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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Kentucky
Game Primer: Football Preps for Marquee Matchup
9/28/2022 | Football
Rebels Open SEC Play vs. Kentucky
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# 7 Kentucky (4-0, 1-0 SEC) vs. #11 Ole Miss (4-0, 0-0 SEC) Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022 • 11 a.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium  |
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| Ole Miss Game Notes (PDF) • Kentucky Game Notes (PDF) • SEC Game Notes (PDF) | ||||||||
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• This is the 95th Homecoming game at Ole Miss since 1924 ... The Rebels are 71-16-2 all-time (after vacated wins) and have won 22 of their last 25 on the field.
• Ole Miss and Kentucky will be meeting for the 45th time in a series that dates back to 1944.
• The Rebels lead the all-time series vs. the Wildcats 28-14-1 ... The original record is 29-14-1 but Ole Miss vacated a win in 2010 due to NCAA ruling ... Ole Miss holds a 7-2 edge in games played in Oxford, Mississippi.
• Dating back to Nov. 14, 2020, the Rebels have won 12 straight home games, the longest winning streak in Oxford since winning 12 straight contests from 1960 to 1964 ... The streak is sixth amongst Power 5 programs.
• For the first time since 1999, Ole Miss has had at least one runner rush for 100 or more yards in four straight games.
• Ole Miss is one of only four FBS teams (Georgia, Alabama, Minnesota and Ole Miss) averaging 40 or more points and giving up 10 or fewer points per game.
• Ole Miss is off to its first 4-0 start since the 2015 season.
• The Rebels rank No. 4 in the FBS in team coverage with a Pro Football Focus grade of 92.7.
• The Rebels lead the conference and are No. 6 nationally allowing just 0.50 sacks per game .
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks No. 4 in FBS with 280.8 rushing yards per game through the season's first four contests.
• 56 of the 125 players (45 percent) on the Rebel roster are newcomers and are in their first season at Ole Miss.
• RB Quinshon Judkins is second in the country with 33 missed tackles forced.
• Judkins (107.2) and Zach Evans (91.2) are one of two pairs of teammates in the country averaging 90-plus yards rushing per game.
• WR Jonathan Mingo is No. 2 in the SEC and No. 13 in FBS in yards per reception (21.4).
• LB Khari Coleman ranks third in the FBS in tackles for loss per game (2.2).
• 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 12-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. He moved on to Colorado State in 1999 as a graduate assistant.
KENTUCKY HEAD COACH MARK STOOPS
Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops is currently coaching in his tenth season of college football, all of which have been at the helm of the Wildcat football program. With a career record of 63-53, Stoops has helped to turn around Kentucky football to earning six consecutive bowl game appearances, alongside four straight bowl wins. Brother of legendary Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, Mark's 63 all-time wins have him currently sitting as the winningest head coach in Kentucky football history. Now starting 2022 4-0 with the Wildcats, Stoops brings a high-octane offense that ranks No. 15 in passing efficiency (173.97) and No. 26 in overall passing offense (296.2) in the country into Oxford for the Homecoming matchup with the Rebels. Additionally, Stoops has led the Wildcat defense to ranking 11th in scoring defense (13.0) and 17th in total defense (272.0) in 2022, setting up a clash of some of the nation's top defenses at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday.
WILDCATS SCOUTING REPORT
Starting the year a perfect 4-0, the No. 7 ranked Kentucky Wildcats enter their clash with the Rebels already having one win over a top 25 team this season in Week 2, when the Wildcats took down then-No. 12 ranked Florida 26-16 to help Kentucky shoot up the rankings and into the top 10. The Wildcat offense is led by senior quarterback Will Levis, who entered the 2022 season on watch lists for the Davey O'Brien, Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year awards. Levis currently ranks 18th in the country in both passing yards (1,185) and passing touchdowns (10), while also connecting on 67.5 percent of his passes to start the year. The Kentucky defense, which has only allowed an average of 13.0 points per game this year, is anchored by linebacker Jordan Wright who currently leads the team in TFLs, sacks, interceptions, forced fumbles and blocks in the young season. Redshirt-freshman Jordan Lovett helps to round out the Wildcat defense, serving as the team's leading tackler (17) this year in just his first season playing in Kentucky's secondary.
