SEC Extra Points with Barrett Sallee: Ole Miss' Key to Upsetting Alabama
The Key to the Upset
Don't look now, but Ole Miss leads the SEC in rushing with 276.5 yards per game.
Sure, UT-Martin and Fresno State aren't exactly known for their rush defense. But this is Ole Miss—a team that struggled to run against air for the majority of head coach Hugh Freeze's tenure in Oxford.
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"I had no idea that we were at that status right now, and we haven't been tested like we will this Saturday night," Freeze said. "We did spend a lot of time working hard on our run game. I'm really pleased with Akeem [Judd], Eugene [Brazley], Jordan [Wilkins] and, of course, Jaylen Walton. We have a lot of weapons there and have to continue to be sound in our schemes. Hopefully we will be able to block some of these guys."
That's much easier said than done.
Alabama boasts one of the most fearsome front sevens in the country that features defensive linemen A'Shawn Robinson, Jarran Reed and Jonathan Allen, as well as linebacker Reggie Ragland.
Keeping those monsters back is no easy task for any line, especially for one like Ole Miss, which might not feature stud offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil.
Tunsil has sat out the first two games pending an NCAA investigation into his contact with agents and, as ESPN.com's Chris Low reports, a loaner vehicle Tunsil drove while his car was in the shop. Freeze had no update on his status on Wednesday heading into the showdown in Tuscaloosa.
"I have a great AD, and I kind of just stay in my lane and get my team prepared with the ones we have," Freeze said.
The Rebels absolutely have to establish the run, draw in the secondary and open up those passing lanes for quarterback Chad Kelly and that talented wide receiving corps. While the running backs have been successful thus far without Tunsil in the lineup, this is a whole different animal going up against the Crimson Tide front seven.
While the bells and whistles outside for Ole Miss are nice, this game will be won or lost at the line of scrimmage. If the Rebels can't run, they're toast.
What Might Have Been
When you see Kelly lined up in that shotgun formation for the Rebels on Saturday, think about what might have been.
Kelly was the top-ranked dual-threat junior college quarterback in the class of 2015 out of East Mississippi Community College after leading his team to a JUCO national title.
He also could have been suiting up for the home team Saturday.
"We recruited him," Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. "We thought he was a really good player. We would have loved to have him in the program. We weren't sure if we were ready to recruit a junior college quarterback right then at that time, but we certainly recruited him, wanted him in our program and thought he was an outstanding player."
If Alabama's defense doesn't stop the run and the game turns into a shootout, Kelly will have the chance to stun a team that wanted him in its own building.
A New Wrinkle
If LSU head coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron pop in either of the two game tapes from Auburn's first two matchups, one thing stands out about the Tigers defense: It can't stop the zone read. Louisville and Jacksonville State absolutely torched Auburn time and time again.
With Auburn "Buck" linebacker Carl Lawson still day-to-day, expect LSU to unleash dual-threat quarterback Brandon Harris on the ground much more than we've seen in the past. He'll add a different dimension to a running attack led by tailback Leonard Fournette.
"It's a part of our offense. It's an interesting piece to make the defense account for the quarterback," Miles said. "It becomes an assignment and awareness, and it changes the defense in a number of ways. [Harris] obviously has great speed and ball-handling skills, so it's a natural addition to the offense."
It should be the focal point.
Even if Lawson does play, Auburn's inability to stick to its assignments through two games is a major hole LSU can exploit. Miles clearly didn't trust his quarterback to win a game through the air last week versus Mississippi State, and making that Plan B this week is the path of least resistance.
Make Auburn prove it can stop the Fournette-Harris combo on the ground first. If it can, then make the proper adjustments.
Better Than Advertised
Through two games, it's easy to call South Carolina a mess.
The Gamecocks are 1-1, just dropped a game to Kentucky at home, needed two horrible red-zone interceptions from North Carolina quarterback Marquise Williams to win their opener and lost quarterback Connor Mitch for an extended period of time thanks to a hip bruise that led to an infection.
Through it all, though, the South Carolina defense has been pretty solid.
The Gamecocks have allowed 19.5 points per game but just two total points in the second half—a fumbled two-point conversion returned the other way by Kentucky last week in Columbia.
Saturday, South Carolina travels to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs.
"They're big," Georgia head coach Mark Richt said. "Their two inside guys are big, strong, physical guys. Space-eater kind of players. Their front seven is really outstanding."
The leader of that front seven is linebacker Skai Moore. The junior has three interceptions on the year—tied for the most in the nation—and he has 19 tackles on the year.
"He's a veteran; he knows what he's doing and is making a lot of plays," Richt said. "He's really an outstanding player. We'll have a challenge to run the ball against them."
That's not coachspeak; that's reality.
If Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier can find just a little spark offensively, that would go a long way. Moore and defensive linemen Marquavius Lewis and Dante Sawyer have helped stabilize the front seven and can give fits to any team in America.
Problems in Knoxville
There's no shame in losing to an AP Top 20 team at home, especially for a program that hasn't enjoyed success on the national stage for the better part of a decade.
Tennessee throwing away a 17-point lead—including a two-touchdown cushion in the fourth quarter—is a bit different, though.
The Vols offense went into a shell in the second half, and the Sooners torched the defense once defensive end/linebacker Curt Maggitt went out of the 31-24 double-overtime loss to Oklahoma last weekend in Knoxville.
"Resiliency is very important," head coach Butch Jones said. "Any individual or any player who's ever accomplished anything, some of the traits that they have is resiliency and be able to persevere. These kids have been resilient all week. You have to have a short-term memory, and we live in a week-to-week season."
They're going to have to go at it without Maggitt, though. He has a bone chip in his hip, which will keep him out for a while.
"It is going to be an extended period of time," Jones said. "Upwards to eight weeks. We're still kind of waiting, but he's going to be out for an indefinite period of time."
That's bad news for the Vols. While Western Carolina should be a breeze this weekend, they travel to Florida, and host Arkansas and host Georgia over the next three weeks. Those three games will make or break their SEC East title hopes.
They better find answers on the outside, because everybody on the planet saw how badly Oklahoma exploited the edge once Maggitt was out last Saturday night.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Statistics are courtesy of CFBStats.com.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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