Ole Miss football: Grading the Rebels as they head down the stretch of the season

Ole Miss has been a team to watch since the beginning of the season, suffering its first loss in the 45-20 setback at LSU on Oct. 22.

But it didn’t take head coach Lane Kiffin’s team long to get back on track, as it took down Texas A&M in a close game ahead of the bye week, topping Jimbo Fisher and Co., 31-28.

Heading into the final 3 regular-season games of the 2022 college football season, here’s a look into how the No. 11 Rebels (8-1, 4-1 SEC) grade out in all 3 phases of the game:

Offense: B

The story of last season’s offense for Ole Miss was the “score from far” that worked so well for Kiffin and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby with Matt Corral taking the snaps at quarterback. But with a developing quarterback in Jaxson Dart who has shown some upside but still has some critical decision-making errors to correct and 1 of the best (if not the best) backfields in the nation, Ole Miss has a nationally respected reputation for its success in the run game in 2022.

Freshman running back Quinshon Judkins is at the forefront of that. He has broken multiple records in just the 1st season of his career with a total of 180 carries for 1,036 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He also has done some work out of the backfield with 7 receptions for 71 yards and 1 score as a receiver.

The Ole Miss rushing offense currently ranks 1st in the SEC and 3rd in the nation, a trend that has continued for several weeks now. Through 9 games, the Rebels have run the ball a total of 430 times for 2,407 yards with 27 rushing touchdowns. Ole Miss averages 5.6 yards per rush and 267.4 rushing yards per game.

The passing attack has had its moments, like when Dart threw for 448 yards against Vanderbilt in a 52-28 victory on Oct. 8. While it still needs development, targets like Mississippi State transfer Malik Heath and Jonathan Mingo have both passed the century mark in receiving yards in single games before (or 2 times over in Mingo’s case) and have shown real potential.

The Ole Miss passing offense currently ranks 79th in the nation, so about middle of the pack where the FBS is concerned, with an average of 8.56 yards per attempt and an average of 227.4 passing yards per game. The Rebels have shown potential through the air, though it is still something to work on. But it almost doesn’t matter a ridiculous amount because of just how dominant the ground game has been and how it has shown it can carry the team at times.

Defense: C-

There have been times when this unit has really come through in the clutch, like when it forced 2 fumbles and recovered them in the final minutes of a 22-19 victory over Kentucky to secure a win. But taking a big-picture perspective on the Ole Miss defense, this unit has been lackluster and as Kiffin has noted has had tackling issues at several points in the season that have caused it to give up some explosive plays.

The unit currently ranks 69th in the nation with 24 opposing touchdowns allowed and an average of 378 yards given up per game. The Rebels rank 61st in the nation in total passing yards allowed with an average of 6.76 yards per passing attempt surrendered and an average of 222.2 passing yards per contest given up.

In terms of rushing defense, an area Kiffin has lamented, the Rebels are 78th in the nation, allowing an average of 3.98 yards per carry, 11 opposing touchdowns on the ground and an average of 155.8 rushing yards per contest.

Special teams: A-

In perhaps 1 of the most underrated phases of the game, the Rebels have been mostly solid throughout the year.

There was a muffed punt by Jordan Watkins against Texas A&M, but let’s not forget about how money placekicker Jonathan Cruz has been this season on long punts of 40 yards or more.

There have also been some trick plays in this area that have succeeded, and special teams overall has not been a huge area of concern with this squad as the defense has shown the most area for improvement.

Crissy Froyd

Crissy covers SEC football news for Saturday Down South.