Post bye week woes for Ole Miss Football

Ole Miss Football are sitting snug at 5-1, looking ahead to next week’s game against Auburn. A nice break from action with a week 7 bye has abled the Rebels to get guys healthy. However, over the last 10 years coming off a bye week, the record does not represent great reading.

HC Lane Kiffin is eyeing another double digit season record, trying to emulate or better his 10-3 finish in 2021. One Thing he will need to do is halt the horrid record coming off bye weeks. Over the last 10 seasons, the Rebels have had 12 games coming off a bye week, losing 9 of them.

Digging deeper into the losses and 4 of them were against Alabama. With two of them being during Lane Kiffin’s time with the team. With the covid affected season in 2020, there was plenty of weeks without a game. So really, Lane Kiffin is 0-2, both against the Crimson Tide. That could be any coaches record in that situation.

One thing that is a concern is the record on the road after a bye week. The Rebels are 0-6 in that area, with 3 of them coming against Alabama.

In 2019 they had two games after bye weeks, both on the road. One was a loss in the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State, the other was against next weeks opponents Auburn. All three losses aside from Alabama were by 1 score.

I’m sure it’s something that has been brought up in the team meetings, with Kiffin likely mentioning that the team are in the now. The 4th year Rebels HC often preaches about leaving the past behind and focusing on what’s in front of the team.

Auburn are not playing great offensive football at the moment. However, the defense is holding up and keeping them in games. The crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium offers a hostile environment, something that Ole Miss are used to with road games in the SEC. However, the experience doesn’t make it any easier.

It would be a big win for the Rebels if they can win at Auburn, before an easier game at home to Vanderbilt.