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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Breaking Down Ole Miss’ College Football Playoff Resume in Week 12
11/14/2024 | Football
OXFORD, Miss. – The No. 11 Ole Miss football team currently holds the last at-large spot in the Week 12 College Football Playoff bracket projections, but there is still plenty to be determined on the field, both for the Rebels and the other CFP hopefuls around the nation.
Today, we've broken down Ole Miss' statistical resume to this point in the season, showing how the Rebels compare on paper to the rest of the nation's top teams through 11 weeks of play.
Elite Offense
Ole Miss compares favorably with any team in college football when it has the ball. The Rebels rank No. 2 nationally and lead the SEC with 250 first downs on the year. Ole Miss also leads the SEC and is No. 5 in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 40.7 points per game. Finally, Lane Kiffin also boasts the SEC's best offense in terms of total yardage, ranking second only to Miami nationally at 539.5 yards per game.
Darting Ahead
Ole Miss' biggest offensive strength is its pass game, which ranks No. 1 in the SEC and No. 2 nationally at 365.7 yards per game. The Rebels are also the SEC leaders and third in the country at 15.97 yards per completion. Heisman Trophy candidate Jaxson Dart leads the nation in pass efficiency at 188.6, leading the SEC and ranking sixth or better nationally in passing yards, touchdowns and yards per completion.
Options Out Wide
The lethal passing attack has resulted in some of college football's most productive receivers, namely the nation's best in Tre Harris. He leads the country at 141.0 receiving yards per game and, despite missing three-plus contests, he still ranks fourth nationally and No. 1 in the SEC with 987 yards on the year. Several players have stepped up in his stead, including the SEC's receiving touchdown leader, Jordan Watkins.
Elite Defense
Like on offense, Ole Miss compares favorably on paper with any team in college football on defense. The Rebels are No. 3 in the SEC and No. 6 in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 12.9 points per game. They're also top-20 nationally and sixth in the SEC in total defense at 309.2, much thanks to the best rush defense in the SEC and the second-best in college football, yielding just 79.9 yards per game on the ground.
A1 D-Line
The success on defense comes much thanks to the best defensive line in college football, which ranks first in the nation in sacks with 46 and tackles for loss with 103, boasting six more sacks and 18 more tackles for loss than their closest competitors. Ole Miss is the only team with three players in the top 20 nationally in sacks with Suntarine Perkins at No. 5 (10.0), Princely Umanmielen tied for sixth (9.5) and Jared Ivey tied for 16th (7.0). With 26.5 sacks combined, that trio has more than 112 FBS teams and would rank 23rd in the nation and fifth in the SEC in sacks by themselves.
Elite Special Teams
Caden Davis was clutch with a 5-for-5 performance in the win over Georgia, but he has been great all year long, ranking No. 4 in the SEC and 25th nationally with an 87.0 field goal percentage. He's been one of college football's busiest kickers, ranking No. 3 nationally and leading the SEC with an average of two field goal makes per game. Though seldom called into action, punter Fraser Masin has been outstanding as well as Ole Miss ranks No. 6 in the nation and third in the conference with a 44.38 net punting average.
Putting it all Together
For Ole Miss, it isn't just a powerful offense or a fearsome defense—it's both. The Rebels are the only team in the nation to rank sixth or better in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Much of that is thanks to the dichotomy of ranking No. 2 in the nation in both rushing defense and passing offense. Those units working in conjunction is how Ole Miss lays the blueprint for victory, as seen against Arkansas and Georgia: Take the lead, lean on the elite defensive line to bring it home. Last week, it worked against the premier program in college football. Will it be enough for Ole Miss to punch its ticket to the CFP? Stay tuned to find out.
Stay Connected
Stay up to date with all the latest Ole Miss football news and content! Subscribe to The Sip, the official newsletter of Rebel football, and we'll drop the best Ole Miss football stories, videos and social media content to your inbox each week.
Update today to the all-new version of the Ole Miss Sports app, presented by Renasant Bank! The new app will serve as a dynamic hub for Rebel gameday content, including ticketing, parking, schedules, shopping for official Ole Miss merchandise and much more. Click here for more info or to download.
Today, we've broken down Ole Miss' statistical resume to this point in the season, showing how the Rebels compare on paper to the rest of the nation's top teams through 11 weeks of play.
