No. 13 Ole Miss faces No. 4 LSU Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Here are three keys to a Rebels win over the Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Pressure – and actually tackle – Garrett Nussmeier
Ole Miss junior linebacker Suntarine Perkins had a chance to all but end the game last season at LSU, with Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier nearly in his grasp for what would have brought up a fourth-and-long. Nussmeier instead got away from Perkins and completed a 19-yard pass to tight end Mason Taylor for the first down on the Tigers’ eventual game-tying touchdown drive. Nussmeier isn’t much of a threat as a runner – his career yards per carry is negative-two – but Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has praised the LSU senior’s ability to maneuver. If Rebels’ defenders have a chance to take Nussmeier down in the backfield, they have to finish.
Play clean
Ole Miss senior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has not turned the ball over in his two starts in place of redshirt sophomore Austin Simmons. The Rebels committed just three penalties against Tulane after averaging 7.3 penalties per game over the first three games. While LSU’s offense hasn’t seemingly clicked on all cylinders this season, giving the Tigers free possessions or yards is not the best course of action. If LSU is going to score points, make sure the Tigers earn the yardage.
Win situations
For all the constant hoopla around Kiffin and his fourth-down methodology, the Rebels have only attempted two fourth-down conversions through four games this season. Through four games last season, Ole Miss had seven fourth-down attempts. Kiffin and his staff have trusted the team’s specialists, and for good reason – junior kicker Lucas Carneiro is 10 of 11 on field goals and made a 54-yarder last weekend, while freshman punter Oscar Bird has shown the ability to flip the field with his 46.2-yard punt average. In a game that might come down to a play or two, making the right call in a pivotal moment could be everything. If the situation calls for a fourth-down attempt, go for it. But if it feels like the kind of game where every point will matter, relying on the kicking game and field position might not be the worst approach.
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