 | #12 OLE MISS (5-1, 2-1) vs. LSU (4-3, 2-2) Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021 • 2:30 p.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium  |  |
| Watch • Listen •Live Stats Tickets •Gameday Info •Digital ProgramOle Miss Game Notes (PDF) • LSU Game Notes (PDF) • SEC Notes (PDF) |
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• This game marks the 110th all-time meeting between the Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers dating back to 1894.
• LSU is Ole Miss’ second-most played opponent behind Mississippi State, whom the Rebels will play for the 118th time on Nov. 25.
• LSU holds a 64-40-4 advantage in the series, including a 11-7-1 in Oxford … The original record is 64-41-4 in favor of LSU with Ole Miss’ 2013 win vacated due to NCAA ruling.
• The home team has won seven of the last nine meetings on the field.
• The Rebels check in at No. 12 in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll.
• Ole Miss is third in the FBS in total offense (553.0 ypg) and fifth in scoring offense (43.7 ppg).
• The Rebels rank top 10 in the country in six separate categories: total offense (553.0), scoring offense (43.7), rushing offense (262.8), first downs (170), passes had intercepted (1) and turnovers lost (4).
• Fifteen Rebels have earned their degrees and are eligible for the 2021 season.
• Ole Miss has forced at least one turnover in 15 of 16 games under Lane Kiffin.
• QB Matt Corral ranks top 10 nationally in total offense (363.0 ypg), passing efficiency (169.2), points responsible for (134) and yards per pass attempt (9.39).
• WR Dontario Drummond is second in the SEC and No. 12 in FBS with five receiving touchdowns.
• RB Snoop Conner leads the SEC and is No. 9 nationally with nine rushing TDs on the season.
• DL Sam Williams leads the SEC and ranks No. 5 in FBS with 1.1 sacks per game.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH LANE KIFFIN
Lane Kiffin (Fresno State, 1998) is in his second season at Ole Miss and helped lead the Rebels to four win in their final five games in 2020, including a 26-20 victory over No. 7 Indiana in the Outback Bowl. Kiffin quickly turned the Rebels into an offensive machine last season. Ole Miss ranked top-20 in the FBS in nine different offensive categories, including having the No. 3 team in the country in total offense, shattering the school record with 555.5 yards per game. Kiffin is in his 10th year at the NCAA level and has posted an all-time record of 71-40. In December 2016, Kiffin took over an FAU program that had won a total of nine combined games over the previous three seasons. Kiffin proceeded to take the Owls to new heights over the last three years, including two conference titles and two 10-win seasons. In his head coaching stops at USC, Tennessee and FAU, Kiffin has shown a propensity in helping turn programs around. Kiffin graduated from Fresno State in 1998 after playing quarterback for three seasons (1994-96) for the Bulldogs. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Fresno State under Pat Hill in 1997 and 1998. He moved on to Colorado State in 1999 as a graduate assistant.
LSU HEAD COACH ED ORGERON
Ed Orgeron (Northwestern State, 1984) is in his sixth year – fifth full year – as LSU’s head coach and has a 49-17 record with the Tigers, including a 4-3 mark this season. Of Orgeron’s 49 wins with the Tigers, 35 have come by double-figures, 20 have come against teams ranked in the Top 25 with 13 of those coming against Top 10 opponents. Orgeron is 13-4 against Top 10 teams at LSU. In 2019, Orgeron led LSU to a national title and was consensus National Coach of the Year earning the honor from the Associated Press, Walter Camp, Eddie Robinson, Home Depot, George Munger and the AFCA. Orgeron, a native of Larose, Louisiana, is LSU’s 33rd head football coach, and the first Louisiana native to serve as head coach of the Tigers since West Monroe native Jerry Stovall held the position for three seasons in the early 1980s. Overall, Orgeron has a 65-44 overall mark as a collegiate head coach, including a 10-25 mark with the Rebels from 2005-07.
