Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the Ole Miss season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
– Ole Miss Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 5-7 overall, 2-7
Head Coach: Matt Luke, 3rd year: 22-23
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE OLE MISS OFFENSE
– The offense not only has to replace solid QB Jordan Ta’amu, but good luck getting more out of the receiving corps that loses NFL targets DK Metcalf, AJ Brown and DaMarcus Lodge. It’s not a bad group returning – sophomore Elijah Moore and junior Braylon Sanders got in plenty of work last season – Moore finished third on the team with 36 catches – but again, there’s going to be a drop off.
– Sophomore Matt Corral has the talent to be every bit as good as Ta’amu, who threw for just over 3,900 yards with 19 scores and eight picks. However, the style of the attack is undergoing a wee bit of an overhaul with new offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez taking over. Corral might not be an elite runner, but he can handle the fast tempo and spread out style. The biggest beneficiary of the switch to Rodriguez will be …
– Scottie Phillips and the running game should be terrific. Along for the ride a wee bit last year, the ground attack finished with just under 2,000 yards and 24 scores averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Expect Phillips to come up with big gashes, and there’s a whole lot depth behind him with quick backs to fill in the gaps. The issue? The offensive line loses three good starters from a group that has to quickly adjust to the new style. Ben Brown is a good guard, but this is the area of concern going into fall camp.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE OLE MISS DEFENSE
– The Rebels couldn’t stop the run, couldn’t generate a pass rush, couldn’t stop anyone from throwing, and finished with the worst defense in the SEC. Other than that, everything was great. There’s hope for a quick improvement with nine starters returning, but the D needs playmakers and stars for offenses to worry about.
– The tackles are good, but they have to do even more for the woeful run D. Benito Jones and Josiah Coatney on the inside have the bulk, and now they have to be anchors around an improved run defense. There’s going to be a good-looking rotation on the ends with decent size and upside, but again, the production has to be there. The Rebels came up with just 22 sacks overall.
– Leading tackler Mohamed Sanogo is back in the middle, and so is Willie Hibbler, who can work inside or out. Qaadir Sheppard is a versatile veteran who’s part end and part outside linebacker, and on the way are star JUCO transfers Lakia Henry for the inside and Sam Williams for the outside.
– The secondary is loaded with experience despite losing CB Ken Webster and S Zedrick Woods. Sophomore Keidron Smith is the new star of the secondary, but he and the rest of the DBs have to come up with more than seven picks and a whole lot more stops.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP OLE MISS PLAYERS
Best Ole Miss Offensive Player
RB Scottie Phillips. Sr.
The passing game was the star, and it should be again, but the 5-11, 211-pound Phillips turned into a major factor to help balance out the attack averaging over six yards per carry for 928 yards and 12 scores. He wore out late and got dinged up – only running seven times in the last three games with an ankle problem. However, when the team committed to him and the ground game, he was a force.
2. WR Elijah Moore, Soph.
3. OG Ben Brown, Soph.
4. QB Matt Corral, RFr.
5. OT Alex Givens, Sr.
Best Ole Miss Defensive Player
LB Mohamed Sanogo, Jr.
The 6-2, 224-pounder isn’t huge, but he was all over the place as the team’s leading tackler in the middle of the D, making 112 stops with 6.5 tackles for loss. Steady, fast, and in on everything, he came up with 16 tackles against both Auburn and Texas A&M, and had a huge four-game stretch late in the season with 55 stops.
2. DT Josiah Coatney, Sr.
3. FS Myles Hartsfield, Sr.
4. LB Qaadir Sheppard, Sr.
5. DT Benito Jones, Sr.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Ole Miss Offense
Move the chains. The Rebels were amazing at cranking up the deep passes and explosive plays, but they couldn’t generate the mundane – at least on third downs. It would be nice to hit on over 40% of the third down chances on a more consistent basis – Ole Miss was 4-0 last year when it did. But the O sputtered too much late in the season, going under the 36% in the last five games – losing them all – and connecting on 1-of-11 tries against Texas A&M and went 0-for-10 against Mississippi State.
Biggest Key To The Ole Miss Defense
Be more disruptive. The Rebels have to be better defensively at just about everything, but the experience is there to make a decent jump in production. Now the big plays have to come in the backfield and at taking the ball away. The D generated a paltry 15 takeaways on the year and just three in the final five games. The interceptions were scarce – a mere three in the last eight games – and with just one fumble recovery in the last six games.
Key Player To A Successful Season
QB Matt Corral, RFr.
Not having Shea Patterson around anymore wasn’t that big a deal with Jordan Ta’amu coming up with a huge season, but now it’s up to Corral to be ready to push for well over 3,500 yards despite the loss of a whole slew of top-shelf receivers. He’s not all that big at just 6-1 and 205 pounds, but he’s got a live arm and can move – he’ll add more to the rushing attack than Ta’amu did.
Key Game To The Ole Miss Season
Arkansas, Sept. 7
It’s one of those games that Ole Miss just needs to be able to survive. Arkansas won’t have a defense, but it should be able to throw the ball a whole lot better to make this a shootout. Ole Miss needs to prove it has a defense, and it’ll have to throw it around to keep up in the shootout.
Beat Memphis to start the season, take down SE Louisiana, and survive Cal at home. If the Rebels can do that and beat Arkansas, they’ll be 4-0 with winnable home games against Vanderbilt and New Mexico State still to play to get to six and bowl eligibility.
– Ole Miss Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 Ole Miss Fun Stats
– Sacks: Opponents 32 for 196 yards – Ole Miss 22 for 132 yards
– 4th Quarter Scoring: Ole Miss 101 – Opponents 61
– Time of Possession: Opponents 33:02 – Ole Miss 26:58
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. OLE MISS WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
It wasn’t like the Rebels lost their will or the fight. They started out last season 5-2, but weren’t able to pull off another win the rest of the way and ran out of gas.
There wasn’t anything tangible to play for with no bowl game on the table – and it seemed like it during the rough finishing kick. Now the NCAA sanctions are done – at least on the bowl game front – and six wins will mean something.
The offense will still be interesting and productive despite the loss of several star receivers and QB Jordan Ta’amu. For all his faults and problems, offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez is a brilliant mind for mismatches, and he should make the Ole Miss attack dangerous with the personnel he has to work with.
The defense won’t be in the same breath as Alabama’s or Florida’s, but it returns loaded with veterans and enough young parts to create some interesting position battles.
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 6
Ole Miss got through the storm and wasn’t all that bad during the problems – two 5-7 seasons and a 6-6 campaign in 2017 really were okay, all things considered.
This year, there’s something to play for, and the pressure is on to at least get to six wins and bowl eligibility. This is the season the program has been waiting a while for.
There can’t be any mistakes early on in dangerous games against Memphis on the road and against Arkansas or Cal at home. Lose any of those three, and it’s going to be a fight to get to six wins.
The Rebels will beat New Mexico State, and they should be good enough to take out Vanderbilt at home, but it’ll take a few upsets to against nasty SEC teams to have a winning regular season.
The explosion and athleticism are there to get to six.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
