With the SEC West still firmly in their control, The No. 19 Ole Miss Rebels put everything on the line once again, this time on the road in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Hugh Freeze and his football team beat the Auburn Tigers 27-19 on Halloween Night, and the road to Atlanta will for another week run through Oxford, Mississippi. This is the first time in school history that the Rebels have taken down both of the major football teams in the state of Alabama. Alabama State Champs? Has a nice ring to it, huh?
(Yes, I did make this. Shameless self-promotion time, but if you need any kind of artwork or design, I got you.)
@OleMissFB
In the uniform department, I finally got one right. Thanks Hugh. The Rebels came out sporting what I think is their best look (only made better by pairing it with the Powder Blue Helmets), wearing their standard Navy helmet, White jersey with Red stripes and numbers, and their Gray pants.
Josh McCoy/@OleMissPix
The game started out well for the Rebs as well with the Landshark Defense holding the Tiger offense and forcing a punt on the opening possession. Chad Kelly and company would then proceed to march the ball right down the field and into the redzone, but had to settle for a field goal. But as we have all learned from the past games, points are points, so take them when you can get them. With the ensuing field goal by Gary Wunderlich good, Ole Miss took a quick 3-0 lead over Auburn in the first quarter.
Josh McCoy/@OleMissPix
Following a strong opening stand, the defense would once again halt Gus Malzahn and his spread offense, this time with an interception by Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (#HailPerk) transfer and Ole Miss cornerback Tony Bridges.
Josh McCoy/@OleMissPix
Yes it is a rough year on the Plains, so say what you will about the Tigers, but holding that offense to 19 points is something to be proud of. A Gus Malzahn offense, much like a Hugh Freeze offense, is built to explode on any given play. Sure there were some missed assignments and tackles, and a badly busted coverage on Auburn's first touchdown pass, but the unit is head and shoulders better than it had been in the previous weeks before Texas A&M. The Landshark Defense earned it's keep on Saturday.
Josh McCoy/@OleMissPix
Robert Nkemdiche was back from his concussion, and boy did he look like his number-one-overall-pick-esque self. There was one play in the game where he bulldozed a Tiger offensive lineman right into the face of the quarterback. Talk about embarrassing for that guy.
Josh McCoy/@OleMissPix
I think it goes without saying that Auburn quarterback Sean White had a tough day.
Josh McCoy/@OleMissPix
Offensively, it wasn't bad for the Rebs, but it wasn't great either. Chad Kelly threw two interceptions, and it almost hurt Ole Miss as they needed a late fourth quarter touchdown to pull away, and had to force an incompletion on what would have been a game-tying (pending a 2-point conversion) Hail Mary. As the season and the race to Atlanta comes down to the wire, the turnovers are going to need to be cut back on, especially in a game like LSU where every possession could be a game breaker. On the positive side, how 'bout Rebel running back Akeem Judd? He was explosive, making two Tigers look dumb on a scoring run late in the second quarter. He could be part of the answer to Ole Miss' short yardage woes. (Judd behind Liggins behind Tunsil out of the I-formation sounds pretty dang good to me.)
Josh McCoy/@OleMissPix
How bout our "just average" receiver Laquon Treadwell having himself a little redemption? This time around it was only fitting that he would be the one to stick the nail in the Auburn coffin on a SportsCenter Top 10 catch over his shoulder and the torched head of a Tiger defender. Where was the boom on that one Muschamp?
At the end of the day, the Rebels got out of Auburn with a win, and I don't care who you are, road victories in the SEC are hard to come by. Still in control of their own destiny, Ole Miss responded the right way, and there was a lot of "team" out there on that field. Hugh Freeze has his guys playing with heart and a purpose, and that's all you can ask for as a coach. Lets hope it can last. The Rebels have two home showdowns and Starkville (yikes) to go, and Atlanta is on the line.
Straight out of Rydell High, I think we made a pretty good preppy Sandy and Danny for Halloween. What'cha think?
The scoreboard was big, and Auburn was fun. It would be a great place if it wasn't Auburn.
See y'all in the Grove, and beat them damn Hogs.
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