TIGER SCOUTING REPORT
LSU is coming off a 49-42 shootout victory over No. 20 Florida, bringing their record to 4-3 on the season. For Orgeron and the Tigers, Saturday will mark their fourth straight game against a Top 25 opponent. They are 1-2 against Top 25 teams this season. Quarterback Max Johnson has completed 150 of his 244 attempts on the year for 1,876 yards and 20 touchdowns. Wideout Kayshon Boutte is the Tigers top target. He’s caught 38 passes for 509 yards and ranks second in the nation with nine receiving TDs. Running back Tyrion Davis-Price is coming off a game in which he set the LSU school record for rushing in a game with 287 yards and three touchdowns. He has accounted for 574 yards and five scores this season. Defensively, the Tigers are led by linebacker Damone Clark, who leads the nation in total tackles with 79. As a team, LSU has picked off nine passes through seven games.
OLE MISS-LSU SERIES HISTORY
• This game marks the 110th all-time meeting between the Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers dating back to 1894.
• The original record is 64-41-4 in favor of LSU with Ole Miss’ 2013 victory vacated due to NCAA ruling.
• LSU is Ole Miss’ second-most played opponent behind Mississippi State, whom the Rebels will play for the 118th time on Nov. 25.
• LSU holds a 64-40-4 advantage in the series, including a 11-7-1 mark in Oxford.
• Since the rivals started playing for the Magnolia Bowl trophy in 2008, LSU holds a 9-3 edge … Ole Miss’ win in 2013 was vacated due to NCAA ruling.
• The home team has won seven of the last nine meetings on the field.
DYNAMIC OFFENSE
The Rebels rank top 20 in the country in eight separate offensive categories: total offense (553.0), scoring offense (43.7), rushing offense (262.8), passing offense (290.2), first downs (170), team passing efficiency (163.4), turnovers lost (4) and passes had intercepted (1). The 553.0 yards per game ranks third nationally, while 43.7 points per game is fifth.
HONORING NO. 10
Ole Miss legend Eli Manning will have his No. 10 jersey number retired during halftime of Saturday’s game vs. LSU. Manning will be just the third player in Ole Miss’ storied history to have his number retired, joining his father Archie Manning (18) and Chucky Mullins (38). Manning, a four-year letterwinner for the Rebels from 2000-03, won the 2003 Maxwell Award, an honor given to the best all-around player in college football. The New Orleans, Louisiana, native set or tied 47 Ole Miss single‑game, season and career records during his time in Oxford. Manning will also be inducted into the Ole Miss Athletic Hall of Fame, Thursday, Oct. 21.
SEC NATION HEADING TO THE GROVE
SEC Network’s weekly, traveling pre-game show, SEC Nation Presented by Dr Pepper, arrives in Oxford for Week 8 to preview the SEC West battle between the No. 12 Ole Miss football and LSU. The show will broadcast from The Grove for the seventh time on Saturday, Oct. 23 from 9-11 a.m. CT on SEC Network. The show’s last visit to Oxford was also when the Rebels hosted LSU in 2019. The show’s previous visits to The Grove were in 2014 for Ole Miss-Tennessee and the Egg Bowl, 2015 for the Arkansas game as well as 2016 and 2018 for a pair of matchups between Ole Miss and Alabama.
FROM WALK-ON TO STANDOUT
LB Mark Robinson set career highs in total tackles (14), solo stops (12), tackles for loss (5) and sacks (2) in Ole Miss’ win at Tennessee. Robinson’s 5.0 tackles for loss were the most by a Rebel since Kendrick Clancy had 6.0 against Auburn in 1999. Robinson transferred to Ole Miss as a walk-on running back from Southeast Missouri, but the Leesburg, Georgia, native made the switch to the defensive side of the ball at the end of fall camp last season. Robinson, who sat out last year due to NCAA transfer rules, used the 2020 campaign to sharpen his defensive skills. Robinson has played in all six games this season at linebacker, including three starts. He currently ranks third on the team in total tackles (40) and has tallied eight or more tackles in three straight contests.
REBS IN THE POLLS
• Ole Miss moved up to No. 12 in both the Associated Press Poll and AFCA Coaches Poll this week after its 31-26 win at Tennessee.
• The Rebels were also ranked No. 12 earlier this season, prior to the Alabama game.
• Ole Miss has been ranked in the top 25 all seven weeks this season, which is its longest streak of being ranked since appearing in seven straight polls to start the 2016 season.
• The SEC boasts seven teams in the top 25, including top-ranked Georgia.
