What You Need to Know About the Ole Miss Offense
While the Ole Miss offense does not rank first in the SEC in total offense like it did in 2020 and 2021, the 2023 Rebel offense will still present the greatest challenge yet to this year's Georgia defense. Under the guidance of offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss Jr. and Head Coach Lane Kiffin - himself a highly successful former offensive play caller - the Ole Miss offense currently ranks third in the SEC in both total offense (478.9) and yards per play (6.91). Although the Rebels are not operating at quite as rapid of a pace offensively as they traditionally have under Kiffin, they still run an up-tempo offense that currently ranks second in the league in plays per game. As has routinely been the case during Kiffin's tenure in Oxford, Ole Miss also once again features one of the most explosive offenses in the country, ranking second in the SEC and third nationally in generating plays of 20 or more yards.
While the Ole Miss offense has consistently been one of the most prolific scoring offenses in the SEC since Kiffin's arrival in Oxford, it's success has largely stemmed from the run game as opposed to the pass game. The Rebels run the ball on 57% of their offensive snaps, which gives it the third-highest run percentage in the conference behind Auburn and Alabama. The engine to the Ole Miss ground game is star tailback Quinshon Judkins, who led the league in rushing as a freshman a year ago. The sophomore from Pike Road, Alabama got off to an injury-plagued slow start to the 2023 season but has returned to form recently, as he brings a streak of three-consecutive 100-yard rushing efforts into Athens. At 5-foot-11, 210 pounds, Judkins is a violent downhill runner with a thick lower half who is difficult to bring down with one defender. He possesses the ability to both grind out the tough yards and provide explosive plays on the ground for the Rebels.
Ole Miss sophomore RB Quinshon Judkins (4) celebrates Ole Miss' victory over Texas A&M with QB Jaxson Dart on Nov. 4.
While Judkins serves as the lead back in the Ole Miss offense, he is complimented by senior Ulysses Bentley IV who provides an even greater dose of explosiveness to the Rebel ground game. The transfer from SMU is averaging 5.8 yards per carry and is a threat to bite off chunks of yards every time he touches the football.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart also plays a critical role in the Ole Miss rushing attack. Dart has amassed 334 yards rushing and his 7 rushing touchdowns lead the team. The USC transfer is not particularly fleet-of-foot, but he is athletic enough to pose a threat and at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds he is a physical runner that the Rebels use liberally in short-yardage and goal-line situations, hence the 7 touchdowns. Even though he does not typically break off explosive runs of his own, the threat he poses with his legs forces defenses to account for him in the run game, thereby creating more space for Judkins and Bentley to operate.
While Dart had never been a dynamic passer in his career, he has taken a considerable step forward in that role this season. His 16-4 touchdown to interception ratio is a dramatic improvement over last year's 20-11 ratio and his 10.1 yards per attempt rank third in the SEC. At wide receiver, Ole Miss features a trio of players in Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins, and Dayton Wade who together account for 74% of the Rebels' receiving yards. Despite missing two full games due to injury, Harris leads Ole Miss in both receiving yards (749) and touchdowns (7), while Watkins leads the team with 44 receptions. Not to be outdone by his peers, Wade is not far behind with 40 receptions and 602 yards of his own. Harris, who transferred to Ole Miss from Louisiana Tech following the 2022 season, differs from Watkins and Wade in that at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, he gives the Rebels size at the receiver position that they otherwise would not have. He has also served as Ole Miss' most consistent big-play threat in the pass game with an average of 19.1 yards per reception.
Schematically, the Rebels run a mix of zone and gap scheme runs. They tag a significant percentage of their runs with RPO's which make up a considerable amount of their passing game. Weiss Jr. and Kiffin also actively attempt to generate explosive plays with misdirection and tempo. The Rebels liberally employ motion and misdirection in an effort to challenge the eye discipline of the defense. The Rebels add high tempo to the mix, creating a toxic cocktail of confusion for defenses that forces them to think and adjust faster than they are accustomed to, often leading to coverage breakdowns that create opportunities for explosive plays in both the run and pass game.
