GAME NOTES: Fresh off a much-needed victory, the 24th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels hit the road to take on the struggling Auburn Tigers in SEC action this weekend. Auburn owns a commanding 24-9 series advantage over Ole Miss.
Ole Miss has won its last two games to move to 5-2 overall, one victory shy of bowl eligibility. Houston Nutt's squad defeated Arkansas last weekend by a 30-17 final, the second consecutive season in which Nutt knocked off the team he coached before joining the Rebels. Ole Miss is 2-2 in SEC action, and while the team may not be as good as its preseason top-10 ranking suggested, there is plenty of talent on the roster.
Auburn's season has taken a drastic downturn after a promising 5-0 start. The Tigers have suffered three consecutive defeats, the most recent of which was a 31-10 beating at LSU last weekend. First-year head coach Gene Chizik needs just one more victory to become bowl eligible, but he knows that the team's 2-3 SEC record is a red flag to fans of the program, especially those who thought his hire was unjustified.
Ole Miss is scoring 30.1 ppg this season while gaining 392.1 total ypg. The Rebels are led at quarterback by Jevan Snead, a player who was considered a serious Heisman candidate entering the season. Snead has failed to live up to expectations (11 interceptions) and has been downright horrible in a couple of contests. Still, he has thrown for 1,440 yards and 14 touchdowns, and the signal caller possesses elite physical skill.
Shay Hodge leads the club with 459 yards and four touchdowns on 31 catches, while the versatile Dexter McCluster has 23 grabs for 335 yards and two touchdowns. As a runner, McCluster is second on the team with 287 yards, as Brandon Bolden is tops with 427 yards.
While Snead and the offense have been rather inconsistent, the Ole Miss defense has been outstanding. The Rebels are only allowing 13.6 ppg and 300.0 total ypg despite playing some quality opponents. They are limiting foes to 3.8 yards per rushing attempt and have permitted fewer than half of the passes that they have allowed to be completed. Patrick Trahan has recorded four sacks for Ole Miss this season, and Johnny Brown leads the club with 46 total tackles.
Against Arkansas last weekend, Snead threw for a career-high 332 yards and two touchdowns to go along with a rushing score, helping him overshadow a pair of interceptions. McCluster was tremendous, setting career-highs in both rushing and receiving yards. He hauled in seven receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown while also gaining 123 yards on 22 carries.
"They did a good job getting him the ball," said Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino of McCluster. "We knew that going into the game. They talked all week long about him not being involved in their offense. They lined him up at tailback. He made great runs."
Give plenty of credit to the Ole Miss defense for holding a talented Arkansas offense in check. The Rebels permitted just 45 rushing yards on 22 carries while allowing just 12-of-34 pass attempts to be completed.
E-Mail
Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@