November 17, 2012; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Jeremy Hill (33) is tackled by Ole Miss Rebels defensive back Cody Prewitt (25) during the second half at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Ole Miss 41-35. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
Date: October 19, 2013
Kickoff Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
TV Channel: ESPN2
Satellite Radio: Sirius 112, XM 200
Live Stream: OleMissSports.com
The Ole Miss Rebels (3-3, 1-3 SEC) face the No. 6 ranked LSU Tigers (6-1, 3-1 SEC) tonight at 6:00 p.m. at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, MS.
What’s on the Line?
The Tigers hope to beat Ole Miss and set up a showdown on November 9th with No. 1 Alabama for the SEC West. The Rebels are trying to stop a three-game losing streak—and must do so against their third top-ten ranked opponent in four games.
Who to Watch
Ole Miss: WR Laquon Treadwell has been a critical part of the Ole Miss offense. He is first among SEC freshmen and ranks third among all freshmen in the nation with 5.3 catches per game. He has 32 catches this year, which has broken Donte Moncrief’s freshman record of 31.
LSU: RB Jeremy Hill is a workhorse in the Tiger offense. Though QB Zach Mettenberger and WR Odell Beckham receive much of the attention, Hill leads the SEC in yards-per-attempt (7.3); is second in the league with 119.2 yards rushing per game; and is tied for first in the SEC in scoring (9.0 points per game).
Injury Bug Biting the Rebels
Ole Miss has been bitten by the injury bug as of late, with the defensive unit being hit the hardest. The most recent loss announced is defensive end C.J. Johnson, who will have surgery and is out for the season.
The Rebels have also lost defensive end Robert Nkemdiche for several weeks to a hamstring injury; defensive end Carlos Thompson; and defensive back Mike Hilton. Linebacker Serderius Bryant suffered a concussion in the Rebels’ game against A&M and most likely will not play.
In one piece of good news, linebacker/defensive end Temario Strong, defensive tackle Issac Gross and safety Chief Brown are injured, but are “likely” to play.
Tiger Offense and Defense sit atop the SEC
The injuries to the Ole Miss defense come at an inopportune time, as the LSU Tiger offense is at the top of the SEC in several categories. QB Zach Mettenberger has the most passing yards (1890) in the SEC and leads the league in pass efficiency. Wide receiver Odell Beckham is second in the SEC (733 yards) in receiving yards, and also tops the SEC and ranks second nationally with 209.1 all-purpose yards per game.
Not to be outdone, the LSU defense will be a formidable challenge for the Ole Miss offense. The unit allows only 22.0 points per game, which is good enough for 3rd in the SEC. They allow just 196.3 passing yards per game (3rd in SEC) and 348.9 total yards per game (4th in the SEC).
Freshmen on Fire
Ole Miss has played 12 true freshmen this season—tying the Rebels for the eighth-most in the FBS. Six of the first-year Rebels have started at least one game this season: DB Tony Conner, TE Evan Engram, WR Laquon Treadwell, OT Laremy Tunsil, DE/DT Robert Nkemdiche, and DB Derrick Jones.
Among freshmen in the SEC, Treadwell is first and tight end Evan Engram is second in receiving yards per game. Treadwell is averaging 54.5 ypg, while Engram is tallying 39.5 ypg. Engram leads all freshmen in the SEC with three catches for touchdowns.
DB Tony Conner is second among SEC freshmen with 30 total tackles.
The ESPN crew will consist of: Joe Tessitore with the play-by-play duties; Matt Millen as color analyst; and Maria Taylor with the sideline duties.