Ole Miss Rebels Week 7 Opponent Preview: Auburn Tigers Offense

Our college football preview series continues this week with the Ole Miss Rebels’ Week 7 matchup.

OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss Rebels started slow but eventually dominated the Vanderbilt Commodores last week, winning the game 52-28 behind a record-setting performance from senior wide receiver Jonathan Mingo.

The Rebels’ passing attack finally lived up to its potential and played so well that freshman running back Quinshon Judkins was only asked to carry the ball eleven times.

Ole Miss and Auburn face off at 11 a.m. on Saturday in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Here is a preview of what the Rebels can expect this weekend.

Offensive Leaders

Passing: Robby Ashford

Freshman quarterback Robby Ashford has stepped in place of junior quarterback TJ Finley who suffered a Grade 2 AC sprain versus Penn State on Sep. 17.

In three and a half games, Ashford has completed 58 of 120 passes, 873 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. Ashford has been sacked eight times during his brief stint as the starter.

Rushing: Tank Bigsby

Junior running back Tank Bigsby had 223 carries, 1,099 yards, and ten touchdowns for a solid 4.9 yards per carry in 2021. He also added 21 catches for 184 yards.

In five games this season, Bigsby has 79 touches, 345 yards, and four touchdowns with an average of 4.4 yards per carry. While his rushing numbers are a little down from last season, he has already caught 15 passes for 97 yards this year.

Receiving: Ja’Varrius Johnson

Junior receiver Ja’Varrius Johnson had 19 catches, 274 yards, and two touchdowns for 14.4 yards per catch.

This season, Johnson has 17 catches, 325 yards, and one touchdown for 19.1 yards per reception.

Offensive Transfers

QB Robby Ashford (Oregon), QB Zach Calzada (Texas A&M), WR Dazalin Worsham (Miami), LB Eugene Asante (North Carolina)

Major Storylines

As mentioned earlier, Robby Ashford has had to step up for quarterback TJ Finley while he deals with an injury. Being thrown into the starting lineup not only at the quarterback position, but also for a team that competes in the SEC is a big responsibility. While Finley has more experience as a junior, his time under center this year has been inconsistent. It will be interesting to see if Ashford can keep the starting job even after Finley finishes his rehab.

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