• The Rebels’ were ranked to start the season (No. 25) for the first time since 2016 when Ole Miss started ranked No. 11.
NO FREEBIES
The Rebels are one of only eight FBS teams to have thrown just one interception so far this season. The Rebels lead the SEC and rank No. 5 nationally with just four turnovers lost. QB Matt Corral threw his first interception of the season Saturday vs. Tennessee. Dating back to 2020, Corral had 233 pass attempts without a pick, a new school record and 5th longest streak ever in the SEC.
PLAYFUL OFFENSE
Ole Miss ran a school record 101 plays on offense in Saturday’s win at Tennessee. The previous mark was 100 plays in 2004 against Wyoming. The 101 plays run were tied for the ninth-most in SEC history and are the most since 2018 when Texas A&M ran 107 in a seven overtime loss to LSU. The Rebels rank second in the FBS in plays run per game (80.5).
NEW MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Even when Lane Kiffin isn’t fishing, he’s still landing big fish. One of Kiffin’s biggest catches came when the Rebels snagged Utah transfer Orlando Umana. Umana has started five of the six games at center for the Rebels, missing just one contest due to injury. Umana joined the Rebels after spending four years at Utah where he appeared in 40 career games, including 26 starts. Twenty-two of those starts came at center for the Utes. Battling injury, Umana appeared in just one game for Utah during a shortened 2020 season. As a junior, he earned Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention honors in 2019 after starting 12 games at center. Umana played in all 14 games on the offensive line as a sophomore in 2018, starting four at left guard and the last nine at center for Utah. The Sacramento, California, native allowed just one sack in 472 pass blocks in 2018.
600 YARDS AND A CLOUD OF DUST
Ole Miss has gained 600+ yards seven times in 15 games under Lane Kiffin. Before Kiffin, the Rebels had 16 such games in the program’s 1,209 games. Three of the top 10 offensive performances in school history have come under Kiffin’s guidance, including the 707-yard output against Tulane that ranked No. 4 all time.
FOURTH AND GOING FOR IT
Ole Miss leads the country in both fourth down attempts (27) and conversions (20). The Rebels rank No. 12 in the FBS, converting fourth downs at a 74.1 percent clip. Lane Kiffin and the Rebels have gone for it on fourth down at least three times every game. The Rebels were perfect on fourth down attempts against both Louisville (3-for-3) and Tulane (5-for-5).
GET YOU A QUARTERBACK THAT CAN DO BOTH
Quarterback Matt Corral is not only a threat to beat you with his arm, but as teams are quickly finding out, the junior signal-caller can also beat you with his feet. Corral has thrown for 1,728 and 14 touchdowns, while running for 75.0 yards per game and eight rushing TDs. He’s one of just two FBS quarterbacks (Malik Willis, Liberty) with at least 14 passing TDs and eight touchdowns on the ground. Prior to this season, Corral had just seven career rushing TDs in three seasons for the Rebels. Against Tennessee, Corral became the first Rebel to run 30 times in a game since 2007 when BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran 33 times vs. Missouri. Corral finished with a career high in both rushing yards (195) and attempts (30) vs. the Vols.
TOUCHDOWN STREAK CONTINUES FOR CORRAL
Dating back to the 2019 season, QB Matt Corral has thrown a touchdown in 18 straight games, the second-longest streak in school history. The Ventura, California, native trails only Chad Kelly who owns the record with 22 straight games with a passing TD from 2015-16.
KEIDRON SMITH TO WEAR CHUCKY MULLINS PATCH
Ole Miss senior defensive back Keidron Smith was named the winner of the 2021 Chucky Mullins Courage Award earlier in the fall. The award, sponsored by Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, honors the late Chucky Mullins, who had his Ole Miss career come to an end during the 1989 Homecoming game against Vanderbilt when he was paralyzed after making a tackle. After returning to his studies at Ole Miss, Mullins passed away May 6, 1991. Smith is the 31st recipient in the 32-year history of the award, which is presented annually to an Ole Miss upperclassman defensive player that embodies the spirit of Mullins. Smith wears a 38 patch on his No. 20 jersey rather than switch numbers.
