| #9 Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1) at # 18 Auburn (5-2, 2-1) Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021 • 6 p.m. CT • Auburn, Ala. Jordan-Hare Stadium 
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| Watch • Listen • Live Stats • Digital Program Ole Miss Game Notes (PDF) • Auburn Game Notes (PDF) • SEC Notes (PDF) |
• This is the 45th meeting all-time between Ole Miss and Auburn dating back to 1928.
• The Tigers lead the all-time series 34-10 and are 16-3 in Auburn ... Original record is 34-11 in favor of Auburn, but Ole Miss' win in 2012 was vacated due to NCAA ruling.
• The Rebels check in at No. 9 in the Coaches Poll and No. 10 in AP Top 25 ... It's the first top-10 ranking for Ole Miss since the final polls in 2015.
• The Rebels rank top 10 in the country in six separate categories: total offense (541.1), scoring offense (41.9), rushing offense (263.3), first downs (195), passes had intercepted (1) and turnovers lost (5).
• Ole Miss ranks No. 4 in FBS in number of plays per game (79.6).
• Ole Miss is third in the FBS in total offense (541.1 ypg) and seventh in scoring offense (41.9 ppg).
• The Rebels are one of five teams to have thrown just one interception this season.
• Ole Miss ranks No. 12 nationally and second in the SEC in sacks per game (3.3).
• The Rebels lead FBS in both fourth down attempts (30) and fourth down conversions (23).
• QB Matt Corral ranks top 10 nationally in total offense (341.0 ypg), passing efficiency (168.2), points responsible for (146) and yards per pass attempt (9.24).
• WR Dontario Drummond is third in the SEC and No. 18 in FBS with six receiving touchdowns.
• 17 of Snoop Conner's 22 career rushing touchdowns have been from five yards or less, including 12 1-yard TD runs.
• Chance Campbell (8.0), Otis Reese (7.7) and Mark Robinson (7.3) all rank in the top 20 amongst SEC players in tackles per game.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH LANE KIFFIN
Lane Kiffin (Fresno State, 1998) is in his second season at Ole Miss and helped lead the Rebels to four win in their final five games in 2020, including a 26-20 victory over No. 7 Indiana in the Outback Bowl. Kiffin quickly turned the Rebels into an offensive machine last season. Ole Miss ranked top-20 in the FBS in nine different offensive categories, 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 10th year at the NCAA level and has posted an all-time record of 72-40. 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.
AUBURN HEAD COACH BRYAN HARSIN
Bryan Harsin was named Auburn's 28th head football coach on December 22, 2020, after spending the previous seven seasons as head coach at Boise State where he compiled a 69-19 record while winning three Mountain West Conference titles. A former Boise State quarterback, assistant coach and offensive coordinator, Harsin is 81-26 overall as a head coach – including one season at Arkansas State and a 5-2 start at Auburn. His impressive resume at Boise saw him lead the Broncos to five 10-win seasons, seven consecutive bowl appearances and six MWC West Division Championships. The former Bronco letterwinner began his coaching career at Boise State as a graduate assistant before taking over the tight ends and eventually being elevated to the role of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He had a brief stop in Austin with the Longhorns, where he served as co-offensive coordinator from 2011-12. Harsin then earned his first head coaching opportunity at Arkansas State in 2013 before returning to his alma matter.
TIGER SCOUTING REPORT
The No. 18 Auburn Tigers come into Saturday's contest with a 5-2 record. Fresh off a bye week, the Tigers last played on Oct. 16 at Arkansas, defeating the No. 17 Razorbacks 38-23. Quarterback Bo Nix spearheads the offense, completing 61 percent of his passes. Nix has thrown for nearly 1,500 yards this season with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. In the backfield with him is running back Tank Bigsby, who started the season off with three straight 100-yard rushing games but has since cooled off. Bigsby averages 75.1 yards per game and has found the end zone six times so far in 2021. Jarquez Hunter is another back for Auburn who splits the workload. He's racked up 492 yards and three scores throught the first seven contests. Out wide, Nix has thrown touchdown passes to seven different receivers. Senior Demetris Robertson leads the team with 23 receptions for 312 yards and three touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, linebackers Zakoby McClain and Chandler Wooten pace the team with 53 and 52 tackles, respectively. As a team, Auburn has tallied 19.0 sacks and six takeaways.
