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Ole Miss football: Evaluating the state of 3 trends after Rebels’ loss to Alabama
By Crissy Froyd
Published:
Ole Miss didn’t get the outcome it was after, as an angry Alabama team ultimately came out on top, 30-24, in Oxford on Saturday. It marked the seventh consecutive victory for the Crimson Tide over the Rebels.
As the final score would imply, there were some bright moments for the Rebels (8-2, 4-2 SEC) in a game they came up just short in against some of the most quality competition in football despite the fact that this year’s Alabama team looks more shaky than the ones that have taken the field in recent years.
Here’s a look at 3 statistical categories of note, as the Rebels still have a very real pathway to a New Year’s 6 bowl game as long as they can run the table with a regular-season schedule that consists of Arkansas and Mississippi State.
1. Ground game continues to roll with Judkins
Freshman standout Quinshon Judkins has garnered a solid amount of Heisman Trophy hype this season and continued to show why on Saturday, as the Rebels went up against one of the best rushing defenses in both the SEC and the nation. Alabama entered the game with the No. 3 rushing defense in the SEC and No. 11 in the nation with an average of 3.01 yards surrendered per rush, 104 yards given up per game and 9 touchdowns allowed on the ground.
Judkins finished with 135 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on 25 carries, making up for the vast majority of the team’s 191 rushing yards in the loss. He now has 8 consecutive games with a rushing score and has crossed the century mark in yards rushing in 7 games this season. It’s also his 4th game in a row doing both.
2. Inability to convert on 4th down causes issues
The Rebels were unable to convert on 4th down in this game, trying and failing on all 3 of their attempts that resulted in a turnover on downs. This showed itself most glaringly when Ole Miss had a chance to win the game down by 6 points in the final minute.
The Rebels were on the Alabama 20, going for it on 4th down with 46 seconds left. Quarterback Jaxson Dart looked to send a pass over the middle to wide receiver Jonathan Mingo for what could’ve been a game-winning touchdown. But the Alabama secondary stepped up when it counted, as Crimson Tide safety Brian Branch batted the ball away to secure a narrow bounce-back win for a team that fell 32-31 in overtime at LSU the previous week.
Ole Miss has the No. 52 4th-down conversion percentage in the FBS at .556 with 10 conversions on 18 attempts in 2022.
3. Malik Heath crosses century mark again
Ole Miss hit the transfer portal hard this offseason, and it has paid off in multiple aspects. While the passing game hasn’t been the key to the offense for the Rebels this season, they have had times where it has become explosive and certainly have some targets in the fold who can rise to the occasion.
Former Mississippi State receiver Malik Heath is one of those targets, and he showed that in Saturday’s game, catching 6 passes for 123 yards. Heath has also shown out at previous times this season, with 100-yard receiving games against LSU and Kentucky.
How he continues to factor in as the passing game develops with Dart at the helm will be something to watch. So far this season, Heath has 38 catches for 614 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Crissy covers SEC football news for Saturday Down South.
