Ole Miss Rebels’ Jared Ivey Takes Home SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week Award
OXFORD, Miss. — The Ole Miss Rebel came out on top 48-34 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium versus Auburn this past Saturday, laying claim to the No. 1 spot in the SEC West for the time being.
The Rebels had a shaky start to season. Despite not losing a game, sometimes they played down to their competition, and other times their ground game was the only consistent part of the team. After shaking up the majority of their roster, this was to be expected, but now, the team seems to be putting everything together.
Junior defensive lineman Jared Ivey transferred from Georgia Tech to the Rebels this season and already has two more sacks through six games then he did in in two seasons with his previous squad. Ivey had the game winning strip sack in the Rebels' 22-19 win over Kentucky and has two sacks in his last three games. Not only are the Rebels beginning to mesh as a team, but several of the transfer players are coming alive.
Ivey has put together several solid games, and he looks to capitalize off his most recent performance that saw him take home the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week Award. He forced another fumble against Auburn, but according to his teammate, defensive lineman Tavius Robinson, he did not.
“We have been fighting over it,” Ivey said. “Tavius loosened it, and I feel like I drove through and forced it out, but he sees it completely differently. At the end of the day, we both got to the quarterback.”
If everything goes as planned, a similar dispute could arise during the Rebels' game this weekend.
“I am excited for Death Valley,” Ivey said. “It is going to be crazy. We just need to execute and get the job done.”
But it is easier said than done as the Rebels’ run defense has struggled recently, especially last week when it surrendered over 300 yards to Auburn.
“We just have to play more physical, make our reads, and play more violently,” Ivey said. “If we do that, we will have a better game.”
And this should be achievable as the Rebels have enough depth to help keep guys fresh throughout the entire game.
“We have so many guys that we can rotate,” Ivey said. “It sucked for Auburn, and unfortunately for them there are certain matchup’s that do not allow them to rotate guys like we can. It helps us stay fresh for the whole game.”
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