The No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels will host the No. 13 Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday in a highly-anticipated SEC West showdown.
Ole Miss enters this matchup coming off a tough loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where it showcased a strong defensive performance in the first half but struggled to maintain its intensity throughout the game.
LSU narrowly secured a victory over Arkansas, a team it was expected to defeat by a more comfortable margin.
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Both teams are 3-1, and Ole Miss seeks its first SEC win. Here’s a look at key Rebel players who could pose a challenge to LSU:
Offensive Players:
Jaxson Dart
This second-year starter is a dual-threat quarterback similar to Jayden Daniels. Dart has three rushing touchdowns and leads the Rebels in rushing yards at 275. He also has 1,096 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns.
The Ole Miss offensive line has struggled early this season, and Dart adjusted by using his legs when his linemen failed to hold blocks on passing plays. Keeping Dart contained in the pocket will be necessary for LSU, so he doesn’t break away with his speed.
Quinshon Judkins
After his explosive performance at running back in 2022, Judkins received SEC Freshman of the Year, CBS National Freshman of the Year and SEC Newcomer of the Year honors. He made the 2023 ALL-SEC Preseason First Team and has four touchdowns and 201 yards coming into Saturday’s game.
Statistically, Judkins’ numbers don’t compare to last season at this time, but he’s been limited due to injury. However, he is still a threat to the Tigers defense on the run as well as the pass. He has eight receptions this season and is for fourth on the team in receiving.
Jordan Watkins
This wide receiver leads Ole Miss in receptions with 24, is the leading returning receiver and has the most receiving yards for the Rebels at 347. He is Dart’s most reliable target and one to keep covered on every down.
Tre Harris
While Harris was out after a knee injury against Tulane, he still put up 188 yards in slightly more than one game. He returned for a few plays against Alabama and will be back on Saturday.
The Rebels mostly use Harris at the goal line, and he will be a red-zone threat. Out of his eight receptions, five were touchdowns, and his longest was only 38 yards.
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Defensive Players:
Trey Washington
Washington was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Georgia Tech. This safety is playing a larger role for the Ole Miss defense this season.
Last year, Washington had 31 tackles and wasn’t in a starting role. He now leads the team in tackles with 25. Washington is 12th in the SEC in tackles and will be key in stopping big passing and running plays.
Suntarine Perkins
The Rebels have a linebacker named Perkins of their own, and he is a threat to the Tigers on the pass rush.
With three sacks, Perkins is second in the SEC in sack yards at 26 and has 18 tackles, fourth in that category for Ole Miss. As a true freshman, Perkins has made an immediate impact for the team.
Ashanti Cistrunk
The linebacker has 23 tackles, following Washington. He is Ole Miss’ leading returning tackler and will be looking to stop the run and break through to keep Daniels closed off. Cistrunk is familiar with Daniels’ abilities, and the Tigers offensive line will need to push him back.
Khari Coleman
On defense, the Rebels tend to rotate their linebackers often throughout the game, which will keep the LSU defense on its toes. Alongside Perkins, Coleman is the main pass-rushing linebacker and leading sacker from last season. He is third on the team in tackles with 19.