OLE MISS-AUBURN SERIES HISTORY
• Ole Miss and Auburn will be meeting for the 46th time in a series that started in 1928.
• Auburn leads the all-time series vs. Ole Miss 33-10.
• The original record is 33-11 in favor of Auburn, with Ole Miss' win in 2012 vacated due to NCAA ruling.
• The Tigers hold a 16-3 edge in games played in Auburn.
• This will be the first time that Ole Miss and Auburn will face each other as ranked teams since 2014.
ALABAMA REBELS
The Ole Miss roster features 16 players who hail from Alabama: OL LeDarrius Cox (Mobile), DL Jalen Cunningham (Odenville), DB AJ Finley (Mobile), DB Jakorey Hawkins (Montgomery), TE Jonathan Hess (Vestavia Hills), DL KD Hill (Eufaula), OLB Cedric Johnson (Mobile), DL Patrick Lucas Jr. (Prattville), OLB Brandon Mack (Montgomery), OL Micah Pettus (Madison), QB Tyrrell Pigrome (Birmingham), WR Jamar Richardson (Aliceville), DL Demarcus Smith (Birmingham), TE Damarcus Thomas (Whatley), DB Trey Washington (Trussville) and DL Sam Williams (Montgomery).
GETTING OFFENSIVE
The Rebels rank top 20 in the country in nine separate offensive categories: total offense (541.1), rushing offense (262.8), scoring offense (41.9), first downs (195), team passing efficiency (163.5), fourth down conversion percentage (.767), turnovers lost (4), tackles for loss allowed (3.29) and passes had intercepted (1). The 541.1 yards per game ranks third nationally, while 41.9 points per game is seventh.
EXSACKLY WHAT THE REBELS NEEDED
While the Rebel offense gets much of the praise from week-to-week, the Ole Miss defense has proven very capable of gaining some attention of their own. Ole Miss currently ranks No. 12 nationally and second in the SEC in sacks per game (3.3). DL Sam Williams leads the SEC and ranks No. 4 in the FBS with 1.07 sacks per game. Williams' 7.5 sacks are tied for the most by any Rebel player in a single season since 2016. The Rebels have registered five or more sacks in back-to-back games for the first time since 1999. The Landshark D has tallied two or more sacks in six of the seven games this season.
GOAL LINE MONSTER
When the Rebels are nearing the goal line trying to find the end zone, chances are very good that Ole Miss will look Snoop Conner's way. Seventeen of Conner's 22 career rushing touchdowns have been from five yards or less, including 12 1-yard TD runs. Conner currently ranks second in the SEC and No. 18 nationally with nine rushing TDs on the season.
LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
The Ole Miss offense has been moving the ball up and down the field at a unbelievably fast pace under head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. The Rebels rank No. 4 in FBS in number of plays per game (79.6), averaging a play every 21 seconds. Ole Miss ran a school record 101 plays on offense in their win at Tennessee. The previous mark was 100 plays in 2004 against Wyoming. The 101 plays run were tied for the ninth-most in SEC history and are the most since 2018 when Texas A&M ran 107 in a seven overtime loss to LSU.
FROM WALK-ON TO STANDOUT
Mark Robinson transferred to Ole Miss as a walk-on running back from Southeast Missouri, but the Leesburg, Georgia, native made the switch to the defensive side of the ball at the end of fall camp last season. Robinson, who sat out last year due to NCAA transfer rules, ranks third on the team and No. 17 in the SEC with 7.3 tackles per game. For the second straight game, Robinson tallied double-digit tackles Saturday vs. LSU, finishing with 12 total stops. Robinson set career highs in total tackles (14), solo stops (12), tackles for loss (5) and sacks (2) in Ole Miss' win at Tennessee. Robinson's 5.0 tackles for loss against the Vols were the most by a Rebel since Kendrick Clancy had 6.0 against Auburn in 1999.
