Coming off back-to-back losses to Arkansas and LSU, Ole Miss needs to get back on track and salvage their season. Five of the Rebels’ first seven games have been against teams that were at the time ranked in the top 25, and, unfortunately for them, they face another top 25 team on Saturday. The No. 15 Auburn Tigers will travel to Oxford after obliterating the Razorbacks last week by a score of 56-3.
Head Coach Hugh Freeze responds to questions during Monday’s press conference. (Photo by: Ariel Cobbert)
“Obviously not the outcome we wanted Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. Such as the life in the SEC West, and it doesn’t get any easier moving forward,” Head Coach Hugh Freeze said. “Auburn is an outstanding football team, maybe the best defense as far as points per game that we’ve seen.”
Auburn is ranked third in the nation with just 14 points allowed per game, which Freeze said was almost unheard of in the current college football landscape. They’ve also rushed the ball well lately, with running back Kamryn Pettway leading the SEC with 116 rushing yards per game and the team as a whole gaining the most rushing yards in a single game this season by racking up 543 against the Razorbacks.
“You watch them on tape and you see why, and now their rushing game is back to what they’ve been known for, so they are an outstanding football team that will provide us another great challenge,” Freeze said. “I am glad it is at home. We are glad to be back home in front of our fans in our stadium, and hopefully that will give us an extra amount of energy as we go in another SEC West battle.”
The Rebels, already depleted because of injuries, suffered a few more setbacks in the game against LSU, with the offensive line possibly losing some much-needed depth.
“Rod (Taylor) is a high ankle sprain, so he will be questionable for this week,” Freeze said. “It is not a break, but those high sprains are difficult at times, so he will be questionable.”
Freeze said guard Jordan Sims is in a similar situation.
“He’s been dealing with an ankle for a couple weeks, and he aggravated it in the first quarter the other night, and he couldn’t go,” Freeze said. “He will be questionable or day-to-day this week also. We definitely missed him in that game.”
On the bright side, senior defensive end Fadol Brown was able to return to the field for 19 plays against LSU. Freeze said that Brown was sore but determined to keep helping the team. Meanwhile, linebacker Terry Caldwell was sent off the field in the fourth quarter after a sideline incident.
“Well, I don’t want to go into it too deep, but it is being addressed for sure,” Freeze said. “I have a meeting with him today that will decide further what happens.”
Linebacker has been the biggest question mark on the Rebels’ defense this season, and a few players got extended playing time against LSU in an attempt to shore up the run defense.
“Temario (Strong) played really well in our big packages,” Freeze said. “We’ve got to get him to understand some of the base stuff that we do. He definitely plays the game the way we want it played. Willie (Hibbler) did some good things. I think Willie has a bright future; he’s just young. He is going to get some more reps though this week, I think. Hopefully he will continue to mature.”
Freeze acknowledged the disappointment the team felt after the loss to LSU, but was ready for the team to get another shot this week.
“We’ve got to rebound and continue to work, and hopefully the leaders will lead, and we look forward to another challenge at home this Saturday,” Freeze said.
Ole Miss will take on Auburn at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday and will take on Georgia Southern at 11 a.m. the next week.
