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Matchup Breakdown: Ole Miss run defense vs. Arkansas run game
By Jordan Cox
Published:
In preparation for Saturday’s primetime matchup between Ole Miss and Arkansas, Saturday Down South is taking a look at a key matchup that may decide the showdown between the Rebels and the Razorbacks.
Ole Miss run defense vs. Arkansas run game
Last time the Rebels were in this situation, the nation’s third-ranked team left Death Valley defeated having struggled with the power run game of LSU.
Now, Ole Miss travels to Fayetteville to face an Arkansas team coming off its first win in conference play and a power run game that stacks up with any in college football. Head coach Hugh Freeze acknowledged his team doesn’t match up as well against the Razorbacks, but said “you still have to play the game.”
The Landshark defense enter Saturday afternoon’s showdown allowing 128.1 rushing yards per game, fifth in the SEC. The Rebels, however, are built for speed and attacking the perimeter of the field. Ole Miss is one of the best defenses in the nation east-to-west, but the Hogs are going to attack Ole Miss north-to-south.
Arkansas is averaging 232.9 yards per game, fourth in the SEC, behind Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins. Korliss Marshall returned last week and had a big impact early for the Razorbacks.
The Hogs will attack the middle of the Ole Miss defense, and while Freeze said he feels his team is better suited for it this time around, the Rebels have not faced an offensive line as massive as Arkansas’s. The Rebels’ ability to compete at the line of scrimmage will be key.
After living in Birmingham, Ala., Jordan left the ground zero of SEC Nation to head south to Florida to tell the unique stories of the renowned tradition of SEC football. In his free time, his mission is to find the best locales around.