Elite Offense
Ole Miss compares favorably with any team in college football when it has the ball. The Rebels rank No. 2 nationally and lead the SEC with 250 first downs on the year. Ole Miss also leads the SEC and is No. 5 in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 40.7 points per game. Finally, Lane Kiffin also boasts the SEC's best offense in terms of total yardage, ranking second only to Miami nationally at 539.5 yards per game.
Darting Ahead
Ole Miss' biggest offensive strength is its pass game, which ranks No. 1 in the SEC and No. 2 nationally at 365.7 yards per game. The Rebels are also the SEC leaders and third in the country at 15.97 yards per completion. Heisman Trophy candidate Jaxson Dart leads the nation in pass efficiency at 188.6, leading the SEC and ranking sixth or better nationally in passing yards, touchdowns and yards per completion.
.@TomFornelli's QB power rankings heading into Week 12 👀@OleMissFB QB Jaxson Dart takes the No. 1 spot after taking down Georgia.
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) November 13, 2024
Full breakdown 🔗 https://t.co/3tSgpPcEPc pic.twitter.com/VFvCoh90oN
Options Out Wide
The lethal passing attack has resulted in some of college football's most productive receivers, namely the nation's best in Tre Harris. He leads the country at 141.0 receiving yards per game and, despite missing three-plus contests, he still ranks fourth nationally and No. 1 in the SEC with 987 yards on the year. Several players have stepped up in his stead, including the SEC's receiving touchdown leader, Jordan Watkins.
Four WRs with at least 500 yards 🎯
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 11, 2024
(rounding up, deal with it) #ComeToTheSip pic.twitter.com/tlmQIoHPSB
Elite Defense
Like on offense, Ole Miss compares favorably on paper with any team in college football on defense. The Rebels are No. 3 in the SEC and No. 6 in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 12.9 points per game. They're also top-20 nationally and sixth in the SEC in total defense at 309.2, much thanks to the best rush defense in the SEC and the second-best in college football, yielding just 79.9 yards per game on the ground.
Too many stats to list for the Defense 🦈#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/hLJhlJBc7o
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 11, 2024
A1 D-Line
The success on defense comes much thanks to the best defensive line in college football, which ranks first in the nation in sacks with 46 and tackles for loss with 103, boasting six more sacks and 18 more tackles for loss than their closest competitors. Ole Miss is the only team with three players in the top 20 nationally in sacks with Suntarine Perkins at No. 5 (10.0), Princely Umanmielen tied for sixth (9.5) and Jared Ivey tied for 16th (7.0). With 26.5 sacks combined, that trio has more than 112 FBS teams and would rank 23rd in the nation and fifth in the SEC in sacks by themselves.
Elite Special Teams
Caden Davis was clutch with a 5-for-5 performance in the win over Georgia, but he has been great all year long, ranking No. 4 in the SEC and 25th nationally with an 87.0 field goal percentage. He's been one of college football's busiest kickers, ranking No. 3 nationally and leading the SEC with an average of two field goal makes per game. Though seldom called into action, punter Fraser Masin has been outstanding as well as Ole Miss ranks No. 6 in the nation and third in the conference with a 44.38 net punting average.
Putting it all Together
For Ole Miss, it isn't just a powerful offense or a fearsome defense—it's both. The Rebels are the only team in the nation to rank sixth or better in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Much of that is thanks to the dichotomy of ranking No. 2 in the nation in both rushing defense and passing offense. Those units working in conjunction is how Ole Miss lays the blueprint for victory, as seen against Arkansas and Georgia: Take the lead, lean on the elite defensive line to bring it home. Last week, it worked against the premier program in college football. Will it be enough for Ole Miss to punch its ticket to the CFP? Stay tuned to find out.
The ONLY team in the SEC with 2 Semifinalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award! https://t.co/BncYI7r25U pic.twitter.com/TV5rjlZh8g
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 13, 2024
Stay Connected
Stay up to date with all the latest Ole Miss football news and content! Subscribe to The Sip, the official newsletter of Rebel football, and we'll drop the best Ole Miss football stories, videos and social media content to your inbox each week.
Update today to the all-new version of the Ole Miss Sports app, presented by Renasant Bank! The new app will serve as a dynamic hub for Rebel gameday content, including ticketing, parking, schedules, shopping for official Ole Miss merchandise and much more. Click here for more info or to download.
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