Saturday nights in Death Valley are not for the faint of heart. If something wild or weird can happen in a college football game, it can happen on a Saturday night in Death Valley.
For the second time this season, the Rebels will face a team ranked in the top five of the AP Poll. The first true road test of the season awaits the 3-1 Rebels, as they are set to face the LSU Tigers in the 10th annual Magnolia Bowl contest.
One key matchup could decide the game. Ole Miss has as highly touted a wide receiver corps as anybody. A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, DaMarkus Lodge, Braylon Sanders and Elijah Moore all give defenses fits on a regular basis. Lodge and Sanders are the deep threats. Moore and Brown are savants in the slot. Metcalf makes the difficult look like clockwork. And just when the defense covers the receivers, Dawson Knox presents a whole different problem. Jon Ledyard of The Draft Network has Brown, Metcalf, Lodge and Knox all in his 2019 first-round NFL Mock Draft.
Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu warms up on the sidelines before playing in the game against LSU after Shea Patterson left the field due to a knee injury last season. File photo by Chase Roberts
On the other side, LSU also has elite playmakers. Linebacker Devin White and cornerback Greedy Williams should expect to hear their names called really early in April’s draft. Sophomore safety Grant Delpit is not draft-eligible, but he is touted as one of the upper echelon of defensive backs in the country.
From what the Ole Miss offense faced versus an inexperienced Crimson Tide secondary, expect the opposite from LSU. These three standouts have a combined 59 games played. Methodically moving the ball up and down the field when facing this group is unrealistic. Phil Longo needs to take his normal share of shots. The first play of the game against Alabama was drawn up perfectly. He needs his team to hit on a few of those to have a chance at an upset.
Another key factor will be the Landshark defense’s ability to translate its big plays against Kent State to SEC play. LSU has faced many injury problems up front, on the offensive line. Brody Miller of NOLA.com reported that the Tigers will start the fifth different O-line combination in five games when they face the Rebels. Head coach Ed Orgeron knows it is a problem, but he likes what he sees.
“(O-line injuries are) a concern,” Orgeron stated on the weekly SEC Coaches Teleconference. “But they (the O-line) keep(s) on performing for us.”
The Ole Miss defensive line had its best outing of the season a week ago, against Kent State. Defensive end Markel Winters exploded, recording three sacks, and Charles Wiley added 2.5. The team totaled seven — a clear step up in play from what was shown in the first three games.
Wesley McGriff and defensive line coach Freddie Roach had to shuffle the line because guys such as Benito Jones and Josiah Coatney are banged-up. This meant defensive ends Wiley and Tariqious Tisdale slid inside to rush the passer from the middle. Their speed was too much for the interior line of Kent State.
Yes, LSU’s line is a step up in talent. Derrius Guice and Leonard Fournette may be distant nightmares, but as expected, the Tigers have loaded up the backfield, once again. Nick Brossette has established himself as one of the top running backs in the nation. LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger is going to feature him heavily. However, if the Tigers’ run game can be neutralized, the Rebels will have a chance to test a thrown-together group of linemen.
Baton Rouge will not be lacking in talent on Saturday. The Rebels have one of the top quarterbacks in the conference. The LSU defense is loaded with elite playmakers. The wide receivers on both sides are some of the best in the SEC. Jordan Ta’amu needs the Nasty Wide Outs to be particularly nasty on Saturday, because big plays will be needed to spring an upset.
If the defense allows LSU to get to 35 points, it’s over. Orgeron and Matt Luke have ample firsthand experience of what this game means to their respective programs. Each fan wants this win on the record. Motivation should come easy for the players.
