Ole Miss opens Southeastern Conference play at 11 a.m. Saturday.
The Rebels (4-0, 0-0 SEC) face No. 7 Kentucky (4-0, 1-0 SEC) at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford.
Here’s how the Rebels and Wildcats match up.
Quarterback
Ole Miss sophomore Jaxson Dart is officially the Rebels’ starter, and he’s been solid this season overall, throwing for 697 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions to go with 201 yards on the ground. Kentucky senior Will Levis is among the hottest names in the NFL Draft community following his stellar 2021 campaign (2,826 yards, 24 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, nine rushing touchdowns), and he has been great to start 2022 as well — 1,185 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, four interceptions, two rushing touchdowns).
Edge: Kentucky
Running back
Ole Miss freshman Quinshon Judkins continues to amaze, as he had a career-high 140 yards and two touchdowns against Tulsa. Junior Zach Evans has 365 yards and four scores but left the game against the Golden Hurricane. Kentucky star Chris Rodriguez will make his season debut against the Rebels following a suspension. He ran for 1,378 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2021. Through four games, the Wildcats have one of the worst rushing attacks in the country, ranking 123rd at 82 yards per game.
Edge: Ole Miss
Wide receiver/tight end
Former Virginia Tech receiver Tayvion Robinson leads Kentucky with 349 yards and two touchdowns. Three different Wildcats have at least 200 receiving yards and two touchdowns thus far. Outside of seniors Jonathan Mingo and Malik Heath, the Rebels haven’t gotten consistent production out wide. Sophomore tight end Michael Trigg is tied for the team lead with 13 catches and three touchdowns.
Edge: Even
Offensive line
Ole Miss is among the best rushing teams in the country (fourth nationally in yards per game at 281), and the offensive line is a big part of that equation. But while the Rebels have given up just two sacks so far, Dart has had moments where he’s had to make plays to avoid being taken down in the backfield. In addition to owning a poor rushing offense, Kentucky also gives up a lot of sacks, having given up a whopping 16 (third-most nationally).
Edge: Ole Miss
Defensive line
Both Ole Miss and Kentucky are fairly stout against the run, though the Rebels showed some signs of potential weakness against Tulsa (262 rushing yards allowed). That’s not all on the defensive line, but junior J.J. Pegues leaving the game early surely didn’t help. Kentucky has just 1.5 sacks from defensive linemen this season — and just six overall — while the Rebels have six defensive linemen with at least 0.5 sacks. Depth is the key for Ole Miss up front, and it has been a difference maker thus far.
Edge: Ole Miss
Linebacker
Former Ole Miss linebacker Jacquez Jones is the leader up the middle for Kentucky now, as he paces the Wildcats with 26 tackles. Linebacker DeAndre Square has 266 tackles in his career and had 9.5 tackles for loss last year. The Rebels have been led by a pair of transfers in senior Troy Brown and junior Khari Coleman, though Coleman did not play against Tulsa. His availability will be something to monitor. Tulsa’s passing game isn’t what gave the Rebels fits — it was missed tackles in the running game.
Edge: Kentucky
Secondary
Another familiar face roams the secondary for Kentucky, as former Rebels cornerback Keidron Smith starts at one cornerback spot. The Wildcats allow just 164 passing yards per game — and have given up just two touchdown passes — and have the eight-best passing efficiency defense in college football. Kentucky has given up just 30 passing first downs, tied for 17th-fewest nationally. The Rebels aren’t too shabby themselves, having given up just three touchdown passes and boasting the No. 14 defensive pass efficiency.
Edge: Kentucky
Special teams
Junior Jordan Watkins had a few issues with muffed punts for the Rebels against Tulsa, the first real sign of negative special teams play since the opener against Troy. Kentucky kicker Matt Ruffolo is 7 of 8 on field goals with a long of 50. Ole Miss’ Jonathan Cruz has only had two chances on field goals, hitting one, and has made all 21 extra point tries. Kentucky’s Barion Brown has a kick return touchdown, while the Rebels boast two blocked punts.
Edge: Even
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