Ole Miss looks to the future
OXFORD — With three games remaining in the 2018 season, Ole Miss has more to prove about its future than it does about the present.
With the NCAA's recruiting restrictions lifted, the last stretch of the 2018 season for the Rebels is less about winning now and more about building a better tomorrow. Impressing recruits and selling the program has become paramount with Ole Miss regaining eligibility for postseason play in 2019, and that starts with a chance to pull off some upset wins in these final weeks.
Saturday's test at Texas A&M is a prime example. Led by first-year coach Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M has put together a fascinatingly bizarre 5-4 season including an impressive win over Kentucky and a near-upset against Clemson, but also back-to-back losses against up-and-down Mississippi State and all-over-the-map Auburn. The Aggies are a strong team that plays well at home, creating an interesting challenge for the Rebels.
Here are three questions Ole Miss needs to answer vs. Texas A&M:
1. Can the run game break through?
Texas A&M's run defense has stymied some of the best rushing attacks in college football. Clemson and Alabama couldn't average 4 yards per carry. Kentucky couldn't manage 3 yards per carry. Auburn had more carries (21) than it did rushing yards (19).
Ole Miss' rushing proved dominant last week, scoring five times and posting 4.74 yards per carry against South Carolina. Texas A&M's stingy run defense has a way of making offenses onedimensional. But if the Rebels can find a steady rushing presence against the Aggies, there's a chance they can control the game, just as Mississippi State did in its upset win over Texas A&M.
Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams is among the best in the league this season, averaging 103.4 yards per game with 10 touchdowns. Quarterback Kellen Mond is just as potent of a threat with his 110 rush attempts and four touchdowns.
It's no secret that Ole Miss' run defense hasn't been good in 2018. The Rebels rank last in the SEC, allowing an average of 210 rushing yards per game. Texas A&M's offense is both committed to the run and capable of using it in various ways.
If the Aggies establish a run game, Saturday won't be fun for the Ole Miss defense. But if the Rebels can reverse their season-long struggles, chances are they can limit the Texas A&M offense.
3. How healthy will Jordan Ta'amu be?
Ole Miss quarterback Jordan Ta'amu is dealing with a foot injury he sustained in last Saturday's 48-44 home loss to South Carolina. The senior quarterback is expected to play against A&M, but whether he'll be his regular, mobile self is yet to be seen.
Ta'amu's legs have been especially valuable to the Rebels in their last four games, when he's averaged 78 rushing yards and scored four touchdowns. If he's relegated to a pocket-passing role, this could spell predictability or a likelihood to stall out for the Ole Miss offense.
But if Ta'amu is healthy, his mobility is a huge threat. Mobile quarterbacks have had some success against Texas A&M this season. Mississippi State's Nick Fitzgerald ran 16 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Clemson's Kelly Bryant ran 15 times for 54 yards and a score. Teams have cracked through Texas A&M's sturdy run defense with mobile quarterbacks.
And Ta'amu could do the same. Provided he's healthy.