs. Auburn. The Rebels rushed for 448 yards, the most against an SEC opponent since 1951. Quinshon Judkins (139 yds), Zach Evans (136 yds) and Jaxson Dart (115 yds) all surpassed the 100-yard plateau. It marked the first time Ole Miss has had three 100-yard rushers since 1975 (Tennessee) when Paul Hofer, James Reed and Michael Sweet all topped the 100-yard plateau vs. the Volunteers.
BIG LEG JON
K Jonathan Cruz is 6-of-8 in his collegiate career on field goals from 50 yards or more, including a 53-yard FG vs. No. 7 Kentucky. Cruz's kick tied for the sixth longest kick in school history and the longest since 2012 (Bryson Rose vs Arkansas). A transfer from Charlotte, Cruz holds the 49ers' school record with five field goals made 50-plus yards, including a program-best two 56-yard field goals. He also has had 22 of his 38 kickoffs in 2022 go for touchbacks.
GOIN' DEEP
WR Jonathan Mingo has been particularly dangerous from far away, recording eight receptions of at least 25 yards, seven of at least 30, four of at least 40, three of at least 50 and two beyond 70 yards. He leads the SEC and ranks No. 4 in yards per reception (23.1). Mingo has set his career-long reception three times this season, starting with a 51-yard strike against Central Arkansas and his two 70-yard touchdowns against Vanderbilt of 72 and 71 yards. In his career, Mingo owns 16 receptions of at least 30 yards, six of at least 40, four of at least 50 and two beyond 70 yards. From 30 yards or further in his career, Mingo has hauled in five total touchdowns, including four beyond 40 yards and three from at least 50 yards out.
LOUISIANA REBELS
The Ole Miss roster features four players who hail from Louisiana: LB Khari Coleman (New Orleans), K Caden Costa (Mandeville), OL Cam East (Marrero) and DL DeSanto Rollins (Baton Rouge).
AIRING IT OUT
The Ole Miss offense hasn't just been getting it done on the ground, but have also been able to find some big plays through the air this season. The Rebels have had three passing plays of more than 60 yards this season, tied for the 10th most in program history.
AND MINGO WAS HIS NAME-O
Jonathan Mingo's performance vs. Vanderbilt during Week 6 not only ranks tops in the Ole Miss record books, but also at the top of the FBS leaderboard heading into Week 8 action. Mingo's 247-yard day topped the previous best of 246 set by Kent State's Dante Cephas against Ohio on Oct. 1. Mingo's game against the Commodores ranks 58 yards better than the next-best performance by an SEC receiver this season (South Carolina's Antwane Wells Jr., 189 yards, vs. Arkansas) and 34 yards better than any receiver against a Power-5 defense (Northwestern's Evan Hull, 213 yards, vs. Duke). Mingo is one of just seven FBS receivers to cross the 200-yard plateau this season.
SACKS APLENTY
Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC and No. 21 in the FBS with 2.7 sacks per game. DE Jared Ivey leads the team with 3.5 sacks on the season. 10 different Rebels have at least one or more sacks for Ole Miss this year, the ninth-most amongst FBS schools. Ole Miss has recorded at least three sacks in five of the seven games played this season.
BIG PLAY POTENTIAL
The Rebels continue to be one of the best teams in the country in explosive plays. Ole Miss has tallied 122 total plays of 10 or more yards over the course of seven games this season and rank No. 12 nationally in that category. The Rebels average 17.4 such plays per game.
ONE-TWO PUNCH
Freshman Quinshon Judkins and TCU transfer Zach Evans have combined for a lethal one-two punch for Ole Miss' rushing attack. Judkins has carried the ball 121 times for 720 yards and 11 total TDs. Evans has registered 100 carries for 605 yards and eight total touchdowns. Judkins' 102.9 rushing yards per carry leads all freshman backs and ranks No. 15 in the FBS. Judkins and Evans are the only pair of teammates in the country with more than 600 yards rushing on the season.
