KATIE WILLIAMSON I The Daily Mississippian
Quincy Adeboyejo catches a touchdown during the Trow game Nov. 16.
The No. 24 Ole Miss Rebels will have their hands full when No. 8 Missouri heads to town Saturday, and most believe it will be because of the Tigers’ high-powered offense. However, Missouri’s defense is no pushover. The Tigers bring the eighth best total defense in the Southeastern Conference (386.8 yards per game), but more impressively the second best run defense (111.9 yards per game) and third best scoring defense (20.2 points per game).
“It will be another great test,” Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze said. “You get that most weeks in this league. They’ve had great success stopping the run and getting pressure on the passer. It’s a great challenge, and hopefully, our kids will be ready for it.”
Missouri leads the SEC in sacks with 34 and is also the conference leader in interceptions with 17. Their pass rush will be led by Michael Sam, who leads the Tigers with 10 sacks. Also, Kony Ealy will be a factor, who is second on the team with 6.5 sacks.
“Top to bottom, they provide probably the biggest challenge we have had all year,” offensive line coach Matt Luke said. “They are good in every spot. It’s not like they have one guy you can focus on.”
Freeze said it is difficult to simulate the pass rush the Tigers will have, but the team is attempting to do so through one-on-one drills.”
“It’s difficult,” Freeze said. “We do one on one’s every day of course and work on our techniques, but it is certainly hard to simulate those ends that they have.”
Freeze has stressed the importance of the running game in this weekend’s matchup, and Luke believes that the movement the Tigers have up front is the major cause of team’s struggling to run the ball.
“They do a good job of movement, they are never in the same place,” Luke said. “They move about every snap. They are a moving front. They don’t let you double team them because they are constantly moving, twisting, and mixing up the front making it tough on you. Nothing is ever easy.”
The Rebels have the fifth best rushing offense in the conference averaging just over 200 yards per game, and also have the third best pass offense in the conference, averaging 297.4 yards per game, but this Missouri defense will be a new challenge for Ole Miss.
-Matt Sigler
mcsigler@go.olemiss.edu
