Ole Miss will try to win 10 games for the first time since the 2003 season when the Rebels take on TCU in this year’s Chick Fil A Peach Bowl. Here’s five opposing players all Rebels fans should know before heading to Atlanta or watching from home:
- Trevone Boykin, QB:Â The Horned Frogs’ dynamic signal caller was one of the most dangerous weapons in the nation in 2014. The Davey O’Brien Award finalist led the Big 12 in passing at more than 309 yards per game, as well as in passing touchdowns with 30 against just seven interceptions. He also ran for 642 yards and eight touchdowns, finishing second on the team in both categories. Boykin engineered a Horned Frogs offense that finished second in the nation in averaging nearly 47 points per game this season, and he threw for at least 250 yards in nine of 12 games. Few players are as explosive both through the air and on the ground as Boykin, and the star quarterback is sure to test the Rebels Landshark defense in Atlanta.
- Josh Doctson, WR:Â Doctson was Boykin’s favorite target in 2014, catching a team-leading 59 passes for 959 yards and nine touchdowns. He had at least four catches in nine of 12 games and scored multiple touchdowns in three different games. His 16.25 yards per reception led the team and ranked in the top 10 in the Big 12 in that category. Doctson is a streaky receiver with big-play potential, and if Ole Miss loses track of him he’s almost certain to make the Landsharks pay for it. However, if the Rebels can bracket him and keep him from getting into rhythm, he’s also prone to quiet days at the office. The Rebels must do all they can to limit him on Wednesday.
- Aaron Green, RB:Â Green was one of three productive runners in the TCU offense, but he was by far the most explosive of the three during the regular season. Green led the team with 854 yards rushing in 2014, and he, Boykin and B.J. Catalon each rushed for at least 490 yards on the year. However, Green’s 7.7 yards per carry average shattered his teammates’ averages and actually led all Big 12 rushers with at least 50 carries on the year. The Rebels have a hard-hitting front seven that was unkind to opposing rushing attacks, but they cannot afford to let Green past the second level of the defense in this matchup.
- Paul Dawson, LB:Â Dawson led the Big 12 with 128 tackles in just 12 games this season (an average of 10.7 tackles per game), and his instinctual play at the linebacker position helped TCU boast the nation’s No. 13 run defense in 2014. Dawson is capable of covering ground from sideline to sideline, and he sheds blockers better than most linebackers in the nation. Ole Miss already struggles in the run game, and even if it runs as far away from Dawson as possible he’s sure to still find ways to make plays in the run game. The star linebacker is as dynamic a playmaker as anyone on TCU’s defense, and Bo Wallace and company must know where he’s lined up on every single snap.
- Chris Hackett, S:Â Hackett is a ball-hawking safety who is also a capable defender when moved down into the box. He’s recorded multiple interceptions and at least 60 tackles in three straight seasons, proving his worth as a playmaker in the back-end of the defense and as a sure-tackler with great instincts near the line of scrimmage. Hackett is another reason TCU was so stout in defending the run this season, and his team-leading six interceptions routinely swung momentum into the Horned Frogs favor throughout the year. With Laquon Treadwell out of the lineup, Wallace might be better off avoiding Hackett through the air on Wednesday.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