FIRST HALF EFFICIENCY
Ole Miss is averaging 502.6 yards per game, but the Rebels are doing a majority of their work in the first half. Lane Kiffin and the Rebel offense averages 281.7 yards in the first half and have surpassed the 300-yard mark in the first half twice this season. The Rebels are outscoring their opponents 172-69 in the first half this season. Ole Miss has averaged 157.2 yards rushing through the first 30 minutes of their games this season.
COLEMAN GETTING IN THE BACKFIELD
Despite missing the two games due to injury this season, TCU transfer Khari Coleman has registered 6.5 tackles for loss this season. With his 5.0 TFL in the season opener vs. Troy, Coleman became just the third Rebel since 1999 to tally five or more tackles for loss in a single game. Mark Robinson registered 5.0 TFL last season and Kendrick Clancy had 6.0 in 1999. Coleman earned Freshman All-America accolades in 2020 after a stellar freshman campaign for the Horned Frogs. Coleman ranked second in the Big 12 and seventh nationally with 15.0 tackles for loss as a true freshman on his way to being named the Big 12 Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year. The 10.0 tackles for loss were the most by any SEC team in their season opener and are the most in an Ole Miss opening game since 2014.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Through the first seven games of 2022, the Rebels are 16th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 17.3 points per game. Ole Miss has held nine of its last 12 opponents to 21 or fewer points. Prior to giving up 27 points in Week 4 vs. Tulsa, the Rebels only allowed 13 total points in the first three games of the season. It was the fewest given up by a Rebel squad through the first three games of the year since 1963. Ole Miss also opened the '63 season allowing just 13 points in the season's first three contests. That 1963 team went on to finish the season 7-1-2 and were crowned SEC Champions.
THE PORTAL KING
Looking to replace 33 letterwinners, including 14 total starters, Lane Kiffin and the Rebels turned to the transfer portal to help strengthen its roster for 2022. The Rebels roster features in a total of 26 new transfers, including 21 portal transfers that ranked No. 2 according to 247Sports. USC transfer QB Jaxson Dart was rated the No. 3 overall transfer and started three games in 2021 for the Trojans. RB Zach Evans was also ranked in the top 10 in 247Sports' transfer rankings. Evans was ranked as the No. 2 running back and No. 8 overall player in the transfer portal. TE Michael Trigg was the third Rebel to be ranked as a top 20 transfer, rated as the No. 1 tight end and No. 19 overall player. 55 of the 125 players (44 percent) on the Rebel roster are newcomers and are in their first season at Ole Miss.
KD HILL RECEIVES CHUCKY MULLINS COURAGE AWARD, WILL WEAR NO. 38
Ole Miss DT KD Hill was recently named the winner of the 2022 Chucky Mullins Courage Award. The award, sponsored by Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, 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. A native of Eufaula, Alabama, Hill becomes the 32nd recipient in the 33-year history of the award. Hill will wear Mullins' No. 38 number throughout the 2022 season.
MANY OPTIONS
One of the most exciting factors of the talent on the Ole Miss roster would be the depth at the receiver position. Even with so many new names added to the receiver roster, the relationships between the athletes have not let competition get in the middle of the purpose of the team: to win. Veteran Jonathan Mingo has started 33 games in his career and has tallied 507 receiving yards this season. Transfers Jaylon Robinson, Malik Heath and Jordan Watkins all bring valuable collegiate experience that will continue to help the Rebel offense.
SHOUTOUT FOR SHUTOUTS
Ole Miss' 42-0 shutout vs. Georgia Tech during Week 3 was the first by an Ole Miss team since besting Presbyterian, 48-0, on Nov. 8, 2014. A 39-0 win in 2012 over Tulane, in New Orleans, was the last time the Rebels shutout an opponent on the road. The win over Georgia Tech was the first Power 5 shutout for Ole Miss since a 45-0 victory over Mississippi State in 2008, as well as the first against a non-current member of the SEC since beating Florida State, 33-0, on Oct. 7, 1961. The Rebels also had two shutouts against current SEC members before they entered the conference against Missouri on Sept. 14, 1974 (10-0) and South Carolina on Sept. 23, 1972 (21-0).
