By Brant Daughtry
Opposites Attract
Auburn and Ole Miss will face off for the 46th time on Saturday. The rivalry is well established, and has been dominated by Auburn. The Tigers hold a 35-10 lead in the series, and are currently on a six game win streak vs. the Rebels. This is the second road game in a row for Auburn, but Vaught-Hemingway Stadium has been a home-away-from home for the Tigers, as they have only lost three games all time while visiting Oxford.
So why does this year feel so different? The reasons are pretty obvious, and there’s no shortage of them. For one thing, Lane Kiffin is proving that he can win at Ole Miss, something few coaches have ever been able to do. Last year, his second season, he led Ole Miss to the school’s first 10-win season in program history. Ironically, the only losses his team faced came to the Alabama-based SEC schools. This season, the Rebels are undefeated, and have a win over a top-10 Kentucky team. They are very good.
The offense last year was explosive, averaging an insane amount of points behind Heisman Trophy finalist Matt Corral. This year, the Rebels have a new QB under center, but the offense hasn’t exactly slowed down. In fact, their offense is 4th the country in plays over 40 yards with 41 already on the year. The defense of the Rebels is much improved, allowing an average of only 14 points a game. Against Kentucky and NFL-darling Will Levis, they allowed only 19 points. The Rebs are 6-0, ranked 9th in the country.
The new QB I mentioned is USC transfer Jaxson Dart, a sophomore. He’s averaging just over 220 yards a game, and has eight touchdowns so far to five interceptions. Dart is a very serviceable quarterback surrounded by good players. In Lane Kiffin’s offense, that makes him very dangerous.
Players to Watch For:
Wide Receiver Jonathan Mingo, #1- Mingo is a senior and has been starting since he set foot in Oxford. An imposing figure at 6’2″, 225 pounds, Mingo is big, tall, fast, and athletic, the latest in a long line of those types at Ole Miss. He’s in his first year as the number one option, and has stepped into the role well. He has 507 yards and three scores so far, both leading the team. Last week against Vanderbilt, he set the school record for receiving yards in a game with 247.
Safety AJ Finley, #21- Finley is a Mobile native, and is currently tied for the lead in tackles for the Rebels with 45. The senior is a three year starter and has seen action since his freshman year. The fact is he’s all over the stat sheet for Ole Miss, racking up an interception, a sack, a few breakups, and forcing a fumble that he also recovered. Finley is a great athlete, and one to look out for on Saturday.
Last season, Auburn and Ole Miss faced off on the night before Halloween, and Auburn took down a top-10 Ole Miss team. At that moment, Auburn’s future looked very bright under Bryan Harsin. Since that moment, Auburn has been almost entirely downhill. The Tigers haven’t won a game against a Power 5 opponent since, and also lost their bowl game against Houston. Outside of taking eventual national runner-up Alabama to overtime, there have been no positives. Ole Miss, on the other hand, has lost one game since, a loss to Baylor that saw them lose Matt Corral in the first quarter. The two programs have gone in completely opposite directions.
If you believe the rumors, Bryan Harsin will be fired after this game. In all likelihood, he will take his coordinators with him, and the interim head coach will be left as a guy who’s never been a head coach before, with coordinators who have never called plays before. It’s probably a good thing to wait until the bye week to make that decision. I have no say in matters, but I’ve made it no secret that I want Lane Kiffin to be the guy who takes Harsin’s place. Auburn is a better job than Ole Miss, but Lane has that team in a much better spot than Auburn is right now. Imagine what this more mature but still true-to-himself version of Kiffin could do with the fan support, location, and resources a school like Auburn would provide.
