The Expected and Unexpected from No. 13 Ole Miss’ 28-21 win at Auburn
With Southeastern Conference football, there is really only one true thing to expect – the unexpected.
Sometimes you can predict what is going to happen, beat your chest and celebrate your kinship to Nostradamus when it does.
But there’s always the expectation of the unexpected lurking beneath in your deepest thoughts.
So what was expected in the Ole Miss-Auburn game at Jordan-Hare Stadium tonight and what was the unexpected that actually took place?
EXPECTED
Ole Miss was certainly expected to get Auburn’s best shot for a myriad of reasons, none more important than it being a night home game against a Tiger team with their backs against the wall after three straight losses, but the Rebs were also expected to weather that emotional storm, which they did in the long haul.
Having worked closely with Auburn Coach Hugh Freeze for a few years, these types of woe-is-me underdog games are what he excels at. There was little question the Tigers would give all they had to give, play to the same high level they played when No. 1 Georgia invaded their lair a couple of weeks ago and not give the poor effort seen in Baton Rouge last week.
Home field and the 7-point loss to the Bulldogs in a game the Tigers had tied with 3 minutes to go in regulation were the reasons the oddsmakers only had the Rebs around a TD favorite.
UNEXPECTED
The number of mistakes the Rebels made in the first half to give Auburn “life.” It was stated many times during the week Ole Miss should win this game IF they did not beat themselves. Even though the score was tied at 14 at intermission, the Rebels did everything they could to keep the Tigers in the game and give the home team the belief they could win it.
Ole Miss had 7 penalties for 45 yards, an interception on a poorly thrown pass by QB Jaxson Dart and a muffed snap on a field goal try that resulted in another interception by Auburn. They were also 1-6 on third downs in the first 30 minutes.
If Auburn’s offense had been able to do anything to make the Ole Miss defense nervous in the passing game, there would have been some angst at halftime, but this was the Tiger offense that was anticipated, a Tiger offense last in the SEC in total offense. As it was, it was fairly clear Ole Miss was the better team if they just played cleaner in the second half.
Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart
EXPECTED
The Rebel offense would eventually right the ship and take control of the contest. A 90-yard drive late in the third quarter – with WR Tre Harris snagging two Dart aerials for a total of 63 of those yards – sparked an otherwise lethargic offense into quality production, at last.
Then, another drive – with another 36-yard pass to Harris – netted another TD and a 28-14 lead.
Auburn had one measly first down in the third quarter.
The Rebel defense deserves praise for their performance, for sure. But one has to wonder how much of Auburn’s ineptitude was good play by Ole Miss’ defense and how much was lousy offense by Auburn.
We think a little of both.
Auburn did tack on a cheap late TD when the Rebel defense was in what looked like a prevent defense.
(Speaking of, don’t you hate a prevent defense?)
Anyway, it was too little, too late. The final score of 28-21 didn’t really reflect how much better the Rebels were than Auburn.
UNEXPECTED
Auburn didn’t close shop after the Ole Miss offense found its groove and quit shooting itself in the foot. Give them credit. To be one-dimensional on offense and not very good statistically on defense, Auburn played inspired football before a sellout home crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
We there might be a throw-in-the-towel moment, but Auburn didn’t yield effort-wise.
What they lacked in talent and production, they partially made up for in pride. About that talent comment, however. Auburn’s combination of mediocre quarterback play and just plain bad wide receiver production is a deadly, losing combination.
Heading into the fourth quarter, Auburn had just 26 yards passing. The Tigers had all of 166 yards of offense. Ole Miss had exactly 200 more yards.
If Ole Miss hadn’t played such a below average offensive game for nearly three quarters, this would have been a mismatch, very similar to LSU blowing out Auburn last week.
Ole Miss wide receiver Zakhari Franklin recorded his first Rebel touchdown at Auburn
EXPECTED
A Rebel win. We certainly got that.
The 13th ranked Rebs didn’t bring their ‘A’ game, but they didn’t have to. We can, in good conscience, critique the first half as ugly. Ditto for a good chunk of the third quarter, too.
But when all the chips were pushed into the middle of the table, it was Ole Miss that deservedly put another mark in the win column.
SIDEBAR
This was a good enough effort against an Auburn team that has now lost four games in a row to SEC competition. However, the Rebels will have to play better than this in a couple of the remaining games.
The Rebs are past due on playing a complete game. And yet, they’re still 6-1 overall, 3-1 in the SEC and remain in the hunt for big things as this season continues to unfold and this team shows its mettle.
To think we have not seen the best of the Rebels yet is very encouraging.
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