Ahead of Auburn's matchup with Ole Miss, The Auburn Plainsman reached out to The Daily Mississippian's assistant sports editor, James Minzesheimer, for a Q&A previewing this year’s Rebels team. Here’s what he had to say prior to the matchup.
Q: How do you expect the Ole Miss offense to do against Auburn’s defense?
A: I would expect to see something different. Weeks 1-3 the offense looked like it was towards the SEC and then week 4 Matt threw 6 ints. I would say it depends on what we see from Matt and what personnel decisions Kiffin and the OC Lebby make. I think you will see more running, and possible use of a two qb set with Plumlee and Corral in the game at the same time.
Q: How do you expect the Ole Miss defense to do against Auburn’s offense?
A: Coming out of last week, I hope that they can continue with the momentum they gained. Realistically, Ole Miss is going to have to put up points and see how the D plays. I expect them to give up big plays and allow lots of yards like we saw weeks 1-3.
Q: Lane Kiffin recently said that Ole Miss has been dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak, what do y'all know about that situation and how does it impact this weekend?
A: Not sure some players were inactive last week, I have heard rumors of the game being postponed, but nothing officially from either program or the SEC.
Q: Who are some players to look out for on both sides of the ball for Ole Miss?
A: Defense I would say Jaquez Jones, MoMo Sagano, and Ryder Anderson. Jaquez, because he is probably the best player in the Ole Miss secondary so expect him all over the field come saturday. MoMo because of the fake punt play which he took for 47 yards which is the longest rush of the year for Ole Miss, so I would keep an eye out for him on special teams. Ryder Anderson is a force. His ability to get a sack or a tackle for loss can really provide the spark the defense needs.
Offensively I would say, Snoop Conner, Johnthan Mingo, and John Rhys Plumlee. Snoop Conner has been having quietly a very good year on not a ton of touches. He has already recorded four touchdowns this season, and I would expect to see him more in short yardage situations. Mingo has been a force this season, not just in his numbers but in his physicality, after almost every catch he rights for yards, and he has caught 3 touchdowns this year. And John Rhys because if he gets on the field the fans will become very excited, but also he has not had the chance to take over the offense this year, and if Matt has another rough week like last, this is something we could see.
Q: How do you expect Matt Corral to respond after a tough performance against Arkansas last weekend?
A: Unsure, he could go back to Matt from Week 1-3, but most likely what Arkansas did can be replicated by a team like Auburn, so if this is the case, it seems the smart move would be to pull him in the 1st quarter or half.
Q: Score prediction?
A: I'm going 35-28 Ole Miss.
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Jake Weese, senior in journalism with a minor in history, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