REBS IN THE POLLS
• Ole Miss moved up to No. 9 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 10 in the Associated Press Poll this week after the win over LSU.
• It's the first top-10 ranking for Ole Miss since the final polls in 2015.
• Ole Miss has been ranked in the top 25 all eight weeks this season, which is its longest streak of being ranked for the entirety of the 2015 season.
• The SEC boasts six teams in the top 25, including top-ranked Georgia.
• The Rebels' were ranked to start the season (No. 25) for the first time since 2016 when Ole Miss started ranked No. 11.
STREAKIN'
Dating back to the 2019 season, QB Matt Corral has thrown a touchdown in 19 straight games, the second-longest streak in school history. The Ventura, California, native trails only Chad Kelly who owns the record with 22 straight games with a passing TD from 2015-16.
FOURTH AND GOING FOR IT
Ole Miss leads the country in both fourth down attempts (30) and conversions (23). The Rebels rank No. 9 in the FBS, converting fourth downs at a 76.7 percent clip. Lane Kiffin and the Rebels have gone for it on fourth down at least three times every game. The Rebels have been perfect on fourth down attempts against Louisville (3-for-3), Tulane (5-for-5) and LSU (3-for-3).
RUNNIN' WILD
Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks No. 3 in FBS with 263.3 rushing yards per game. Lane Kiffin's offense has tallied 250 or more yards on the ground for three straight games. Corral, who came into the season with seven career TD runs over the course of 24 games, is tied for fourth amongst FBS quarterbacks with nine rushing touchdowns. Corral and Snoop Conner both rank No. 18 nationally in rushing TDs. The Rebels led the SEC in rushing last season (217.7 ypg) for the first time since 1962.
NO FREEBIES
The Rebels are one of only five FBS teams to have thrown just one interception so far this season. The Rebels lead the SEC and rank No. 4 nationally with just five turnovers lost. QB Matt Corral threw his first interception of the season during the Rebels' sixth game of the season at Tennessee. Dating back to 2020, Corral had 233 pass attempts without a pick, a new school record and 5th longest streak ever in the SEC.
600 YARDS AND A CLOUD OF DUST
Ole Miss has gained 600+ yards seven times in 17 games under Lane Kiffin. Before Kiffin, the Rebels had 16 such games in the program's 1,209 games. Three of the top 10 offensive performances in school history have come under Kiffin's guidance, including the 707-yard output against Tulane that ranked No. 4 all time.
GET YOU A QUARTERBACK THAT CAN DO BOTH
Quarterback Matt Corral is not only a threat to beat you with his arm, but as teams are quickly finding out, the junior signal-caller can also beat you with his feet. Corral has thrown for 1,913 and 15 touchdowns, while running for 67.7 yards per game and nine rushing TDs. He's one of just two FBS quarterbacks (Malik Willis, Liberty) with at least 15 passing TDs and nine touchdowns on the ground. Prior to this season, Corral had just seven career rushing TDs in three seasons for the Rebels. Against Tennessee, Corral became the first Rebel to run 30 times in a game since 2007 when BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran 33 times vs. Missouri. Corral finished with a career high in both rushing yards (195) and attempts (30) vs. the Vols.
NEW MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Even when Lane Kiffin isn't fishing, he's still landing big fish. One of Kiffin's biggest catches came when the Rebels snagged Utah transfer Orlando Umana. Umana has started six of the seven games at center for the Rebels, missing just one contest due to injury. Umana joined the Rebels after spending four years at Utah where he appeared in 40 career games, including 26 starts. Twenty-two of those starts came at center for the Utes. Battling injury, Umana appeared in just one game for Utah during a shortened 2020 season. As a junior, he earned Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention honors in 2019 after starting 12 games at center. Umana played in all 14 games on the offensive line as a sophomore in 2018, starting four at left guard and the last nine at center for Utah. The Sacramento, California, native allowed just one sack in 472 pass blocks in 2018.