MAC BROWN RAISES OVER 130K FOR ALS RESEARCH
When he was in seventh grade, Ole Miss punter Mac Brown had a modest goal of raising $500 for a childhood friend’s dad who had been diagnosed with ALS. Along with a group of neighborhood friends, Brown started a lemonade stand, Awesome Lemonade Stand, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, to help his friend’s family. Ten years later, that $500 goal has ballooned to over $130,000 raised by Brown and his friends for ALS research. The Awesome Lemonade Stand is held on a late day in June, and this year’s fundraiser raised nearly $30,000 alone. Brown was recently one of 22 collegiate football players named to the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
• The Rebels rank top 10 in the country in six separate categories: total offense (553.0), scoring offense (43.7), rushing offense (262.8), first downs (170), passes had intercepted (1) and turnovers lost (4).
• Ole Miss is third in the FBS in total offense (553.0 ypg) and fifth in scoring offense (43.7 ppg).
• Ole Miss has gained 600+ yards seven times in 15 games under Lane Kiffin … Before Kiffin, the Rebels had 16 such games in the program’s 1,209 games.
• Ole Miss has tallied 124 total plays of 10 or more yards over the course of six games this season and rank No. 3 nationally in that category … The Rebels average 20.7 such plays per game, which is second in the country.
• The Rebels are one of only eight teams nationally to have thrown just one interception this season.
• Ole Miss leads the country in both fourth down attempts (27) and conversions (20).
• Ole Miss ran a school record 101 plays on offense in Saturday’s win at Tennessee.
• QB Matt Corral ranks top 10 nationally in total offense (363.0 ypg), passing efficiency (169.2), points responsible for (134) and yards per pass attempt (9.39).
• Corral has thrown a touchdown pass in 18 straight games, tied for the second-longest streak in school history.
• Corral is one of just two FBS quarterbacks with at least 14 passing TDs and eight touchdowns on the ground.
• With 30 rushing attempts Saturday vs. Tennessee, Corral became the first Rebel to run 30 times in a game since 2007.
• WR Dontario Drummond is second in the SEC and No. 12 in FBS with five receiving touchdowns.
• RB Snoop Conner leads the SEC and is No. 9 nationally with nine rushing TDs on the season.
• Conner currently sits at 22 career rushing touchdowns, tied for fourth on Ole Miss’ career books.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss has forced at least one turnover in 15 of 16 games under Lane Kiffin.
• Of the 26 signees that Ole Miss signed as part of the 2020-21 signing class, 15 were on the defensive side of the ball, including eight defensive backs.
• Chance Campbell ranks No. 10 in the SEC with 7.7 tackles per game.
• DL Sam Williams leads the SEC and ranks No. 5 in FBS with 1.1 sacks per game … Williams has registered a sack in five of six games this season for the Rebels.
• Former walk-on and LB Mark Robinson set career highs in total tackles (14), solo stops (12), tackles for loss (5) and sacks (2) in Ole Miss’ win at Tennessee. … His 5.0 tackles for loss were the most by a Rebel since Kendrick Clancy had 6.0 against Auburn in 1999.
• Ole Miss has an SEC-most three Canadian players on its roster, all of which on the defensive side of the ball (Jaden Dicks, Deane Leonard, and Tavius Robinson).
• DB Keidron Smith was named the winner of the 2021 Chucky Mullins Courage Award and will wear a 38 patch on his No. 20 jersey.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• P Mac Brown is averaging 47.1 yards per punt on 16 punts this season.
• Seven of Brown’s 16 punts have traveled more than 50 yards.
• K Caden Costa is 6-for-8 on field goal attempts, including a long of 50 yards.
• Costa is the first Rebel to connect on a 50-yard field goal since Andrew Ritter made a 50-yarder against Idaho in 2013.
KIFFIN’S WEEKLY RADIO SHOW ON THURSDAYS
RebTalk, the official weekly radio show of Ole Miss Athletics, will broadcast each Thursday during the football season at Bouré in downtown Oxford from 6-7 p.m. The show, which is hosted by the “Voice of the Rebels” David Kellum and includes special guests, will air live on the Ole Miss IMG Sports Network. Ole Miss Football head coach Lane Kiffin and select players will join the broadcast each week.
