Jonathan Mingo, Others Stepping Up Can Help Elijah Moore Be Even Better

Elijah Moore is a bonafide stud. But the more help Elijah Moore can get from Jonathan Mingo and other pass catchers, the better he can be.

Elijah Moore is a bonafide stud. 

At 20 catches and 319 yards through two games, Moore leads the entire nation in receiving per game. But he can be even better.

How, you ask? The more help Elijah Moore can get from the other Ole Miss receivers and pass catchers, the better he can be. 

On Saturday, in the team's first win over Kentucky, he got that help in the form of Jonathan Mingo. 

"That was a big step. I was really proud of (Mingo)," Moore said on Monday. "When all the receivers work together, it opens everyone else up. Having another receiver out there really helps open up things for Kenny (Yeboah) and then the running backs. It just helps the whole team."

Mingo had a career high eight catches for 128 yards and two scores on Saturday. The 6-foot-2 and 215 pound sophomore used his size to simply manhandle Kentucky defenders. 

That opened up things for Moore to have another 10 catch game, coming through most when things were tight late.

"(Mingo) had a great camp, the balls just didn't go to him last week with so many balls to Elijah in the coverages," head coach Lane Kiffin said after the win. "Like I said people were going to figure it out and like you saw he didn't have as big of a day. He still had 10 catches but only 92 yards. So Jonathan stepped up. 128 yards and a couple touchdowns."

Who steps up outside Elijah Moore could be different each week. 

Against Florida, Dontario Drummond had two touchdowns. Tight end Kenny Yeboah also has eight catches for 174 yards and two scores on the year, and has proved himself to be a serious deep-ball threat over the middle of the field.

But really, it all comes down to this symbiotic relationship. The better Moore is, the more double teams he'll draw. The more double teams he draws, the easier for others to get open. The better others are, the more defenses will have to stop totally keying in on Moore.  

It's a beautiful dynamic and one an offense is blessed to have. Now, they just have to get the running game going. How do they do that? More on that tomorrow. 

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