KEIDRON SMITH TO WEAR CHUCKY MULLINS PATCH
Ole Miss senior defensive back Keidron Smith was named the winner of the 2021 Chucky Mullins Courage Award earlier in the fall. 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. Smith is the 31st recipient in the 32-year history of the award, which is presented annually to an Ole Miss upperclassman defensive player that embodies the spirit of Mullins. Smith wears a 38 patch on his No. 20 jersey rather than switch numbers.
MAC BROWN RAISES OVER 130K FOR ALS RESEARCH
When he was in seventh grade, Ole Miss punter Mac Brown had a modest goal of raising $500 for a childhood friend's dad who had been diagnosed with ALS. Along with a group of neighborhood friends, Brown started a lemonade stand, Awesome Lemonade Stand, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, to help his friend's family. Ten years later, that $500 goal has ballooned to over $130,000 raised by Brown and his friends for ALS research. The Awesome Lemonade Stand is held on a late day in June, and this year's fundraiser raised nearly $30,000 alone. Brown was recently one of 22 collegiate football players named to the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
• The Rebels rank top 10 in the country in six separate categories: total offense (541.1), scoring offense (41.9), rushing offense (263.3), first downs (195), passes had intercepted (1) and turnovers lost (5).
• Ole Miss is third in the FBS in total offense (541.1 ypg) and seventh in scoring offense (41.9 ppg).
• Ole Miss ranks No. 4 in FBS in number of plays per game (79.6).
• The Rebels are one of five teams to have thrown just one interception this season.
• Ole Miss has gained 600+ yards seven times in 17 games under Lane Kiffin ... Before Kiffin, the Rebels had 16 such games in the program's 1,209 games.
• The Rebels lead FBS in both fourth down attempts (30) and fourth down conversions (23).
• Ole Miss has tallied 142 total plays of 10 or more yards over the course of seven games this season and rank No. 4 nationally in that category ... The Rebels average 20.3 such plays per game, which is third in the country.
• QB Matt Corral ranks top 10 nationally in total offense (341.0 ypg), passing efficiency (168.2), points responsible for (146) and yards per pass attempt (9.24).
• Corral has thrown a touchdown pass in 19 straight games, tied for the second-longest streak in school history.
• Corral and RB Snoop Conner both rank No. 18 nationally with nine rushing TDs.
• 17 of Conner's 22 career rushing touchdowns have been from five yards or less, including 12 1-yard TD runs.
• WR Dontario Drummond is third in the SEC and No. 18 in FBS with six receiving touchdowns.
• Corral is one of just two FBS quarterbacks with at least 15 passing TDs and nine touchdowns on the ground.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss has forced at least one turnover in 16 of 17 games under Lane Kiffin.
• Ole Miss ranks No. 12 nationally and second in the SEC in sacks per game (3.3).
• The Rebels have registered five or more sacks in back-to-back games for the first time since 1999.
• Chance Campbell (8.0), Otis Reese (7.7) and Mark Robinson (7.3) all rank in the top 20 amongst SEC players in tackles per game.
• Of the 26 signees that Ole Miss signed as part of the 2020-21 signing class, 15 were on the defensive side of the ball, including eight defensive backs.
• DL Sam Williams leads the SEC and ranks No. 4 in the FBS with 1.07 sacks per game ... Williams' 7.5 sacks are tied for the most by any Rebel player in a single season since 2016.
• Williams has registered a sack in six of seven games this season for the Rebels.
• Ole Miss has an SEC-most three Canadian players on its roster, all of which on the defensive side of the ball (Jaden Dicks, Deane Leonard, and Tavius Robinson).
• Former walk-on and LB Mark Robinson ranks third on the team and No. 17 in the SEC with 7.3 tackles per game ... Robinson has tallied double-digit tackles in back-to-back games.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• P Mac Brown is averaging 46.5 yards per punt on 20 punts this season.
• Eight of Brown's 20 punts have traveled more than 50 yards.
• K Caden Costa is 7-for-9 on field goal attempts, including a long of 50 yards.
• Costa is the first Rebel to connect on a 50-yard field goal since Andrew Ritter made a 50-yarder against Idaho in 2013.
• DB Keidron Smith was named the winner of the 2021 Chucky Mullins Courage Award and will wear a 38 patch on his No. 20 jersey.