THE BIG MEN UP FRONT
Arguably one of the deepest positions for the Rebels in 2022 is the offensive line. Preseason All-America selection Nick Broeker anchors a line for an Ole Miss offense that finished sixth in the FBS last season in total offense. Broeker played in every single snap for the Rebels and has started 30 straight games. Jeremy James and Caleb Warren have also combined for 55 career starts. Eli Acker, redshirt freshmen Jayden Williams and Micah Pettus, along with transfer Mason Brooks, all see time on the experienced o-line for the Rebels.
HEAVY HITTER
Many Rebels are transitioning from high school or life at another university, but Tywone Malone is making a different transition—from baseball back to football. Malone appeared in seven games for the Rebels on the baseball diamond, leading all non-starters with a .444 batting average and two home runs in just nine at-bats. While he wasn't on the Rebels' travel roster as they conquered Omaha and brought a national championship back home to Oxford, he certainly showed he has what it takes to compete on the diamond in the SEC, and now he's back looking to prove the same on the gridiron.
KIFFIN'S WEEKLY RADIO SHOW ON THURSDAYS
RebTalk, the official weekly radio show of Ole Miss Athletics, will broadcast each Thursday this fall at Bouré in downtown Oxford from 6-7 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 Lane Kiffin and select players will join the broadcast each Thursday throughout the season.
TACKLE MANIA
The Rebels have had a knack for disrupting plays in the opponent's backfield this season. Ole Miss is third in the SEC and ranks No. 11 in the FBS with 6.7 tackles for loss per game. During their Week 3 win over Georgia Tech, the Rebels had 12.0 tackles for loss. It was the most by a Rebel defense since recording 15.0 against Kent State on Sept. 22, 2018. Ole Miss has had nine or more tackles for loss in three of their seven games this season.
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
Ole Miss has four players on its roster from outside the U.S., including two Canadian players (Jaden Dicks and Tavius Robinson). Offensive lineman Tobias Braun (Germany) and punter Fraser Masin (Australia) round out the Rebels who add a little international flavor. Robinson has started every game for the Rebels this season and has tallied 20 total tackles, including a 2.5 sacks.
FRESH FACES
A total of 51 different Rebels have made their debut for Ole Miss in 2022: LB Tyler Banks, RB Ulysses Bentley IV, LB Lex Boucvalt, OL Tobias Braun, OL Mason Brooks, LB Troy Brown, WR Brandon Buckhaulter, WR Drew Burnett, TE Trace Campbell, LB Khari Coleman, K Jonathan Cruz, S Nick Cull, OL Preston Cushman, QB Jaxson Dart, OL Cam East, RB Zach Evans, LB Andrew Griffith, S Taylor Groves, DT Zxavian Harris, DE JJ Hawkins, TE Kyirin Heath, WR Malik Heath, LB Reginald Hughes, CB Davison Igbinosun, DE Jared Ivey, S Dashaun Jerkins, RB Matt Jones, RB Quinshon Judkins, WR Jalen Knox, LB Danny Lockhart Jr., P Fraser Masin, OL Cedrick Nicely, CB Richard O'Bryant, DT JJ Pegues, OL Micah Pettus, LB John Porchivina, WR Jaylon Robinson, K Christian Schanefelt, LS Carter Short, WR Larry Simmons, CB Demarcus Smith, Jarell Stinson, S Ladarius Tennison, TE Michael Trigg, WR Dayton Wade, WR Jordan Watkins, LB Trip White, CB Demarko Williams, OL Jayden Williams, LB Jaron Willis, RB Isheem Young.
A NEW START
Sixteen Rebels have made their first career starts at some point for Ole Miss this season: QB Luke Altmyer, LB Troy Brown, QB Jaxson Dart, RB Zach Evans, DT Jamond Gordon. WR Malik Heath, CB Davison Igbinosun, DE Jared Ivey, OL Micah Pettus, WR Jaylon Robinson, S Ladarius Tennison, TE Michael Trigg, S Trey Washington, WR Jordan Watkins, WR Jayden Williams, S Isheem Young. Prior to Ole Miss, Brown had 30 starts at Central Michigan, Young 21 at Iowa State, Evans eight at TCU, Heath nine at Mississippi State, Robinson six at UCF, Dart three starts at USC.
