The Ole Miss defense is coming off of its best performance of the season, in which they were able to keep an explosive Texas A&M offense out of the end zone.
“I think the energy and the enthusiasm that we played with was real big. It was exciting,”
Ole Miss defensive coordinator Dave Wommack said. “Now you hook onto the fact that you’re one step closer. We’ve still got four difficult games, but we have to look at it one game at a time.”
The Ole Miss secondary has struggled since Tony Conner tore his meniscus against Alabama, but responded on Saturday, only allowing Texas A&M quarterback Kyle Allen to pass for 88 yards.
“I thought our safety play was the best that it has been all year. I thought Trae Elston and Mike Hilton both played outstanding,” Wommack said. “They were going after the ball and making sure if they didn’t catch it, no one else did.”
Junior defensive back Tony Bridges was another member of the Ole Miss secondary whom Wommack praised for his performance.
“I think he got some confidence going up against some really good guys,” Wommack said. “I know the quarterback struggled, but he did some really good things. He played a lot better.”
Ole Miss held the Aggies to only 192 yards of total offense Saturday, but the coined “Landshark” defense will need to keep its impressive play in the weeks to come. While Auburn’s offense has sputtered at times this year, their rushing attack has been impressive. The running game is headlined by former Ole Miss commit Peyton Barber, who is averaging 110 yards per game.
(Members of the Ole miss defensive line practice in the indoor practice field Tuesday | Lizzie Mcintosh)
“I think he is running determined, which most Auburn backs do,” Wommack said. “I think Peyton is physical, but I think he can jump cut and catch the ball out of the backfield. He does everything that a great back does, and he’ll definitely be playing in the NFL here before long.”
After the early season issues of Jeremy Johnson, Auburn has turned to redshirt freshmen Sean White. While White has not thrown a touchdown pass, he has only one interception since taking over for Johnson.
Wommack noted the improvement of the young freshman over the course of his previous starts.
“He is getting all of the first team reps. Anybody that does that is going to get better,” Wommack said. “He is focused in because he is the guy now. He has gotten better as he continued.”
Junior defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche missed last week’s game against Texas A&M after suffering a concussion in the Memphis game. Hugh Freeze said on Monday that Nkemdiche was almost symptom-free, and Wommack seemed confident about Nkemdiche’s chances of playing, but would not confirm his status.
Tony Conner returned to practice in a limited role on Tuesday, but Wommack was uncertain whether Conner will play this weekend at Auburn.
Kickoff between Ole Miss and Auburn is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN.