OLE MISS-KENTUCKY SERIES HISTORY
• Ole Miss and Kentucky will be meeting for the 45th time in a series that dates back to 1944.
• The Rebels lead the all-time series vs. the Wildcats 28-14-1.
• The original series record is 29-14-1, but Ole Miss vacated a win in 2010 due to NCAA ruling.
• Ole Miss holds a 7-2 edge in games played in Oxford, Mississippi.
• The home team has won the four of the last six contests in the series.
• This will be the third time Lane Kiffin has faced a Kentucky team ... Both of Kiffin's wins over the Wildcats have come in overtime.
• It will be only the second time Ole Miss and Kentucky have met while both were ranked ... The other came in 1958.
FANS SET TO STRIPE THE VAUGHT
Saturday's marquee matchup vs. the Wildcats will serve as Ole Miss' first-ever Stripe the Vaught game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Ole Miss fans are encouraged to wear either red or blue, depending on their section. Fans in attendance can visit StripeTheVaught.com to learn more about the fan initiative.
HOMECOMING AT OLE MISS
• This is the 95th Homecoming game at Ole Miss since 1924.
• The Rebels are 71-16-2 (.809 winning pct.) in Homecoming games (after vacated wins).
• This will be the third time Ole Miss has hosted Kentucky for a Homecoming matchup, first since 1978 … The Rebels are 1-2 in Homecoming games vs. the Wildcats.
• Ole Miss has won 22 of their last 25 Homecoming matchups on the field.
• The last Homecoming loss was a 27-7 defeat to Louisiana Tech in 2011.
REALTREE PARTNERSHIP
When Ole Miss hits the field Saturday to take on Kentucky, the Rebels will sport an exclusive helmet showcasing a custom color scheme from the camo experts at Realtree. The helmet will feature a custom color adaptation, using Realtree's pattern WAV3, that will dynamically tie in with the Ole Miss on-field uniforms and school colors. The collaboration between Ole Miss Athletics and Realtree has been in the works for several months and has deep roots in the Rebel family. Realtree founder, CEO and Ole Miss alum Bill Jordan played wide receiver for the Rebels in the early 1970s and has stayed connected to the program. The Jordan family's name is featured on the Manning Center indoor field.
RUNNING WILD
Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks No. 4 in the FBS with 280.8 rushing yards per game. The Rebels are coming off back-to-back games in which they have run for 300 or more yards. The 316 yards rushing vs. Georgia Tech in Week 3 were the most against a non-SEC Power 5 opponent since at least 1967. Against the Yellow Jackets, three Rebels ended the day with two rushing touchdowns: RB Zach Evans, RB Quinshon Judkins and RB Ulysses Bentley IV. It marked the first time since Oct. 27, 1979 (vs. Vanderbilt) that three Ole Miss rushers tallied multiple scores in the same game.
HOME SWEET HOME
Dating back to Nov. 14, 2020, the Rebels have won 12 straight home contests, sixth amongst Power 5 schools. It marks the longest winning streak in Oxford since winning 12 straight games from Nov. 5, 1960 to Nov. 7, 1964. A tie to LSU in 1960 broke up the winning streak. With the tie, the Rebels went unbeaten for 34 games over the course of 12 years (1952-64). The Rebels have outscored their opponents 497-262 during the 12-game win streak, an average win of 41-22. Ole Miss finished the 2021 campaign with a perfect 7-0 home record, its first undefeated season at home (on the field) since 1992 when the Rebels finished 6-0 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Last year was also the first time that Ole Miss has won seven on-campus games within the same season.
FRESHMAN SENSATION
True freshman Quinshon Judkins has made an immediate impact for an Ole Miss offense that leads the SEC and ranks No. 4 in rushing yards per game (280.8 ypg). Judkins ranks top 20 nationally in rushing yards (429), rushing yards per game (107.2) and rushing TDs (5). Judkins' 33 missed tackles forced ranks second in FBS. He has scored a TD in three of his first four collegiate games. Judkins is coming off a 27 carry, 140-yard rushing performance vs. Tulsa.
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. 25 in the FBS with 7.0 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 double-digit tackles for loss in two of their four games this season.
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 brought in a total of 28 transfers, including 24 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. 56 of the 125 players (45 percent) on the Rebel roster are newcomers and are in their first season at Ole Miss.
