The key struggle for Ole Miss during its three-game losing streak was the lack of a running game. The Rebels averaged just 101 rushing yards, 3.1 yards per carry and had no rushing touchdowns in their losses to Alabama, Auburn and Texas A&M, compared to 250 rushing yards, 5.7 yards per carry and 10 rushing touchdowns in their three wins to open the season.
The zone read struggled in those three losses. Defenses were taking away the outside running game of senior running back Jeff Scott and forcing Ole Miss to run between the tackles. With its personnel of small running backs, Ole Miss struggled to make teams pay by running up the middle.
But against LSU, Ole Miss made an adjustment. It changed the positioning of its tight end. Instead of having freshman tight end Evan Engram line up next to the tackle or out wide like a receiver, he lined up behind the tackle, and Ole Miss used him as a lead blocker.
“The way people have been playing us, we felt like if they continue to do certain things to take away some of the things we’re accustomed to doing, they may have issues and problems with that (scheme),” head coach Hugh Freeze said. “That was certainly part of the plan, and it ended up being a solid plan for us.”
It wasn’t a completely new scheme. Ole Miss has used junior tight end Nick Parker in that role, but only in a package that included senior Barry Brunetti.
With the normal Ole Miss offense that has junior Bo Wallace at quarterback, three wide receivers, one running back and a tight end, there was no lead blocker until the LSU game. Engram would come across the offensive line and seal off a defensive end or a linebacker to open up a hole in the middle of the field.
Those holes allowed sophomore running backs Jaylen Walton and I’Tavius Mathers to cut back and run for 157 yards on 21 carries combined. They led a rushing attack that posted its highest yards per carry average and first rushing touchdown since Sept. 14.
The best example was on Walton’s 26-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.
Ole Miss used a pulling guard and Parker, who was in for the injured Engram, to seal off the defensive end and linebacker on the right side of the formation. The rest of the offensive line blocked left, picking up the remaining four defenders in the box.
This opened a hole right up the middle that Walton cut back through.Walton then used his speed to run past the LSU defensive backs and found the end zone.
Engram was a matchup problem for defenses. He could line up inside as a tight end or outside as a receiver and find openings over the middle of the field in the Rebel passing game. But against LSU he was critical to helping the run game.
“Just for his size, he’s still pretty physical,” senior offensive lineman Emmanuel McCray said of Engram. “He’s always pretty good at blocking out on the edge, which was very pivotal. He was just another wrinkle that defenses had to face.”
Now, Engram is done for the season after having surgery on his ankle. This puts Ole Miss in a difficult situation, as there are no other tight ends like Engram on the roster. Parker, who plays this position in the Brunetti package, will see more playing time, but he is not the same weapon that can stretch the field like Engram.
But look for Ole Miss to continue to use this formation to foster a competent inside running game. If they can force defenses to honor the inside runs, it could open up the outside runs, like the 75-yard touchdown that beat Vanderbilt, for Scott, Walton and Mathers.
“It’ll make teams have to play us different, especially with the defensive ends,” McCray said. “So when Jeff gets back, he just has to trust us and hit those holes. They’ll be there.”
Ole Miss saw improved play from its offensive line as well. After the losses to Alabama and Auburn, Freeze cited one-on-one battles as a weakness for the offensive line. Refer back to Walton’s touchdown. There were six Tigers in the box, and Ole Miss had five offensive linemen and a tight end to block. There were no double teams; everyone had to win their one-on-one battle. And on that touchdown, they did.
Winning those battles will be important all season, as will varying the schemes to create inside and outside running lanes for the backs. Not only will it spur the running game to more success, but it will make the passing game far easier.
In the three losses, Ole Miss turned into an offense relying solely on Wallace to deliver a victory with his arm. Something he can do — just look at the Arkansas game last year. But it is extremely difficult for Ole Miss to win football games without an effective rushing attack. Ole Miss is 1-7 under Hugh Freeze when the team averages less than 4 yards per carry. That lone win was against Arkansas last season.
If Ole Miss has found a long-term solution for running the ball inside, then it will not only create more running lanes outside but also make Wallace’s job as quarterback much easier.
Screen shots courtesy SEC Digital Network
For continuing coverage of Ole Miss football, follow @Tyler_RSR and @thedm_sports on Twitter.