GETTING STINGY WITH IT
Through the first four games of 2022, the Rebels are sixth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 10 points per game. Ole Miss has held eight of its last nine opponents to 21 or fewer points. Prior to giving up 27 points Saturday 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.
SEC NATION HEADED TO THE GROVE
SEC Network's weekly, traveling pre-game show, SEC Nation Presented by Johnsonville, arrives in Oxford for Week 5 to preview a ranked showdown between No. 11 Ole Miss and No. 7 Kentucky. The show will broadcast from The Grove for the eighth time on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 9-11 a.m. CT, on SEC Network. The show's last visit to Oxford came Week 8 last season when the Rebels hosted LSU. Prior visits to The Grove were in 2014 for Ole Miss-Tennessee and the Egg Bowl, in 2015 against Arkansas, in 2016 and 2018 for a pair of matchups between Ole Miss and Alabama, and in 2019 vs. LSU.
ONE-TWO PUNCH
TCU transfer Zach Evans and freshman Quinshon Judkins have combined for a lethal one-two punch for Ole Miss' rushing attack. Judkins has carried the ball 70 times for 429 yards and five TDs. Evans has registered 49 carries for 317 yards and three touchdowns. His 105.7 rushing yards per carry ranks second in the SEC and No. 13 in the FBS. The duo are one of just two pairs of teammates in the country averaging 90-plus yards rushing per game.
FIRST HALF EFFICIENCY
Ole Miss is averaging 488 yards per game, but the Rebels are doing a majority of their work in the first half. Lane Kiffin and the Rebel offense are coming off back-to-back games in which they've tallied 300 or more total yards during the first half, including a season-high 312 first half yards Saturday vs. Tulsa. It was the most yards in a first half since notching 408 yards vs. Texas A&M in 2021. Ole Miss is averaging 290.8 yards per game in the opening half this year, including 188.3 rushing yards.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK
The Ole Miss rushing attack continues to be the strong suit of a Rebel squad that has started the season 4-0. The Rebels have had at least one 100-yard rusher in each of the first four games of the season. It's the first time Ole Miss has accomplished that feat since 1999. The Rebels had a 100-yard rusher over a stretch of five games during the 1999 campaign. Zach Evans and Quinshon Judkins lead the Rebels with two 100-yard rushing performances each this season.
COLEMAN GETTING IN THE BACKFIELD
Despite missing the Tulsa game due to injury, 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.
BIG LEG
K Jonathan Cruz has had 18 of his 24 kickoffs in 2022 go for touchbacks, including seven kicks into the end zone during Week 3 vs. Georgia Tech. Thanks in large part to Cruz's big leg, Ole Miss is second in the SEC and No. 7 in FBS allowing just 12.3 yards per return on kickoffs.
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 30 games in his career and leads all Rebel receivers in 2022 with 257 receiving yards. Transfers Jaylon Robinson, Malik Heath and Jordan Watkins all bring valuable collegiate experience that will continue to help the Rebel offense.
REBELS IN THE RANKINGS
After a 4-0 start, Ole Miss checks in at No. 11 in the Coaches Poll and No. 14 in the AP Top 25. The Rebels have been ranked in the top 25 every week since the start of the 2021 season. Ole Miss' highest rank during that time was No. 8 headed into last year's Sugar Bowl appearance.
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. Hill has appeared in 37 career games for the Rebels, including 20 career starts at nose tackle.
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 27 straight games. Jeremy James and Caleb Warren also both return after starting 14 and 12 games respectively last season. Eli Acker, redshirt freshman Jayden Williams and WKU transfer Mason Brooks, Hamilton Hall, Cedric Melton and Reece McIntyre will 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.
DEGREES IN HAND
Earning a degree from the University of Mississippi is one of the top priorities for Ole Miss student-athletes. Eight current Rebels have already accomplished that goal with eligibility remaining this fall: Jonathan Cruz (Psychology), Hamilton Hall (Integrated Marketing Communications), KD Hill (Exercise Science), Malik Heath (Interdisciplinary Studies), Dashaun Jerkins (Medicine Health & Society), Amani Johnson (Accountancy), Jaylon Robinson (Human Communications), Isaiah Woullard (Social Work).
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.
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 six total tackles, including a sack.
A NEW START
Fourteen 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, WR Jaylon Robinson, S Ladarius Tennison, TE Michael Trigg, 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.
